PPRuNe Forums - Air Hong Kong Interview

Dear Ladies and Gents.

For Any one interested in applying for AHK please read the following.

Air Hong Kong is the only dedicated freighter airline based in Hong Kong. In October 2002, Cathay Pacific entered into a business partnership with DHL Express to develop the express freight network in Asia. Air Hong Kong now serves Bangkok, Penang, Singapore, Taipei, Narita, Kansai, Nagoya, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and Manila. We are expecting to operate to Ho Chi Minh, and KL within a few months. Those routes are currently operated by sup contractors as K-mile.
In May 2011 AHK received a capacity boost by dry leasing 3 Boeing 747-400 BCF aircraft. The Company operates now the A300 and B747-400. A total of 5 747-400 are expected by the end of this year. DHL Express is our major customer and the bulk of the cargo is express parcels. The remaining cargo is general freight.

For the recruitment procedure please follow the CX guide lines.
As this company is managed CX and the recruitment procedure is the same.

First Interview:

After receiving inventation you are required to come on your own cost to HK for a Technical Test and Interview with 2 or three representatives form AHK management.

Technical Test as by CX.
General ATPL knowledge of systems, procedures and please read up on high altitude flying.
Reading: Captains X,Y,Z and Ace the Technical Pilot Interview.

Your interview that follows after this test will be based on the outcome of this test and a few things more, depending how well have done it.
Followed by normal introduction of yourself, your motivation and your goals.
You can expect questions about the company, HK and what if flying situations.
One of the biggest challenges is flying with different cultures and you can expect questions about that as well.

Once you done they will send you home and inform you within a month of you have been successful or not.

Second interview.

Follow CX guide line.

You will be invited for a second interview and this will be paid by the company.
You receive a economy ticket on any CX port to HK and provided with Hotel during your stay.

You will do the following:
Sim Check
Licence Check
Please bring your: -
Original Professional Pilot’s Licence.

Please note
AHK will not accept a ‘converted licence’ without seeing the original licence on which the conversion was based so please bring all licences with you if you have more than one

Valid Instrument Rating Certificate
Valid Multi-engined Aircraft Rating Certificate
ATPL Examination Results
Valid Class 1 Medical Certificate
Valid Radio/Telephone Licence
Original Passport (please bring all valid passports if more than one is held)
All logbooks
any other relevant original documentation supporting your application.
Medical CHeck
Final Interview.
In this order.

If you fail any of the steps you will not proceed to the next one.

The Sim Check is the most important one. Please read carefully the documentation send to you and prepare accordingly. Do not underestimate this.
You will be flying the 747-200 classic with analog display accompanied by Training Department and Flight Operations Department so if you can, practice!

Once you have completed this you will be informed within a month if you have been successful.

If you have been successful this is what follows:
Offer of Employment and Training Grant

A formal Offer of Employment letter will be sent to successful applicants selected by AHK for immediate employment.

The signing of the Offer of Employment letter by the applicant and the Company will constitute a contract and the provisions contained in the offer of employment become binding. Applicants will join either AHK (Singapore) Limited and be rostered in and out of Singapore, AHK (Hong Kong) Limited and be rostered in and out of Hong Kong or AHK (Malaysia) Limited and be rostered in and out of Penang depending on the availability of positions at that base..

AHK will provide each pilot with all necessary training. As a result, each pilot will be subject to a Training Agreement. A Training Agreement letter will be sent, with the Offer of Employment letter and the successful applicant is required to sign and agree to the terms set out in the Offer of Employment and Training Agreement letters.

Should a pilot decide to leave the Company voluntarily before the completion of required years of employment, as set out in Company Policy, the terms and conditions of the Training Agreement will be enforced

A Based Pilot Handbook, detailing Company Policies that are relevant to aircrew, will be provided to each new employee.

Pilot Bases

Following successful completion of the A300-600GF conversion training course, line qualified pilots will be based either in Singapore, Hong Kong or Penang – subject to positions at the ports being available,

With the expansion of the AHK route network, further base options are being considered and evaluations are continually ongoing.

AHK will sponsor the necessary residential and employment visas of new joining pilots so that they can live and work at their base.

Salary

Salary will be paid in U.S. Dollars (US$).

An ‘Under Training’ rate of pay will apply to new joining pilots until they have completed their conversion training course.

Rank
Under Training
US $ per annum
After Training
US $ per annum
First Officer
30,000.00
46,000.00
Captain
40,000.00
69,000.00

Salary may be increased in accordance with Company Policy.

Additionally line pilots receive Core Flying Pay for each scheduled block hour achieved.
Captains receive US$46.00 for each hour flown, up to a maximum of 45 per month.
First Officers receive US$32.00 for each hour flown, up to a maximum of 45 hours per month.

All Line pilots also receive a Minimum Monthly Credit of 45 flying hours - calculated at the appropriate rate.

Line pilots also receive Hourly Duty Pay (HDP) for each hour that they are available for duty. The current HDP rates are:

Captain – US$3.75 per hour
First Officer – US$2.50 per hour

Pilots may earn additional remuneration through AHK’s Incentive Pay (IP) policy. This scheme results in line pilots receiving additional US Dollars per month if they fly more hours than the pre-determined monthly flying hour threshold. The threshold is currently 45 hours per month.
The IP hourly rates are:

Captain – US$100.00 per hour
First Officer – US$70.00 per hour

Line pilots also receive a monthly Reimbursement of Expenses Incurred (REI) allowance which accumulates during time spent away from base. REI is calculated at an hourly rate, currently set at US$3.86. For example an 8-day pattern of duties could attract an additional payment of approximately US$700.00.

Long Service Gratuity
This may be paid to pilots, in accordance with Company Policy, following the completion of the 4th year of satisfactory productive service.
Long Service Gratuity amounts are:-

First Officers: USD 15,000.00
Captains: USD 20,000.00

General Conditions

Annual Leave
Pilots will be entitled to 28 days annual leave. They are also entitled to sick leave, maternity leave and compassionate leave in accordance with Company Policy

Medical Cover
The company will provide medical insurance cover to the employee, spouse and dependent children in accordance with Company Policy.

Life Insurance
The Company will provide life insurance to the value of 48 months’ salary in the event of accidental death in service in accordance with Company Policy.

Income Protection Insurance
The Company will provide each pilot with a form of insurance to provide cover for loss of income in the even a pilot’s licence is permanently withdrawn in accordance with Company Policy.

I hope that will clear some of the questions you may have.

We have a very small group of pilots and working very closely with management on a first name basis.
Most of us are hardworking and talented individuals who take flight safety, with the support of our management, as there highest priority. Please keep that in mind when applying for AHK. With respect to the schedule. We run a 8/6 schedule and have 12/9 on test with only a few. Most of us are very happy with the 8/6. For those who are based in SIN or Pen, this can be on either fleet, you will position on day one and return to your home base on day eight. The company provides the transport and you will have 12 hours of rest before starting or positioning home. How ever some will position directly home on a freighter. Commuting is possible as some of our crew members live in Europe, Aus, NZ or the USA. How ever this in the long run this is costly and is subject to your personal life style. Living in one of our destinations like Manila is easy as you position on our own fleet to HK and back. Our SBY travel is not great with CX as we are not fully integrated by CX so we have a very low priority number and most of the time you are better off buying a full fare ticket with any Airline. We have now ZED travel but still a low priority number. For taxes, this depends where you live, HK 16%, but only if you commute. If you live in HK you end up paying about 10% or less. The same for SIN 10% or 0% for PEN base. At the moment the 4th 744 is on hold but will see operation possibly later this year and there is a change we will have two more A300. Please do not be intimidated by some of the previous postings encourage people to apply. I can assure you that we are all working together to make this a bigger, better and safer place for all of us.

Good Luck,

Slobby