Smartwings

[Breakthesilence]

Hi guys,

just curious about the financial situation and the recruitment process for B737 experienced First Officers.

Any info about them?

Thanks

[vlkyplky]

financial situation is believed to be good and uprising. Recently hired about 25 experienced LHS and 250hrs FO mainly for polish subsidiary. Due to CSA downfall market is oversaturated by pilots. Interesting company for newbies - flying to airports round the globe.

edit:grammar

[rickymicky]

Will Smartwings be the next Thomas Cook?

[bumpy737]

End of TCX is sad, but I wouldn’t be sorry for Smartwings...after what they did over Europe with the EO flight...

[todisflying]

End of TCX is sad, but I wouldn’t be sorry for Smartwings...after what they did over Europe with the EO flight...

can you be more specific?

[bumpy737]

can you be more specific?

Incident: Smartwings B738 over Aegean Sea on Aug 22nd 2019, engine shut down in flight, aircraft continued to Prague (http://avherald.com/h?article=4cbe8434&opt=0)

And another flaps-up landing this Monday in Prague...

[Raptor71]

Yeah let's hope all SWG pilots loose their job because one of them made a mistake after an engine failure.

That's the spirit.

Just Despicable....

[dirk85]

One error is a thing, reckless borderline criminal behaviour by the chief pilot or whoever he was, another.

But yeah, wishing a company to go down because of that is not fair.

[TheBat]

Pardon me, but where exactly did bumpy737 mentioned that he/she hopes or wishes?
Not a dog in this fight, but I won't be sorry either. (Rather be safe than sorry...)

[Raptor71]

Ok let's play on the words then...

"I would t be sorry for smartwings....after what THEY did...." (using THEY, implies ALL employees are as much as responsible as the 2 guys that made the violation that day)
I suppose you find it fair and you will try to find a way to justify it.

[bumpy737]

Guys, you had too much sun today or what? I’m not wishing anybody to loose their job, but Smartwings it’s a mess...this was not the first time that the CVR went “missing” after the flight: TVS hard landinf at Lajes... (http://avherald.com/h?article=47071eb1) , nor the first time they screwed up. If you want to share the airspace with that company, please go ahead, I wouldn’t put my family on their plane just because of their culture and SMS. And you can ask the many guys, why they left to the sandpit from TVS/Smartwings...

If I would be Harry Potter, I would bring them a new owner which would place everything in order - otherwise it might a nice company to fly for - getting new planes, regular and charter operations all over the world...

[bumpy737]

And if you guys think, that I’m making things up, read the following reports:

Collision on taxiway (https://tn.nova.cz/clanek/na-prazskem-letisti-se-srazily-letouny-spoje-nabiraji-zpozdeni.html)

Burst tire on landing (rumour - they landed with pressure on brakes) (http://avherald.com/h?article=4a840649&opt=0)

Crew started evacuation without Captains call - 1PAX dead (http://avherald.com/h?article=4b66f32d&opt=0)

Runway excursion this winter (http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2d2a95&opt=0)

Overrun (http://avherald.com/h?article=46769130&opt=0)

And now for the leased planes:

Overrun (http://avherald.com/h?article=4bbd4422&opt=0)

Tailstrike (http://avherald.com/h?article=4b9e591e&opt=0)

Excursion (http://avherald.com/h?article=4abc9582&opt=0)


And I’m not mentioning the engine failures and other technical issues which could raise questions about their maintenance... Just search on Avherald for Smartwings or Travel Service and you might be surprised...

[Flocks]

Will Smartwings be the next Thomas Cook?

Based on what info ?

And Smartwings business is just charter and regulars flights, they don't sell holiday package like Thomas cook or TUI, they just work for holiday makers asking charter flights.

[Airone2977]

Seems like someone failed its interview with Smartwings and now have some bitterness to share.
I can assure you that Smartwings has a pretty strong bussiness, so don't hold your breath.

[bumpy737]

Seems like someone failed its interview with Smartwings and now have some bitterness to share.
I can assure you that Smartwings has a pretty strong bussiness, so don't hold your breath.

Nope...and you know why? I never applied for companies where you have to pay for the actual interview and the type rating :)))

[TBSC]

Everyone working with Travel/Smartwings have a lot of stories about them but to be fair the "crew started evacuation without captain's call" should be "israeli passengers overran the crew and started evacuation despite the repeated calls of the captain not to do so".

[Airone2977]

Nope...and you know why? I never applied for companies where you have to pay for the actual interview and the type rating :)))

And How is that working out for you ?
So why are you whishing Smartwings to go burst then ? What have they done to you personnaly ?
Hoping +500 crews to lose their job is simply despicable. Shame on you

[bumpy737]

And How is that working out for you ?
So why are you whishing Smartwings to go burst then ? What have they done to you personnaly ?
Hoping +500 crews to lose their job is simply despicable. Shame on you


It’s working great. But you still didn’t get it. It’s not about the people, I will repeat it once again - I’m not wishing anybody to lose their job. It’s about the company, culture and management. To be honest, I failed my screening with Lufthansa some time ago. Do I have something against them? No. Why? Because it’s a proper company with a good safety record... If you like Smartwings so much, why don’t you go there and improve something? It’s the year 2019 and I’m very sorry for you, that you can’t accept the fact, that I don’t like unprofessional companies with a poor safety standards...

[Airone2977]

It’s working great. But you still didn’t get it. It’s not about the people, I will repeat it once again - I’m not wishing anybody to lose their job. It’s about the company, culture and management. To be honest, I failed my screening with Lufthansa some time ago. Do I have something against them? No. Why? Because it’s a proper company with a good safety record... If you like Smartwings so much, why don’t you go there and improve something? It’s the year 2019 and I’m very sorry for you, that you can’t accept the fact, that I don’t like unprofessional companies with a poor safety standards...

Have you ever worked for them ? Do you know anybody inside the company ?
Unless you have relevant info, eg EASA or internal, I find hard to believe that a professionnal like you (maybe i'm wrong on this), based only on newspaper articles, can judge an airline and its management.
But I respect the fact that you want to fly only airline with good safety record.

[FlightDetent]

Airone2977 Their native post-holder FLT OPS of the last 25 years became a bit of a public figure rather recently.

[Klimax]

Airone2977 Their native post-holder FLT OPS of the last 25 years became a bit of a public figure rather recently.

Is SMARTWINGS the company where the Director Flight Operations chose to fly single engine with a full load of paying passangers for two hours passing a plently full of suitable airports - all the way to Prague. Say it´s not?

[gearlever]

Is SMARTWINGS the company where the Director Flight Operations chose to fly single engine with a full load of paying passangers for two hours passing a plently full of suitable airports - all the way to Prague. Say it´s not?

Yep, now "former" Director Flight Operations.

[Airone2977]

Yes I am aware of that, I'm not an idiot.
I won't comment on that matter, there is already enough material on Pprunes, and I'm not trying to defend them,

[janina9]

A thread with quit a lot replies but absolutely nothing relevant to the first question.

The main pressing issue of Smartwings is its fleet. The company decided to really invest into new metal and unfortunately they placed 39 solid orders for 737 MAX, part by lessors and part directly. 7 of them got delivered before the grounding and are now catching dust at the end of defunct runway 22 at Prague. 9 MAXes are sitting in Renton on Boeing staff parking lot but were originally expected to be here before June 19. And 6 additional had delivery date between Oct and Dec this year. That is 21 bodies. More than 1/3 of total airline capacity is sorely missed and Smartwings is forced to storno 10% of its flights and replace the rest by renting anything that can keep itself in the air, even just by glue and prayer. (But sometimes we spotters get treated with fancy wet leases like brand new 350 of Ethiopian doing charter between Greek islands and Prague/Bratislava). Smartwings believes MAX will return to service before next summer season, but nobody even dares to thing what would happen if MAX grounding should conntinue past April 2020. That would be critical.

Smartwings´s plans with ČSA are completely unclear. All ATR72s should go away after next summer, A319s got partly scraped and mostly used for wet leases (currently with Brussels). Second planned 330 was not based in Prague but in Poland instead. It still has 9 solid orders for A320s, but this got postponed several times and now Airbus offers to change them into 321XLRs and A220s, last meeting was 3 weeks ago but no idea what the future will bring.

In result, fleet plans in Smartwings change every few months. And nobody really knows what capacity will be available next summer. Under such conditions, every other airline would probably go the way of Thomas Cook (like mentioned in first post). However, the majority owner is pretty rich, SM is just small part of his group of companies and so has no problem to cover any cash shortage. As long as he personaly sees future for SM, this airline can continue to operate despite huge financial loss incurred due to MAX grounding.

And if we touch job possibilities for SM pilots. Only 3 airlines have bases in Czechia/Prague. SM, ČSA and Ryanair. Ryanair closes its base in Prague in October. ČSA have not hired for a few years. So any Czech ATPL pilot that doesnt want to work for Smartwings can either look for very sparse biz jet jobs, or has to emigrate (hard if you have family and kids). Out of almost 1000 Czech licence holders, more than 50% now work abroad. Sad.

[tom7777]

Hello guys,
I would like to ask you if there is someone among of you who works as a pilot in Smartwings or has taken part in a recruitment in this airline. I got invitation for the assessment and I have a few questions.
All the best,
Tom.

[FlightDetent]

Congnitive reasoning test:

Before peak summer, Company is looking for foreign cabin crew. ​​​​The contract says upon joining the first week of accommodation is provided at the employer's expense.

After arriving to Prague, how many days need to be provided for people who already worked there the previous year and successfully completed their fixed-term contract then?

​​​​​​

[prampo]

Hello guys,
I would like to ask you if there is someone among of you who works as a pilot in Smartwings or has taken part in a recruitment in this airline. I got invitation for the assessment and I have a few questions.
All the best,
Tom.


Hi! I am also interested to take part in Smartwings, any tips or advice for assessment?

[Vulka]

Hi everybody!

Any news about assessment? Base, t & condition?

thanks