Contract pilots at CX
 

SAA talking to CX and Turkish about 3-5 year contracts for FOs and possibly CNs on 330 and 747 fleets. Schooling and provident fund provided (no mention of housing, funnily).And light blue touch paper....

Dear Anna. Please go ahead and throw that match on the pool of petrol lying in front of you. The conflagration you will start will not be put out until nearly every current pilot has left. Go ahead, make my day....

I called this a few months ago. You guys let this slide. Than your wasting your money on a union.

No kidding! How stupid AT and her GMs must think our SOs are. First, they basically double their time to JFO with 2 SO crews and DEFOs who cut the line into the right seats of the very same HK base and fleets. Meanwhile, inflation eats away at the pittance that is HKPA and the SOs are gaining no flying time of any value. Now, they want to hire contract pilots en masse off the bottom of other struggling carriers’ seniority lists. If this doesn’t scream, LEAVE, then nothing will. It’s time to wake up and smell the smoldering carcass that is TTW!

There never was a TTW (other than for management bonuses). The airline has entered a death spiral, and it will be interesting to see when the final realisation of that fact finally sinks into the mindset of the majority of crew. Most have been making plans to leave, and i now suspect that the recent rejection of further bases, the admission by AT that they aren't increasing pay or housing for the junior pilots (competetive package!) and the general complete lack of acknowledgement of our concerns means that the exodus is now unstoppable. The long story of CX is nearing it's end, and nothing but ashes will remain. Tragic.

The big issue is DEC. If that happens, then the charade that this is a 'career' airline will be over (if it already isn't...). Let's see what absurdity AT comes up with next, but if it's that, then truly this place will be in flames.

Would love to see Turkish pass a line check.

so just because someone doesn't come from your neck of the woods they are automatically a bad pilot?

Johannesburg Roadshow
 

I've seen a CX flyer for a SAA endorsed pilot recruitment roadshow at Airways Park next week 28/29th but can't figure out how to post it here. They are apparently laying off 10% of their pilots.

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This one!!!

Honestly guys, you need to take it way easier.
There's always been these types of crew exchange between companies, it's not exactly contract pilots recruited by an agency from the free market. It's happened for decades in most (even legacy) airlines.
So relax, enjoy your old contracts (for the lucky ones) and don't believe everything you hear.

So we should accept a crew change when it will negatively affect the career prospects of current crew at CX in 2 ways. 1: delayed upgrade times for current SOs. 2: recruiting on to the A330 therefore eventually the A350 whilst current crew are dying on the 747

How the AOA handles this will be a defining moment. Certainly in terms of its future.

Before we even discuss possible contract/temp bases in JNB or even a sympathetic commuting contract for those potentially at the bottom of a 3000 seniority list, are we really going to allow them to join the pax fleet whilst our Long suffering freighter guys languish?

They’ve already done DEC when Oasis tanked and a few dragon freighter guys came to the CX freighter back around 2007/8. But it was the freighter so nobody cared.... Care now?

Send us your tired, your pissed off, your huddled masses yearning to breathe hk’s fresh air. The grass couldn’t be greener and the air couldn’t be cleaner.

Excellent summary CR!

Soooo, Curtain. After reading that, I can only conclude that AT has just been a bit misunderstood, and the company really has our best interests at heart. There is NO doubt that this is a career airline. Come one, come all. (seriously, that was epic, and lays bare just how awful, manipulative, venal, malicious and destructive our management are. Hard to believe it's come to this place, considering the wonderful employer I joined back in the 80's. Tragedy). Why is anyone with any other opportunity considering tying their career hopes and those of their families to a management just described by your brilliant post? Anyone who can leave had better do so as quickly as they can.

This is pilot and union busting in its purest form.
Any group who allows this to happen to them doomed.
I think the smart ones realize the situation and are leaving. The group that’s too old to go. Best of luck you make it out. The others, well you know the saying. You can’t help stupid.

Cracks me up they’d rather crap on the currently employed pilots and let them leave than fix any of the issues!!!
I know... let’s hire a bunch of ‘new’ guys and piss them off too...
Pretty soon it will be the last ditch bitch of a job for the world of unemployed flyers.
How can they honestly think anyone would come here in their 30’s and 40’s and be able to afford to live??

Misses the point sadly. AT and RH have determined to turn CX into the employer of choice for the worlds pilot 'refugees'. Effectively, it will become a satellite airline of SAA, and due to the circumstances in their home country, pilots from there will grit their teeth and put up with the bs that will come their way from this management. Pilots from the suspect countries will always at least give CX a try, as their options back home are no better. That is what this airline now represents, a home for those who's home countries are unlivable. If YOU come from a country that has a stable society, and good employers, you had better get yourself on those seniority lists as soon as possible. That is the one Achilles heel of CX, they can hire from any country they want, thereby undermining everyone already employed here. At least back in Aus/NZ/Can/US/UK etc, they can only hire from within their own countries, which limits their airlines from abusing you in ways CX finds perfectly acceptable to subject you to. Get out now, the writing is on the wall. CX is done as a career employer.