Given the number of multinational companies that domicile people all over the world it isn't really that big of a deal. For the Middle Eastern Carriers its about providing income to its local economy hence why no remote bases. However if this really is a pilot shortage I don't know why they just start opening at least a European base. It has to be better than grounding aircraft.

Well, I'd say that one reason is that it would place them them under the jurisdiction of EU labor laws, and in courts where the judges don't serve at the pleasure of the company's owners. I'm guessing that's a powerful disincentive.

Cathay Pacific has had bases for over twenty years. However, after a time the company found that the rest of the world was not one big 'Hong Kong' with loose labour laws and a cosy relationship with the government and the regulator. The company soon found that complying with First World labor laws and their unchanged archaic rostering system rendered bases, to them, too hard in the end, despite all the money they saved on housing, children's education and medical. For the last decade bases have 'withered on the vine' as based crew leave, and these crew are not being replaced. A couple of bases have been closed. However, bases will never be completely eliminated, as they need some sort of carrot to lure impressionable young pilots to subsist in Hong Kong for years hanging on in quiet desperation. Even the Communist Chinese are offering good salaries, bases and commuting rosters. But not Cathay Pacific.

Furthermore, SOs joining under the latest conditions are so cheap, there is no longer any point in the airline opening up base slots. Years ago, direct entry FOs were employed directly into bases, where 'basing companies' had to be set up to comply with local labor laws. That may have been the origin of the 'external company' rumour. But if the rumour mill is correct, a recent attempt to sucker direct entry FOs to join on a Hong Kong base was not an overwhelming success.

Having said all that, CX is losing pilots at quite a rapid rate due to their poor employment conditions in one of the world's most expensive cities, but bizarrely, 'management' is still going out of its way to piss off their most important and responsible employees. Why, I don't know. CX has and is about to lose pilots to QANTAS and many other airlines, numbers reputedly in the three figures this year. They are being replaced by more 'shiny jetters' being lured to Hong Kong willing to accept the crap conditions, and of course, as many local pilots as they can recruit and train (even that is becoming a problem for them). But toxic relations with management, a difficult and expensive city to live in, its airspace becoming a shambles, limited training capacity and a relatively young captain demographic is driving quite a churn in the junior ranks. On ULH flights, CX now uses double SO crews, so CX SOs work for even more years on a concocted 'P2X' rating which counts for nothing outside while their mates amass log-able experience and progress up the seniority list at their home airlines. So, interesting times ahead for this outfit if they don't do something. And I am not optimistic that they will.

Air Asia X
 

I noticed on today's afap website, a major flying school in Sydney has advertised for gde 1/2/3 instructors, also for instructors from NZ to come across.

It seems they're advertising for a decent number of staff.

The instructors that have left, where are they going to?
Qlink? US? Rex? Turbine jobs?

During the last few weeks, Rex advertised for instructors for their Wagga training facility, also Melbourne and Tamworth academy's continue to advertise.

It appears the shortage of qualified pilots in general aviation is continuing to accelerate.

In regards to the major flying school in Sydney (Also Brisbane) you refer to I know personally 3 instructors who have left this month, 2 to Qlink and 1 to a US regional. They have said that at least 14 have left in last 60 days. I just went back to the school I did my CPL at 12 months ago and of the approx 10 instructors back then only 4 remain 2 senior lifetime instructors 1 who was very new and the other is on the Qlink hold file.

Raping and Pillaging. I thought that was a no-no these days? :}

REX need to take a good hard look at themselves before they start blaming the major carriers. I have flown with plenty of former REX Captains who left because REX was sending them all over the country and calling it a temporary transfer so they didn't pay DTA. A lot of those people were happy to work for REX but wanted the lifestyle stability.

When Qantas drop the mins to 200 hours and a MECIR I will beleive there is a shortage.

Even REX with their 750 hour minimum. If they lowered theirs to 200 hours (like all their cadets graduate with), then maybe they would get an extra year or two of service out of each pilot they hire. With 750 hours, you would be ready to move on pretty soon after you started with them.

Folks,

A key labour unit cost reduction metric was to effectively outsource that component related to 'flight training'. It is a cornerstone of the Low Fare Airline employment model. Whether a fully self funded candidate or one whom you indenture with a 'cadet ship' the accounting was neat: Very little actual investment by the company.

The necessary component to ensure such through put was unlimited supply of applicants. Faced with a structural shortage, labour unit cost is beginning the slow march to mean reversion. Airlines need pilots, pilots generate operating revenue. Unfortunately airlines will try everything in order to protect their supply, until eventually increasing the requisite terms and conditions necessary to ensure supply.

At the moment, Australian wine is roasting on Chinese docks due a go-slow customs procedure squarely aimed at Australia's position on the rise of China. Rather Orwellian from the Chinese but the shot across the bow has been fired. There's no higher profile expat group than pilots. Not unimaginable to be potentially targeted in any geopolitical or economic escalations. Which makes the second part quoted ring true.