BMI REDUNDANCIES

[frank320pilot]

Just to let you all know - bmi have rescinded the notice of at least 10 or so of the 20 pilots who were extended on notice until the end of April 2002. Hopefully this is the start of a turnaround.......or a realisation that the knee jerk was wrong.

[phd]

Yes they have - but one or two of those that have had their notice rescinded have told the company where they can stuff the job. I admire their style and conviction even if they may have burned their bridges. Good luck to them in pastures new.

[MJR]

That's encouraging to hear, I was wondering, just trivia I know, but what do redundant airline pilots actually do? I have just seen in another thread that JMC pilots have been offered a career break as an alternative to redundancy so what are they doing with this time.. .. .cheers. .. .MJR

[Cakov]

Hopefully this does mean they can start phoning people up soon.... .. .I know the ex-Airbus drivers from Midland are having a hard tie finding anything, and a large number of them are still on the dole. As you might expect, it's a bit of a stumbling block at an interview when you get to the inevitable question, "So what are you going to do when the aviation industry picks up again? Stay here in your cubicle with us us go back to your shiny airliner?". .. .Excel have picked up some of the 737 pilots that were laid off, and they're based down at Gatwick on short-term contracts for the summer season.

[THR IDLE]

As an airbus doley myself, a job in a cubcle sounds pretty good to me at the moment. The latest round of rescinding is a step in the right direction however I beleive any further progress towards the bottom of the pile is likely to be a long and drawn-out process. Although the situation as far as dwindling passenger numbers has stabilised and in fact showing an increase, the all-important business passenger has to be somehow coaxed back into sitting forward of the curtain for the yeilds to increase. The core business has to be protected and by the look of it, won back - not an overnight task. Only when the confidence returns will there be an expansion. I'm sure the company would if it could, rescind all the redundancy extensions. The fact that it hasn't done so yet means that we have reached saturation point for crew numbers for the planned or perceived flying programme. Me thinks we are in a 'dead man's shoes' scenario and the 'please come back' phone calls are likely to be on a drip feed basis - for the time being at least. Dare I suggest that there probably never was the work for the number flight deck employed by the end of last summer, but it was seen necessary to make sure that the company was immediately ready to go when given the green light for translatlantic launch. It was always going to be the case of when and not if, I need say no more. Notwithstanding, prior to 11/9, am I write in thinking that there was actually an identified shortage of flight crew around the world?. .. .To add insult the CAA has recommended increasing passenger charges by £2 a head at the big airports (less for Stanstead and Luton of course)which will really help the cause! Come on give us a break.. .. .Not particularly positive reading I know, but one thing I have learnt in this game is never to hold your breath, no-one has a clue what lies round the corner. All the idle tin and aluminium sitting around the world is not going to be pushed off the edge of a cliff and forgotten about and will fly again. I cannot see SMB enjoying the view from the office window of a number of shiny jets in parking spaces and will be keen to sort something out.

[Astronut]

What news of bmi wet leasing 4 Avro RJ's for routes out of EMA. An engineering agency was holding interviews this week on behalf of bmi.. .How could bmi possibly think of wet leasing when so many are still laid off?