Dragon Air flight cancellations...SCMP article
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Dragon Air flight cancellations...SCMP article
Big article in todays SCMP, with a Dragon Air 'spokeswoman' admitting that they are cancelling flights due to 'crew shortage'. The tide is turning, and all we need to do is NOTHING more than we are contracted to do....
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Dragonair pilot exodus 'grounding flights'
Crew shortage forces airline to cancel services
Simon Parry
Oct 28, 2007
Dragonair is being forced to cancel up to eight flights a day as senior captains and first officers leave the airline at a rate of more than one a week.
Six captains resigned in the space of a week this month, and 34 first officers and captains have handed in their notice in the past six months, pilots say. They blame a long-running dispute over rosters and pay.
On October 13 eight flights were cancelled - including five between Hong Kong and Shanghai and two between Hong Kong and Taipei - with crew shortages cited as the reason in all cases and cockpit crew shortages cited in two cases.
A year after its HK$12 billion takeover by Cathay Pacific (SEHK: 0293), cancellations on Hong Kong's second-biggest airline are running at a rate of two a day.
Pilots say managers have repeatedly refused to implement a rostering agreement to ease the strain on pilots handling a growing volume of back-to-back flights and overnight stops. However, Dragonair, which has around 400, mostly expatriate, pilots, says it is feeling the impact of a worldwide shortage of cockpit crew.
An airline spokeswoman said the eight cancellations on October 13 were due to "crew sickness". It had already hired 57 new pilots this year and planned to hire 10 more before the end of the year and another 50 next year, she said.
One senior pilot, who has been with Dragonair for more than 10 years, said the resignations signalled deep-rooted discontent.
"I have never seen morale so low. Pilots are leaving because they're thoroughly fed up with the management," he said. "We haven't had a pay rise for seven years, but it's not really a pay issue. We have asked for a roster agreement for years and years. The Dragonair Pilots' Association has provided two draft agreements but management just look at them and nothing happens."
The pilot said eight cancellations in one day was unprecedented.
"It has usually been about two cancellations a day, but the situation is clearly getting worse."
Dragonair pilots have since March 2005 imposed a contract compliance policy in their efforts to secure a rostering agreement, and a captain familiar with ongoing negotiations said they were deadlocked. Under contract compliance, pilots refuse to do extra work to cover for colleagues on holiday or sick leave.
Another senior pilot said: "The salary for a Dragonair pilot is no longer competitive because of inflation and the state of the US dollar, and the rostering situation has become untenable. With the increase in the flight schedule and the wet-leased flights in China, some guys are doing 14 overnights a month and they're just fed up with it."
Dragonair is leasing fully crewed planes to airlines on the mainland, a practice called wet-leasing.
He said the pilots were leaving to join Korean Air, Emirates and Air China (SEHK: 0753, announcements, news) . "In one week we had six pilots leave - all of them captains."
The Dragonair spokeswoman denied the exodus of pilots was linked to rostering. "There are currently more vacancies than there are pilots throughout the industry. Therefore, it is not surprising to see a degree of pilot turnover."
The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimates the global pilot shortage will top 2,000 by the end of 2010.
The Dragonair spokeswoman said: "The management and the Dragonair Pilots' Association have been in discussion for some time on issues such as pay and conditions, rostering practices and the like. We are awaiting a response from the pilots' representatives to our offer on the salary and benefits packages which was made in early October. In addition, the company has formed a team to review the provision of additional benefits to many of its pilots."
Crew shortage forces airline to cancel services
Simon Parry
Oct 28, 2007
Dragonair is being forced to cancel up to eight flights a day as senior captains and first officers leave the airline at a rate of more than one a week.
Six captains resigned in the space of a week this month, and 34 first officers and captains have handed in their notice in the past six months, pilots say. They blame a long-running dispute over rosters and pay.
On October 13 eight flights were cancelled - including five between Hong Kong and Shanghai and two between Hong Kong and Taipei - with crew shortages cited as the reason in all cases and cockpit crew shortages cited in two cases.
A year after its HK$12 billion takeover by Cathay Pacific (SEHK: 0293), cancellations on Hong Kong's second-biggest airline are running at a rate of two a day.
Pilots say managers have repeatedly refused to implement a rostering agreement to ease the strain on pilots handling a growing volume of back-to-back flights and overnight stops. However, Dragonair, which has around 400, mostly expatriate, pilots, says it is feeling the impact of a worldwide shortage of cockpit crew.
An airline spokeswoman said the eight cancellations on October 13 were due to "crew sickness". It had already hired 57 new pilots this year and planned to hire 10 more before the end of the year and another 50 next year, she said.
One senior pilot, who has been with Dragonair for more than 10 years, said the resignations signalled deep-rooted discontent.
"I have never seen morale so low. Pilots are leaving because they're thoroughly fed up with the management," he said. "We haven't had a pay rise for seven years, but it's not really a pay issue. We have asked for a roster agreement for years and years. The Dragonair Pilots' Association has provided two draft agreements but management just look at them and nothing happens."
The pilot said eight cancellations in one day was unprecedented.
"It has usually been about two cancellations a day, but the situation is clearly getting worse."
Dragonair pilots have since March 2005 imposed a contract compliance policy in their efforts to secure a rostering agreement, and a captain familiar with ongoing negotiations said they were deadlocked. Under contract compliance, pilots refuse to do extra work to cover for colleagues on holiday or sick leave.
Another senior pilot said: "The salary for a Dragonair pilot is no longer competitive because of inflation and the state of the US dollar, and the rostering situation has become untenable. With the increase in the flight schedule and the wet-leased flights in China, some guys are doing 14 overnights a month and they're just fed up with it."
Dragonair is leasing fully crewed planes to airlines on the mainland, a practice called wet-leasing.
He said the pilots were leaving to join Korean Air, Emirates and Air China (SEHK: 0753, announcements, news) . "In one week we had six pilots leave - all of them captains."
The Dragonair spokeswoman denied the exodus of pilots was linked to rostering. "There are currently more vacancies than there are pilots throughout the industry. Therefore, it is not surprising to see a degree of pilot turnover."
The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimates the global pilot shortage will top 2,000 by the end of 2010.
The Dragonair spokeswoman said: "The management and the Dragonair Pilots' Association have been in discussion for some time on issues such as pay and conditions, rostering practices and the like. We are awaiting a response from the pilots' representatives to our offer on the salary and benefits packages which was made in early October. In addition, the company has formed a team to review the provision of additional benefits to many of its pilots."
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The Dragonair spokewoman speaks with a forked tongue. By now she should know that the measly offering they put forward was totally rejected. It contained no incentives on rostering, only a paltry pay increase and other terms and conditions that reduced the overall package.
She was however correct in that most of the crews are expats. The pilot was also correct in that no pay increases have occured since 2001, other than an annual 'years of service' increment of 2%.
I for one would be happy to keep my 2001 package as referenced to my domicile currency. But to get back to that earning rate, which is 6 years old, they would have to increase the salaries by around 40% due to the weakness of the HKD which is linked to the USD. They also need to address and improve many other issues which the HR dept has over the years taken away.
Cheers
Drunkenair (hic)
She was however correct in that most of the crews are expats. The pilot was also correct in that no pay increases have occured since 2001, other than an annual 'years of service' increment of 2%.
I for one would be happy to keep my 2001 package as referenced to my domicile currency. But to get back to that earning rate, which is 6 years old, they would have to increase the salaries by around 40% due to the weakness of the HKD which is linked to the USD. They also need to address and improve many other issues which the HR dept has over the years taken away.
Cheers
Drunkenair (hic)
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So what about the cadet pilot scheme? I thought they were supposed to be churning out their own pilots by now? Or isn't that working either?
Someone should stick AOG labels on KA office doors.
Someone should stick AOG labels on KA office doors.
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Emirates openly admit that DECs were an industrial disaster, maybe Dragon will do it? Or another option, lets say they start using cx crew to man our flights, because we are in CC, would the CX crew be crossing a picket????? 
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Our freighters already have CX call signs. I wonder how long it is before we do. Could you keep the brands seperate and still do that, and meet the reqirements of 2 airlines operating into the mainland out of HKG? The line is already blurred... Seems to work on the freighter?
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crossing a picket
You make many good posts Lowkoon however the context of this one is not altogether correct.
If there is no picket line a worker cannot be held as crossing one.
And of course the reason that there is no picket is because KA pilots are not on strike .
And the reason why KA pilots are not on strike is because one cannot strike under HK ( Labour) law.
So I would say that CX pilots who undertake work , normally undertaken by KA pilots, cannot be accused of breaking a picket.
CC is something entirely different. In essence CC is working to and in accordance with the contract which every pilot signs.Why any worker would have reason not to comply,precisely, with his/her contract of compliance in the first instance is beyond me.
Beware of custom and practice, ie where common, usual and volunteered work above and beyond the terms of contract , may be established as precedence and thus becomes inherently contractual. And a Labour court may uphold this or an employer may argue this point against an individual worker/ group of workers who have on (many) occassion (s ) fulfilled work above and beyond the terms of contract.
Of course no clearer message can be made to an pilot management than with ones feet.
Walking out the door after using same to kick managers bottom.
V
If there is no picket line a worker cannot be held as crossing one.
And of course the reason that there is no picket is because KA pilots are not on strike .
And the reason why KA pilots are not on strike is because one cannot strike under HK ( Labour) law.
So I would say that CX pilots who undertake work , normally undertaken by KA pilots, cannot be accused of breaking a picket.
CC is something entirely different. In essence CC is working to and in accordance with the contract which every pilot signs.Why any worker would have reason not to comply,precisely, with his/her contract of compliance in the first instance is beyond me.
Beware of custom and practice, ie where common, usual and volunteered work above and beyond the terms of contract , may be established as precedence and thus becomes inherently contractual. And a Labour court may uphold this or an employer may argue this point against an individual worker/ group of workers who have on (many) occassion (s ) fulfilled work above and beyond the terms of contract.
Of course no clearer message can be made to an pilot management than with ones feet.
Walking out the door after using same to kick managers bottom.
V
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You are right Vikena, there is no picket line. We shouldnt try and stand in the way of them trying to fix the incredible mess they have created. It would only be a short term fix while the flood of new hires rush in to fill the slots of the departed anyway! 
And they can then release the senior FOs to fill the vacated command slots. Should only take about 12 months from the newhires DOJ. Thats assuming anyone turns up for interviews and courses. Interesting year ahead!
And they can then release the senior FOs to fill the vacated command slots. Should only take about 12 months from the newhires DOJ. Thats assuming anyone turns up for interviews and courses. Interesting year ahead!
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Fair question Sir Donald, but its neither contrarianism or opportunism. If I may answer a question with a question... Have you flown with anyone recently not working on an exit strategy? There are less exit strategies being discussed in Iraq than KA!
The flood of new hires comment was tongue in cheek. Have you every worked for a company where the new hires didnt even turn up for a course? You have now! Its amazing times right now, the likes of which most of us have never seen, in any company, not just KA.
We shouldn't get in the way of them from fixing the problem, infact the opposite. If they bring the lifestyle goodies to the bargaining table, we would be fools to be obstructing improvements to our own lives. There is also the otherside of the coin that they would love someone to blame for this mess, other than themselves, there will be a lot of @rse covering going on at all levels of management, not just level 2, lets not let ourselves become scapegoats for the incompetence of others.
Kenny says fixing it is his number 1 priority, let him remove his size 9 from GMOs behind, and show us what his next move is.
May we live in interesting times!
The flood of new hires comment was tongue in cheek. Have you every worked for a company where the new hires didnt even turn up for a course? You have now! Its amazing times right now, the likes of which most of us have never seen, in any company, not just KA.
We shouldn't get in the way of them from fixing the problem, infact the opposite. If they bring the lifestyle goodies to the bargaining table, we would be fools to be obstructing improvements to our own lives. There is also the otherside of the coin that they would love someone to blame for this mess, other than themselves, there will be a lot of @rse covering going on at all levels of management, not just level 2, lets not let ourselves become scapegoats for the incompetence of others.
Kenny says fixing it is his number 1 priority, let him remove his size 9 from GMOs behind, and show us what his next move is.
May we live in interesting times!
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And the reason why KA pilots are not on strike is because one cannot strike under HK
Not quite right there VK.
There is no law in HKG that says a worker cannot go on strike - didn't you read in the papers about those construction workers on strike recently? What about the FAU in the early 90s?
However, there is no law that protects workers from going on strike. So employers can sack strikers on the grounds that they have broken their contract.
CX sacked the 49ers cos of the threat of action, without even a strike.
What would CXKA do if their pilots ever went on strike?
The answerr is nothing - if enough went on strike. But would you trust your mates to stand alongside you?
There is no law in HKG that says a worker cannot go on strike - didn't you read in the papers about those construction workers on strike recently? What about the FAU in the early 90s?
However, there is no law that protects workers from going on strike. So employers can sack strikers on the grounds that they have broken their contract.
CX sacked the 49ers cos of the threat of action, without even a strike.
What would CXKA do if their pilots ever went on strike?
The answerr is nothing - if enough went on strike. But would you trust your mates to stand alongside you?
Last edited by AnAmusedReader; 6th Nov 2007 at 01:22. Reason: wrongly addrressed VK as LK
