50 CX applications with VB longhaul
 

Having a beer last night with a senior VB captain, they now have over 50 applications from CX drivers for slots with the new longhaul brand. Good news for current s/o's........bad news for CX management. Looks like CX might become a training provider. How times have changed!:D

50? I heard 150!

even better for s/o's then!

I have heard from a friend who has a friend in VB management that they plan to start their 777 operation with 40 EK and 40 CX drivers.

I thought 50 sounded too good!

Go and grab your 777 endorsement now!

whats the coin like at VB longhaul? when?where did they advertise these jobs?So even better 777 rosters with more training to come. CX better reserve some sand in the Mojave dessert to park the new 777 ER's!

so talk of CX drivers going to EK, EK drivers going to VB, and Cx drivers going to VB, theres only one winner in this love tri angle its VB!

I doubt if the numbers employed by VB will be anywhere near the above.

The latest agreement I heard caters for the first 3 of the B777-300ER's to be crewed by external pilots and the following four aircraft to be crewed by current VB pilots.

Assuming they operated ten crews per aeroplane that would only be 30 captains and a similar number of F/O`s to be employed externally.

How or where they will employ those pilots from is anyones guess. There probably will be some from Cathay, Some from Emirates and some from Singapore, Korean and Vietnam. Possibly Brunei as well. All in all that is not going to provide many jobs at all for those overseas and wishing to go home.

Personally, as one employed in the sandpit, I coudn`t afford to take a job with VB. The salary will be less than AUD$200k and of course after tax significantly lower. I also supect that a lot of my colleagues here will also reneg when it comes to the crunch, even though many have applied. It is basically a fishing exercise but not many are seriously considering it.


(Interesting to note that in Australia the government is considering allowing foreign pilots to enter due the current shortage of qualified pilots. If they upped the wages a little there would be no shortage of Australian pilots willing to come home. Just a guess but there is probably around 2000 of us o/s!)

The grass is greener?
 

Nil, a mate of mine has advised that the number of external CNs is likely to be close to 25 - similar to your estimate.

I have friends in EK and in VB. Why do they want to swap?

Nowadays people take the first job going. Sometimes you have to work for someone to find out that it wasn't right for you.

EK people after many years there want to come home. So VB looks appealing. A mate says the discontent in the sandpit is quite low historically, but then 17% payrises will do that;-)

VB people work hard, have the prospect of external guys taking 777 commands and are sick of paying aussie tax. So of course EK looks appealing - quick commands and no tax.

Makes sense to me. There is no 'one size fits all' airline. CX is good if you want to commute to oz - mind you, EK is rapidly increasing services so commuting is do-able, but not easy. EK is great vs CX if you want to be close to EUR. If command is your priority then obviously EK is streets ahead of CX. If 1st world protection and stable career is your priority then maybe QF is the go.

Over 15 years ago, a friend said to me that you never hear of anyone leaving CX to join another airline but you hear of lots of people leaving other airlines to join CX. That friend left CX and went to join QF over a decade ago;-) How things change!

Heard from very reliable sources that the salary at VB will be as follows:

Capt 220k
FO 160K

The majority of drivers will come from CX ranks..as a certain - very senior capt at CX has been approached by VB to run the flight ops there..so all his mates are VERY likely to go!!

Good on ya mate..!!:ok:

Hallo.. cx management...anybody there??Ho..I love it when a plan comes together!!:p

Rumour I heard was 1900 apps worldwide, 900 suitable, 150 odd from CX and 49 accepted (don't know if that means they have taken the job) plus 3 are CX or ex CX management. :}

49?

Is that symbolic?

Might just be CX Karma :E

True, but I was told he declined the offer.

Where do you blokes come up with this stuff? Three out of every seven commands on the first seven 300ER's go to external captains, which is pretty close to NC's estimates. That is part of the EBA just voted in by the DJ pilots. As to who they will be, and where they come from, I guess everyone will find out when V-Australia actually starts recruiting the line captains - which hasn't happened yet.

Nil Defects, exactly :ok:

Intentions???
 

Yes well, expressions of interest is one thing, acatually going is another.
May be tempting for those JFOs on 777 looking at 10+ years to command with RA65 and no chance of an Aus base.
The said 777 C+T may still go if things dont pan out at CX. A popular guy who would be great to work under at VB.

fenwicksgirl
 

I don't understand what you mean by "if things don't pan out at CX"? Your friend is at the airline that invented aviation, in the pinnacle of all jobs - well he could aim higher and be in management! Surely money isn't an issue - if it was, people would have stopped working for CX ages ago.

Its all about the glory of working for the best airline in the world! We don't need payrises to know our worth. Its about the 'get you through' attitude of the star chamber and the entire check and training team, especially on the airbus. Its the generosity of our profit share scheme that tells we are valued. Why, after last April's largesse, I have calculated that I can retire 6.4days early in my career - so that makes it 64 years, 11months and 24.6days - no waiting till my 65th birthday - woo hoo.

I know Nick is generous - if it wasn't for the GC I would now be only 4 1/2 months away from my first 3% windfall! I just hope our unwillingness to accept CX generosity has no ill effect on Nick's bonus...I would hate for him to suffer undeservedly:-(

and lets face it, you whingeing Ozzie's have been trying to get back to the land dununnda "Eva since the dispute mate"........................

so the sooner you go back to the land of the eternal barbie the better for all concerned.....................

The better for all concerned
 

Amen to that, Australia needs you.

It's dubious that many EK drivers would be jumping ship with 53 A380s in the pipeline. :ouch:

Glue Ball. Your comment demonstrates the 'big shiny airplane' syndrome at its best. Many pilots realise that it doesn't matter WHAT you fly.....if your package is sh*t, then you are better off leaving and flying a 737 for better pay and lifestyle. CX, EK and many other airlines that employ expat pilots will very soon have to realise that without properly addressing these issues, they will have a very difficult time crewing ANYTHING they own....