Pilots and crew flock to Jetstar site
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Pilots and crew flock to Jetstar site
Fri "The Australian"
Pilots and crew flock to Jetstar site
By Steve Creedy
February 06, 2004
INDUSTRY observers may have doubts about Qantas's low-cost offshoot Jetstar, but it seems more than 20,000 people have other ideas.
The airline's website has been inundated with applications from across the world since it set up in December as pilots, cabin crew and engineers clamour to get on board. The 20,000-plus applicants include 1100 pilots - 200 with Airbus A320 command experience - 2255 cabin crew and 1434 engineers.
Another 15,000 people want jobs in other roles, according to chief executive Alan Joyce.
Mr Joyce said the response was totally unexpected.
"It's a big number isn't it?" the executive said.
"I think we were particularly surprised by the number of pilots and, indeed, the number of cabin crew and engineers who applied for it - those skilled work forces. "We knew there were people that would be interested, but ... Australians have applied from some really high quality airlines around the world,
"So we're very, very pleased with the quality of the people as well as the number."
Jetstar executives now face the problem of sorting through the applications.
Jetstar takes off in May with about 600 workers - many are now Impulse employees.
The airline will initially use Impulse Boeing 717s but intends to bring in 23 Airbus A320s over the next two years.
Many operational jobs depend on aircraft deliveries.
"This year, by the time we get to August, we will have three additional A320s flying," Mr Joyce said. "With an A320 you need approximately four to five sets of pilots, so that's eight to 10 pilots per aircraft."
Mr Joyce said the strong response, particularly from workers on other airlines, showed that airline professionals believed the start-up was a sound proposition.
Jetstar will announce its fare and route structure later this month, after the Qantas half-year results on February 19.
Mr Joyce said everything was on track for the airline's first flight in May.
It was working with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to modify the Impulse air operators certificate to accept the new aircraft type. It also had agreements with ground handling, pilot and cabin crew unions and was hiring its own customer service staff in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
"It's all ready to go," he said. "It's just the commercial side: getting the website up and running and making sure we have the fare structure in place with the network.
"They're the next big items to get out of the way."
The Jetstar announcement came as the Qantas share price jumped yesterday in anticipation of a strong half-yearly result, despite the effects of the SARS crisis.
Macquarie Equities analysts Ian Myles and Paul Huxford are tipping an after-tax profit of $303 million, down 15 per cent on last year's first-half earnings of $353 million.
They said this would be "a great outcome" in view of SARS and a reduction in domestic market share.
Macquarie is maintaining its strong outperform rating on the stock with a $4 price target. Qantas shares closed yesterday at $3.54, up 5 cents.
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Pilots and crew flock to Jetstar site
By Steve Creedy
February 06, 2004
INDUSTRY observers may have doubts about Qantas's low-cost offshoot Jetstar, but it seems more than 20,000 people have other ideas.
The airline's website has been inundated with applications from across the world since it set up in December as pilots, cabin crew and engineers clamour to get on board. The 20,000-plus applicants include 1100 pilots - 200 with Airbus A320 command experience - 2255 cabin crew and 1434 engineers.
Another 15,000 people want jobs in other roles, according to chief executive Alan Joyce.
Mr Joyce said the response was totally unexpected.
"It's a big number isn't it?" the executive said.
"I think we were particularly surprised by the number of pilots and, indeed, the number of cabin crew and engineers who applied for it - those skilled work forces. "We knew there were people that would be interested, but ... Australians have applied from some really high quality airlines around the world,
"So we're very, very pleased with the quality of the people as well as the number."
Jetstar executives now face the problem of sorting through the applications.
Jetstar takes off in May with about 600 workers - many are now Impulse employees.
The airline will initially use Impulse Boeing 717s but intends to bring in 23 Airbus A320s over the next two years.
Many operational jobs depend on aircraft deliveries.
"This year, by the time we get to August, we will have three additional A320s flying," Mr Joyce said. "With an A320 you need approximately four to five sets of pilots, so that's eight to 10 pilots per aircraft."
Mr Joyce said the strong response, particularly from workers on other airlines, showed that airline professionals believed the start-up was a sound proposition.
Jetstar will announce its fare and route structure later this month, after the Qantas half-year results on February 19.
Mr Joyce said everything was on track for the airline's first flight in May.
It was working with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to modify the Impulse air operators certificate to accept the new aircraft type. It also had agreements with ground handling, pilot and cabin crew unions and was hiring its own customer service staff in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
"It's all ready to go," he said. "It's just the commercial side: getting the website up and running and making sure we have the fare structure in place with the network.
"They're the next big items to get out of the way."
The Jetstar announcement came as the Qantas share price jumped yesterday in anticipation of a strong half-yearly result, despite the effects of the SARS crisis.
Macquarie Equities analysts Ian Myles and Paul Huxford are tipping an after-tax profit of $303 million, down 15 per cent on last year's first-half earnings of $353 million.
They said this would be "a great outcome" in view of SARS and a reduction in domestic market share.
Macquarie is maintaining its strong outperform rating on the stock with a $4 price target. Qantas shares closed yesterday at $3.54, up 5 cents.
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Evertonian
Not just the pilots, I can assure you.
Don't let the fact that people need work in, perhaps, the only industry they know, get in the way of a product endorsement. Geez, it's starting to sound a bit DJ-ish!
Don't let the fact that people need work in, perhaps, the only industry they know, get in the way of a product endorsement. Geez, it's starting to sound a bit DJ-ish!
Moderate, Modest & Mild.
"The 20,000-plus applicants include 1100 pilots - 200 with Airbus A320 command experience..?
The truth is MANY of the 1100 will not have even the minimum requirements, but apply in the hope that there might not be enough qualififed applicants.
Of the 200 with A320 command experience, how many qualify for Australian residence - there will be a percentage who do not.
Precisely what is Alan Joyce's definition of "command experience", I wonder? An A320 rating? P1US time logged by F/O's?
Turn the spin doctoring around 180 degrees, and think what the result might be if Alan Joyce were to say something such as, "Jet Star are having problems attracting suitable numbers of qualified crew."
Currently Silk Air in Singapore are LOSING many of their A320 pilots, as they leave for better remunerated jobs, and consequently Silk Air are now RECRUITING...there are 2 interview dates this month alone.
But they are not getting the response they were hoping for.
This year, imo, is going to see a BIG demand for pilots (yes, I realise there are 5,000 odd out of work in the US, but most don't want to leave there) as the Baby Boomer generation enter their retirement years.
It is going to be up to the employers to offer employment conditions that will attract pilots away from current jobs, and KEEP those they have - because if they lose them it might be a long time before replacements are found.
[Case in point: the airline I currently work for, within the past week, interviewed 30 pilots for F/O positions, and advised 16 of them that they were successful. Of the 16, 2 REJECTED the job offer to accept employment with other airlines also recruiting...Skymark and Air Do)]
The truth is MANY of the 1100 will not have even the minimum requirements, but apply in the hope that there might not be enough qualififed applicants.
Of the 200 with A320 command experience, how many qualify for Australian residence - there will be a percentage who do not.
Precisely what is Alan Joyce's definition of "command experience", I wonder? An A320 rating? P1US time logged by F/O's?
Turn the spin doctoring around 180 degrees, and think what the result might be if Alan Joyce were to say something such as, "Jet Star are having problems attracting suitable numbers of qualified crew."
Currently Silk Air in Singapore are LOSING many of their A320 pilots, as they leave for better remunerated jobs, and consequently Silk Air are now RECRUITING...there are 2 interview dates this month alone.
But they are not getting the response they were hoping for.
This year, imo, is going to see a BIG demand for pilots (yes, I realise there are 5,000 odd out of work in the US, but most don't want to leave there) as the Baby Boomer generation enter their retirement years.
It is going to be up to the employers to offer employment conditions that will attract pilots away from current jobs, and KEEP those they have - because if they lose them it might be a long time before replacements are found.
[Case in point: the airline I currently work for, within the past week, interviewed 30 pilots for F/O positions, and advised 16 of them that they were successful. Of the 16, 2 REJECTED the job offer to accept employment with other airlines also recruiting...Skymark and Air Do)]
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Not coming back
Propaganda,
However, most of the A320 pilots overseas who have Australian residency are having such a good time - and the fringe benefits are so good they won't come back.
However, most of the A320 pilots overseas who have Australian residency are having such a good time - and the fringe benefits are so good
they won't come back.
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"I think we were particularly surprised by the number of pilots and, indeed, the number of cabin crew and engineers who applied for it -
"I think with that sort of supply and demand we should be able to push the staff wages down a little further."
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Great Lifestyle.
850 hours p.a.
$122k for a Capt.
Don't bother, you'll have no life and after 12 months probably no family either.
Nice one Impulse pilots. Enjoy.
Better get yourselves some representation or life is not going to be too rosy for some time.
850 hours p.a.
$122k for a Capt.
Don't bother, you'll have no life and after 12 months probably no family either.
Nice one Impulse pilots. Enjoy.
Better get yourselves some representation or life is not going to be too rosy for some time.
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Ok, maybe 1100 applied, but there will be a sh!t load of them that are just testing the water, to see if it is worth their while coming back.
Time will tell as to just how many will sign on the line, but me thinks reality may be a tad less than what their PR machine would like to think......
Time will tell as to just how many will sign on the line, but me thinks reality may be a tad less than what their PR machine would like to think......
