Letter from the DFO

[Trafalgar]

Just finished reading the latest letter from the DFO over my early morning tea. Now, no appetite for breakfast...

My first question would be? Are we working for the same airline? Reading his comments, it would appear to be from the DFO of an airline that is not losing it's pilots, has everything under control and seems to think that years of mistreatment and abuse can be fixed in "two days". So obviously, this must be the DFO from a completely different airline than the one I work for.

The DFO talks about the AOA releasing a "positioning piece". Really? I would posit that it's the company that is guilty of YEARS of positioning pieces. In fact, I would say it's the company that is guilty of just about every violation of normal rules of conduct, in every area, in every year of my 25+ years of employment. Please, spare us the absurdity of blaming the AOA. It is abundantly clear to every one of us that the company is the one who is solely at fault in every area of concern. Yes, every area.

You talk about focusing on the future, not dwelling on the past. Well, of course you don't want to dwell on the past, mainly because it highlights just how abusive and destructive management have been to every area of our careers. To dwell on the past would require real answers to the volume of legitimate grievances that the pilots have, and before we can focus on the "future", you have to address and fix the violations and damage that has been committed in the past. None of us are willing to forgive and forget at this point. More pointedly, we remember and demand redress.

Back to turnover. On an annualized basis, we are probably getting close to 5% or higher. That is certain to increase. It will certainly increase if you and your management team insist on bench-marking CX pilots to HKA. Funny how you don't seem to want to benchmark us to your wholly owned subsidiary, Dragonair...curious. Further, a simple anecdotal review of what is actually being discussed on the flight decks will patently highlight how most of the expat pilots 45 or under are actively considering leaving. It is safe to say that if there is not a wholesale change of direction in the pay/benefits/lifestyle equation, the exodus will start to reach catastrophic numbers. Whether or not you want to acknowledge it, nearly every flight I and my colleagues operate has at least one, if not more pilots either applying elsewhere, interviewing elsewhere, awaiting a course date elsewhere. Another question: do our main competitors (BA/QF/LH/AF/DL/AA etc...) experience anywhere near that percentage of resignations? I seriously doubt it. In fact, almost NOBODY in those airlines resigns for reasons other than health related. So please, stop with the distortion of fact and truth (the thing you are accusing the AOA of). We can all SEE what is happening with our own eyes, and we all KNOW of many people who have left already, or are planning to do so.

Your comment regarding our "package" being above industry standard is laughable, when you are talking about people living in the most expensive city on earth. If it's so competitive, explain how my nephew with BA (25 yrs old ) has just purchased his own HOUSE in a suburb of London, and owns two cars, wife not having to work), and our pilots,being based in HK, see most of them not even able to afford to pay school debentures, much less find the money to make a downpayment on a 400 sq ft apartment in the outer reaches of HK? Stop with the distortion of fact. The current package is well below par, and certainly not sustainable on a career level. I repeat, the package is NOT sustainable on a career level. We ALL KNOW IT.

You go on to patronize us, talking about how "some pilots may choose to return to their home countries (like SA...?), and that the company "respects" (!) that decision". :yuk:. Seriously, in the days where CX truly respected their pilots, NOBODY left. Either CX is or it is not a career airline. Under current management, it is NOT. Neither is HKA or HKE. They are happy to have pilots for a few years then replace them. Why don't you at least be honest and come out and admit the same about CX? Ironically, both HKA and HKE at least offer their pilots much more rapid commands, with the ability to then take that experience and transfer to a better employer. On that basis, they arguably offer a better overall package than CX.

I am particularly disappointed as to how you attempted to try and turn the local pilots against the AOA. The AOA did nothing of the sort that you allude to. What you have really attempted to do is use the "race card", and as in politics in general, is no less offensive here.

You say we all have a responsibility to end industrial action. Notice to Management: it will NOT end until we have ALL the outstanding issues suitably addressed and resolved. Not a day sooner, and not a penny less.

Trafalgar

[cannot]

Welcome back Traf,
I’m just surprised that the DFO actually managed to pen a letter . Like you however I disagree with the propaganda content

[Clear_sky]

Great post Trafalgar, I could barely believe what I was reading from the DFO.

When these course dates start rapidly appearing the DFO is going to have to adjust his attrition rates substantially upwards.

[LGB]

Well written, and totally agree.

If this is not resolved by the end of the year, I'll be gone. 12 years in and just waiting for my turn for command. I'd rather have a base, but then not even sure that is enough any more.

When I joined, this WAS a career airline. Now it's more like a flight school with an extended line training package.

[Trafalgar]

Well written, and totally agree.

If this is not resolved by the end of the year, I'll be gone. 12 years in and just waiting for my turn for command. I'd rather have a base, but then not even sure that is enough any more.

When I joined, this WAS a career airline. Now it's more like a flight school with an extended line training package.
I began my letter by stating that the DFO wrote as though he is the DFO of another airline. Thinking about it, he is acting like the Director of Training of many other airlines, as we are effectively a flight school training pilots for our competitors...

[FlexibleResponse]

Excellent post Trafalgar. You have eloquently hit on all the right points.

Unfortunately, it is all about supply and demand, and how that hand is played out by the AOA and CX management.

CX will not pay one penny more than is absolutely necessary to retain and attract pilots. While they think that they still have a greasy grip on your aspirations and loyalty by bluffing, outright lying or just plain bullying, there will be NO improvements to your package.

In fact, they will continue to erode your package for reasons of personal greed to qualify for their own bonuses. Base pay for CX senior managers and Directors is quite low. That provides the incentive for them to cast aside their moral compass (if they had one) and do whatever is necessary to gain said bonuses. If at the end of the year they don't qualify for a bonus, they are "promoted sideways" and replaced with someone who is even more ruthless. I have watched these scumbags for over 30 years and it has always been the same game that they play.

I say again, it is all about supply and demand...

This will not end until firm action is taken by way of strike action or as is eventually more likely, the pilot resignation rate becomes unmanageable.

[Trafalgar]

I've been told in confidence by individuals at a very high level, that the resignation rate is already unmanageable. That is why the DFO lurched into making what has to be a laughable statement on the subject (me doth think he protests too much) as all of us operating regularly well know the reality of how many we are losing (and how many more they will soon lose...).

Further, CX is cancelling services and effectively shrinking the operation to cope. I suspect that the seniority list is smaller than it was at this time last year. Further evidence of the panic that is now setting into the airline is our fleet CP illegally stating when you can and can't call in unfit (note to CP: we can call in anytime we feel we are not fit to operate, effectively right up to pushing the TOGA buttons for takeoff!). It is telling that the newsletter in question has mysteriously been deleted from the links of available monthly newsletters. I suspect he has had a quiet word from the legal team.

All in all, the evidence is piling up that the wheels are coming off. All we have to do is sit on our hands and wait until they come to their senses. I am not so certain that they are capable of that however.

[Freehills]

Traf,

the purpose of the DFO letter is not to give an addressing speech to his pilots.
You know the content of the letter is nonsense.
I know the content of it is nonsense.
Every CX pilot with a pulse should know that it is nonsense.
Anyone who had maths at school knows that his letter is nonsense:
130 lost pilots, which represent 3.5% of the pilot workforce would result in around 3.700 total pilots. Cathay has less than 3.300. Even massaging the numbers a little wouldn’t result in anything close to 3.300.

The letter was not written for us.
It was written for his superiors and for the public, hence the slight industrial tone of the letter.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this letter, or some of the content of it, would make it to the SCMP at some stage, to blame us pesky, greedy pilots for a collapse of the negotiation talks.

Cathay is not interested in coming on good terms with us and I doubt they ever will.

As you rightly said, anyone younger should draw the conclusions.

He's probably lumping in KA pilots into the stats too

[Threethirty]

As has been mentioned before by me and others CX are waiting for the next down turn to fix all of their woes. They timed it right in 2008 and picked up Oasis at the same time to boot. Seems like this time however, the pilots are waking up and getting to the door before the crap hits the fan.

[Tappingtheadmiral]

Has anyone else heard the rumor of a new contract in the offing for new joiners? A particularly odd rumour in the light of the looming pilot shortage world wide.
Is it possible that the aforementioned letter is an attempt at softening us up for such an event?

[Trafalgar]

Almost certainly their hope is that there is an economic downturn that will then allow them to impose even worse conditions. It is only a question of whether the pilot resignations outpace their ability to hold out for such conditions to occur (and what does it say about a management who wish for bad economic times?). Regardless, no matter how things play out at CX, it is no longer in question whether or not it is a viable career airline. It isn't, and never will be again.

[Flex88]

Blame shifting, distraction, diversion, deflection etc. etc.
Whatever you may think, don't for one second believe he'll stick his neck out a millimetre more than the puppet masters dictate.
He didn't work so very long and hard gaining his nickname to risk it on impertinent pilots and risk "HIS" new "package"

[spleener]

What is his benchmark rate for a DFO?

[cannot]

Spleener , if you are talking salary and bonuses I believe that it’s about HK$12 million per annum . If anyone has more info I will happily stand corrected
but I can see an instant saving right there

[Who stole my meds]

As an outsider I can't help but wonder if many of the comments made on this forum resemble comments made just before the original A Scale was introduced back in the day when CX was desperate for pilots???

[tiger321]

As far as attrition rate goes, I have been keeping it very simple. I started watching a certain DEFO on 15 April. They have moved forward 54 places in 4 months.
Over the year that equates to 162 people leaving. More like 5% rather than the DFO's quoted 3,5%. I suspect that they don't include the early "retirements" in the numbers.

If we ran an airline and not a circus most of the early retirees would have worked until 65.

[Air Profit]

Tiger, funnily enough i've been doing much the same, and came up with a very similar number to yourself. Basically, our management distort, obfuscate and outright lie. They have no moral compass, so therefore the ends justify the means. Internally they are panicking, and they are desperate to pretend that all is under control. The thing is, we, the ones who actually do the work in this airline know the facts, because we see it every day on the line, and personally know many individuals who have either already left, or are in the process of doing so. It would be comical if it wasn't so tragic. It's been a process of degradation over more than 20 years, and we are now reaching the end game. The current DFO is desperately trying to gather up his own little pot of gold before the train well and truly comes off the tracks. Can't stand the sight of any of our management, they are all in it for themselves. Nothing more. There is no career to be had at this airline, at least not one worth dedicating your life to. Time to Win...?, more like Time to Leave. Can hardly wait for the DFO's next letter. At least there is still some entertainment to be had here (and I second Traf's comments regarding the race baiting....appalling).

[Oasis]

I love how he ‘budgeted’ for that kind of turnover, so thankfully all of this was planned.
I wonder what the magic limit it to his ‘budget’.

[VR-HFX]

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmforum.com-vbulletin/560x400/graphengine_91ac7b620c7bcf5b76f3743cf00c794ab19364af.png
On another floor in Fort Fumble, the scriptwriters must be in overtype late into the night, as the fuel hedge runs down and the oil price is trending toward USD100/bbl. It will be interesting to see what comes back from the editors.

[raven11]

I was taken aback by the tone of the DFOs email. Reading it made me feel like it was the 1990s all over again.

Given his stated YTD resignation rate of 3.5%, and given that we are only seven months into the year, projecting his stated resignation numbers to year end results is a resignation rate well over 5%...and that’s OK? According to his email the cost of replacing swathes of experienced pilots is not really that bad...it’s somehow a normal thing — a good thing — something that they have budgeted for. Anyone who has balanced a cheque book would squint at such a comment. Just from a cost standpoint alone, the loss of experienced pilots would be ringing alarm bells in any other legacy airline. According to the email, losing pilots with experience and replacing them with brand new zero time pilots, and a few low time pilots, makes financial good sense, and is something to trumpet and laud? Unbelievable.

And I totally agree with Traf regarding the DFOs salary benchmarking comment that somehow manages to ignore our sister airline at Dragon Air. The contractural 13th month at Dragon Air amounts to a 9% disparity in pay. But nothing to see here folks....move along.

All in all the tone of his email was reminiscent of past days when such missives were so detrimental to morale....while at the same time stating that he does not want to dwell on the past...it was a disorienting read.

The comment regarding the value of lost experience being easily mitigated by the recruitment of zero time, and low time pilots, was disturbing, to say the least. What other airline lauds the fact that low time pilots are replacing their experienced ones, while trumpeting cost and safety? As I said, a disorienting read.

All in all, the email was a call to ignore my lying eyes. Anyone with a pulse can see what is really happening. It should not have been written in such a tone...especially at this critical time when negotiations should be drawing to a close. Instead of a convincing pitch for the Company and pilots to come together I predict it will have the opposite effect and put off large numbers of pilots.

My goodness....

[cannot]

Raven did you really expect anything different from this individual ? It fits in perfectly with his character , he is only in this for everything that he can get out of it . If that entails walking over some or all of you so be it .
I have absolutely no idea why he was picked for this position , actually I do , it’s because he spent years brown nosing everyone he could . From the pilots perspective,he is the worst possible choice and I suspect that the board will regret this decision in a very short time frame . Unfortunately this is how they want to run this airline with threats , coercion , and intimidation . For management it’s no longer working , this is not the 80’s or 90’s when jobs were in short supply , there are dozens of well paying jobs out there for experienced pilots who are taking advantage of this and leaving in ever increasing numbers .
Experience cannot be put on a balance sheet , so accountants simply ignore it , but it can make the difference between an incident and a smoking hole in the ground.
This airline can no longer afford to maintain its current attrition rate , but until the management convinces the board that this current policy will result in the destruction of a once Great airline , nothing will change

[Runnymede]

In the first half of 2018, Delta officially took in 1066 new joiners. Official number!

Perhaps 3.5% of them came from CX ?

[Gnadenburg]

He's probably lumping in KA pilots into the stats too


KA has 500 pilots. The attrition budget for this year is 24 according to the guys paying attention at fleet forums. So 5%. The quota was near met by this month so next year I'm assuming it will go up a few incremental %. This would have sent shock waves and fix-it money a few years ago so perhaps this is the way of the future?

If CX is anywhere near 5% and you are in a rigid CC scenario with a training ban, a train wreck is inevitable unless you are deliberately contracting? KA isn't picking up your slack evidenced by the standing-down of training captains to achieve a bonus ( I mean budget ).

[controlledrest]

Dear Chris

I don't expect much from you and you haven't disappointed me with your DFO Update.

HKPA might have been almost acceptable for inexperienced pilots joining CX when it was introduced but the housing market has moved a long way since then. A good starting point would be to double it or drop it entirely and give ARAPA to all.

The way CX is being mis-managed there is no point '...to focus on the future...' as there isn't one for the company as a whole. The only 'future' many of your pilots have is their next job. I will 'dwell on the past' until past injustices are made right.

If 'our pilots remain a highly valued asset' treat them as such. The conditions are not good enough, the attrition rate proves that. 13 month pay anyone?

I firmly believe that we will crash an aeroplane and kill hundreds of people because of the pilot employment and training policies the company management have adopted as you strive to drive down costs and get their bonuses. Your statements re Haddon-Cave are simply wrong.

There is no industrial action. I and most others are simply working in compliance with our contracts.

I am not proud to be a part of this airline.

[BlunderBus]

So if resignations are no big deal why even mention it?
Like traf has mentioned we on the line can see first hand what’s going on in the trenches and the outward steady flow of 5% of crews every year is...
”no big deal”!!?
Just who is it that’s leaving?
Overwhelmingly First Officers.
Just replacing them is a huge expense but we’re also seeing our Command candidates walk out.
Its not just a simple matter of percentages .. it’s a massive strain on training staff.
Budgeted for it? What an inane childish statement.
If you fixed the fundamental problems... as you have promised so many times in the past to do.. you wouldn’t need to budget at all right?

[positionalpor]

The SO on recent flight is leaving in 5 weeks.
The issue isn’t just replacing experienced pilots,
It is replacing “an inexperienced pilot”.
just pathetic
#Notproudofcx

[rhoshamboe]

Now that recruitment has changed hands I've no doubt that's the way we are headed. Luckily the C&T chaps will all rigorously maintain the current standards. If pressured to do otherwise I'm sure they'd all resign. Wait a minute...

[controlledrest]

Now that recruitment has changed hands I've no doubt that's the way we are headed. Luckily the C&T chaps will all rigorously maintain the current standards. If pressured to do otherwise I'm sure they'd all resign. Wait a minute...

Or the C&T heros could write another letter. Last one really made the company take note.

[anxiao]

Ah Tappinghead that reminds me of something in the past. Talking with the then DFO some 10-15 years ago he said that the company were looking into recruiting from the developing world, particularly the Indian sub-continent. I advised him that at that time a pilot resigning from an Indian airline to join a foreign airline would have his passport rescinded by the Indian government, which was news to him. He suggested other countries.

My written reply to him, for his guidance, quoting Adam Smith on division of labour and pin making included the phrase, "this is why you do not go to Nigeria for your banking nor Bangladesh for your dentistry."

To be fair he stuck to the first (-ish) world for aircrew. It seems that the currrent mob need a little education from Adam Smith again...

[controlledrest]

They looked to India within the last year or so. Of the 30 they interviewed they offered one a job (the rest either had doubtful logbook times or couldn't fly the sim). The one they offered the job to turned CX down. Package not good enough.

People department might be less selective, but still doesn't solve the package problem. Why would anyone come to CX to log years of P2X whilst not living on the HKPA???

[BlunderBus]

While we’re on the topic of ‘budgeting’...
Just imagine for a moment how life would be if the the shoe were on the other foot. Imagine the crews behaving the way the company does. Asking for massive increases in pay and benefits every year. Abusing the system by taking maximum sick leave every year in accordance with the contracts. Refusing absolutely to ever fly on a G day and walking away from the plane the minute the duty hours expired. Never allowing the travesty of A,O and EXB and free reserve to exist and refusing duty changes given on arrival or at dispatch. Never accepting route shortcuts expeditious climbs or single engine taxi. Flatly refusing to negotiate unless a tit for tat demand is met and then reneging on any agreed deals. In short don’t they realize how much damage is avoided by the continuance of ‘good will’ ? Having the staff screw them at every turn, constantly, every year because that in effect is what they’ve been doing for the last 25 years at least.
To top it off throw in a good measure of simply lying about things. Imagine being sued by a bunch of instructors from Adelaide over outright lies and promises .. breach of contract.. losing the lawsuit (inevitably) and then employing a bunch of crew who despise you from day one!!!!
These ridiculous missives from the DFO or anyone else just serve to humiliate themselves... sprouting off the same old tired worn out phrases the previous management waffled on about. The world already knows what a nest of vipers they are.
Just digging a bigger hole for themselves methinks.
Threats and abuse with no clear plan to address the issues... what’s new? Yawwwwwwwnnn!!
The gormless DFO ,despite murdering any semblance of dress sense , seriously looks like he’s waiting for his next thought to arrive 😜

[swh]

So if resignations are no big deal why even mention it?

GH blessed us with his presence at a fleet forum dressed in casual attire with a rock t-shirt that had “C**T” written on it.

His statement at the fleet forum directly contradicts his underlings email, he said the turnover of pilots was unsustainable.

[BlunderBus]

These guys couldn’t lie straight in bed!!
For all the multitudes of meetings they have you think they could at least get their story straight.
Amateurs the lot of them. On the eve of destruction of the airline they’re still struggling to recognize the problem let alone a cure.

[smogluver]

Experience levels have not changed!!!! Aparently there was a Cathay Management muppet handing out flyers to get your license and apply to CX, in Flight Experience in the mall, Darling Harbour. TTW
Where not hard up for Crew, join the CX crèche

[Bangaluru]

GH blessed us with his presence at a fleet forum dressed in casual attire with a rock t-shirt that had “C**T” written on it.

His statement at the fleet forum directly contradicts his underlings email, he said the turnover of pilots was unsustainable.


I know who the C**T is.

[Flex88]

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160161/young-professionals-are-leaving-hong-kong-droves-search

[RexBanner]

Another question: do our main competitors (BA/QF/LH/AF/DL/AA etc...) experience anywhere near that percentage of resignations? I seriously doubt it. In fact, almost NOBODY in those airlines resigns for reasons other than health related........Your comment regarding our "package" being above industry standard is laughable, when you are talking about people living in the most expensive city on earth. If it's so competitive, explain how my nephew with BA (25 yrs old ) has just purchased his own HOUSE in a suburb of London, and owns two cars, wife not having to work)

As a 25 year old in BA I would imagine he is on PP 1-4 at most (that’s assuming he’s a DEP, if FPP then it’s out of the question totally) and I can categorically tell you that there is no way in hell he has obtained that kind of money from the bank based on his current salary without a ****ing sizeable deposit from money outside his current remuneration from BA, particularly as banks will only lend against half the variable elements of the salary now we’ve gone back to Variable Flying Pay.

On the first point, plenty of junior captains are leaving BA right now to go back to their LCC’s. Junior Long Haul FOs jumping ship too to go to KLM, Virgin and elsewhere. BA is no utopia nowadays, even when compared to Cathay. With the new CEO taking position, Air France pilots must be readying themselves for a sizeable dispute with management regarding pay and conditions. Conclusion? It’s crap everywhere now mate, quite how we’ve got into this position with a shortage going on I don’t know but we must as a pilot community capitalise on it as best we can

[Trafalgar]

Sure mate, you tell me what my nephew is or isn't doing (and I don't recall mentioning anything about how much he had to spend..., or where his money came from). I'm sure he would be much better off in CX, with the worlds most expensive city to cope with, with a wife and children. I'm sure Botswana has given you all the context you need to be authoritative on the subject.... :rolleyes:

[Freehills]

Valid points though - without Bank of Mum and Dad unlikely a 25 year old would have a house.

Only 20% of people 25-34 own property in London. Was 47% 20 years ago

And the BA threads on this site do have lots of discussion how for some people LCC is a better deal, so they do leave

Of course, HK has worse problem than London on housing, and the fact that LCC are competitive with BA is a good thing - more choices of where to go rather than limit to flag carriers

[Steve the Pirate]

Sure mate, you tell me what my nephew is or isn't doing (and I don't recall mentioning anything about how much he had to spend..., or where his money came from). I'm sure he would be much better off in CX, with the worlds most expensive city to cope with, with a wife and children. I'm sure Botswana has given you all the context you need to be authoritative on the subject.... :rolleyes:

Come on Trafalgar, you know as well as everyone else that the inference you intended to be drawn from the post regarding your nephew was that a 25 year-old BA pilot could afford a house in London on his BA salary. By contrast, I didn't infer from RexBanner's post that your nephew would be better off in CX, or for that matter that he (Rex) hails from Botswana.

STP

[Air Profit]

STP, Traf said his nephew purchased in a "suburb" of London. As you well know, prices would vary greatly from inner London to a far outer suburb. I think Trafs' point was very valid. It's a darn sight more likely a 25 yrd old can afford a house/home in or around London than the impossibility of doing so in HK, which I believe WAS his point. Regardless, Rexbanner doesn't have ANY facts at hand regarding his nephew, so personally questioning Traf's comments seemed a bit out of order. And Rexbanner mentions his location as Botswana, so Traf's comment is at least based on a fact provided by Rex.

[Steve the Pirate]

STP, Traf said his nephew purchased in a "suburb" of London. As you well know, prices would vary greatly from inner London to a far outer suburb. I think Trafs' point was very valid. It's a darn sight more likely a 25 yrd old can afford a house/home in or around London than the impossibility of doing so in HK, which I believe WAS his point. Regardless, Rexbanner doesn't have ANY facts at hand regarding his nephew, so personally questioning Traf's comments seemed a bit out of order. And Rexbanner mentions his location as Botswana, so Traf's comment is at least based on a fact provided by Rex.

Air Profit, that's true but why mention London at all? If you want to buy/rent a property in Hong Kong, as you well know, prices actually do vary greatly from Mid-Levels to the northern New Territories. I do take his point that housing is significantly more affordable in the UK than Hong Kong for an equivalent property but I still contest the implication that a 25 year-old BA pilot can afford a home in (a suburb) of London without some sort of financial assistance from a source other than a bank or lending institution, as did Rex.

As for location, it's a fact that your location is 'No where' - does that mean that you're stateless?

STP

[RexBanner]

The point I am making is this; I’m a BA pilot, probably on a similar pay point to this person and I know full well what I earn and what the bank will lend based on it. I’ve just been through a mortgage application in an area very similar to South East England in terms of prices and know how far the money stretches. I’m not trying to derail the discussion, there were some very valid points raised by Trafalgar I am sure. It’s just if someone makes a disingenuous or misleading comment based on the BA salary then I’m in a position to present the facts, that’s all. No confrontation intended here, just pointing out that our package (IMHO) isn’t up to scratch either.

(Oh and does anyone put accurate location info on here?)

[Trafalgar]

Thanks for the clarification. I agree that it's a difficult proposition purchasing in London. My nephew worked hard for several years and saved a significant sum to afford his downpayment (and a very nice car!). However, that at least is doable in the UK, unlike in HK, where you need at least $400K usd as a deposit on a small 350-450 sq ft flat, the price of which is currently about 1 Million usd. HIs house is a small affair down south, for which he paid about half as much, and only needed about a quarter as much deposit as HK would require. No contest. BA may have it's problems as well, but you are in your home country and will at least have a properly structured and legally secure career, both of which are questionable at CX.

...anyway, back to the DFO's letter. It is striking that he states the company is "willing to budget for resignations", but not seemingly to provide a proper package to avoid the resignations in the first place. What madness is that? He states that they anticipate 130 people leaving. Take a moment to picture 130 pilots in a row, with the entire reality of their initial hiring, training, life investment, family sacrifice, etc etc. That is a disgusting waste of commitment and manpower, something that our DFO and Swire's seem to believe is of no real consequence. The replacement cost in training alone will run into the many millions. This company is broken, and no more ably demonstrated than by the DFO's own words. They truly have lost the plot.

nb: The DFO stating that CX is a "career airline" doesn't make it so. Facts are what determine that, and the multitude of facts contrary patently show that CX is nothing more than a training airline for the rest of the worlds major carriers. They really should send the DFO a bouquet of flowers as thanks.

[Brokeidiot]

Hmm I think those statistics quoted in the SCMP is from an AOA email not the DFO letter.

Not saying it wasn’t leaked by the company just wasn’t from DFO letter.

[Air Profit]

Once again, a lame attempt to demonize the ARAPA recipients. Note to management: you are the same people who rely on the same program, which highlights even more your own stupidity in being part of the attempt to eradicate it. The real issue is that you have shown a wanton disregard for the well being of the HKPA recipients. They deserve a significant increase, and the longer you play this destructive game, the more of them you will lose. Either that, or open up the bases and institute proper commuting contracts. There is no hope for CX under the current impasse.

[Rated De]

https://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2160592/cathay-pacific-close-sealing-deal-end-four-year

So predictable.

That article in the SCMP was the main purpose of the DFO letter.



Precisely.
Message management

[Arfur Dent]

$1 Billion cut from pilot costs. There you have it. Let expensive pilots go and replace them with cheap ones. Clever, these CX Execs…..

[Scoreboard]

Hehe i heard one of our fav stc was brought in for a chat after 3 DEFO he had particpated in their training had just resigned....they wanted to know what he said to me....nothing they just realized it was a crap package and took the endoresement.

[DropKnee]

Hehe i heard one of our fav stc was brought in for a chat after 3 DEFO he had particpated in their training had just resigned....they wanted to know what he said to me....nothing they just realized it was a crap package and took the endoresement.

Glad we are getting closer to a Atlas operating environment.