CX direct FO or HKA direct Captain?
 

So I've been trying to move to Hong Kong for a while now for family reasons. CX had been my preference. I turned down an interview for SO a few years ago as my circumstances made it impossible to accept the salary and live in HK.

I applied for direct FO last Summer but only heard back recently about getting an interview. While I was waiting I decided to explore other options in HK and now it seems there's a possible open door for me to go to HKA as a captain. I know overall conditions are better in CX than HKA. However, reading PPRuNe makes it difficult to get a feeling about what it would be like for me moving forward.

I'm in my early 30's with a local wife and a few young children. I'm looking for long term stability, good community and preferably not to be treated as a scab because I join as a direct entry pilot. Any suggestions about which role may be a better fit for me would be appreciated.

Go to hka and dont look back. Cx has lost several senior fos to hka as fos recently. Their package is similar to ours but that coompany has a future and is growing unlike the green giant.

Have you considered Cathay Dragon? Same conditions and staff travel as CX but currently with the chance of command within a year.

I have considered it. However, I've spent a lot of time in mainland China. From instructing Chinese cadets to domestic 320 ops. My feeling currently is that I've got enough Mainland adventures to last a lifetime. It's my understanding that Dragon operates mainly into China. As much as I like China, I've found flying inside mainland China to be tedious. For a long term career I think I would benefit from a little more variation. That's just my personal preference. I am aware of Dragon and I do think it's an excellent option for the right people.

Obviously you have never seen what a c scale so/fo makes. 53k base is alot more than any so base. Add on their allowances aswell dont forget

good luck making that work in HK

With a few young children I'd be looking for an employer that offers assistance with school fees, and I don't think HKA does that.

HKA it is from where I sit. CX management still don't have a clue.

Final interview
 

Hello everyone,
Could any one tell me if one has cleared DAY 1 ( Sim, technical exam, group discussion ), how much time one has to wait for the final result of DAY 2 ( final interview, medical etc ) ?? Thank you in advance.

CX has opened DE FO again. Would anyone want to say how long upgrade to captain is likely to take for adequately experienced pilots? (Please limit replies to answering the question. Yes, I know T&Cs are a lot worse than previous years, but are probably better than where I am now, so we don't need to hear about the deterioration in T&Cs.)

HandoverRichard: CX is a predominately Long and Ultra Long Haul airline therefore it has many more S/O/F/O positions per crew due to inflight relief requirements.

This means that foe every captain being replaced there are several co-pilots in waiting. I am definitely out of date but 10+ years would probably be in the ball park.

Nobody knows, and the answer you will get is inevitably either a guess, wishful thinking or a selfish lie.

Look at the a/c order numbers, the delivery schedule, then compare the current fleet size and total crew count ( 3500 as a ball park) and then make your own independent calculation.

On a personal note, should (!) you make it through the assessment. maybe just be grateful to start as a DEFO ( rare historically) and forget about what may or may not come later..

Update: an ex colleague who moved to CX 3 years ago hopes to start the upgrade process next year. That means he's looking at about 5 years. Of course, it can all come crashing down if a downturn comes along. Say, like if a USA president needs to give the world news a distraction from his deviant past involving under age girls and chooses to go to war in an oil rich region to achieve that.

After an extraordinary shrinking and subsequent expansion process, the current upgrade time is unfortunately meaningless.
Unless the very same happens again.

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Regarding my upgrade comment, I have found information in that most reliable source of information: Wikipedia. If you choose to believe what is written there (allegedly backed by factual references), CX had 4,000 pilots (fairly accurate) in 2020. That was 2,000 by the end of Covid (very likely true). About 2 years ago, they were cancelling flights due to a shortage of pilots (this, I know, is fact). Wikipedia states that CX claims to have 3,500 pilots now - but you would have to believe that they have hired and trained pilots at the rate of about 600 per year! That's 50 per month! If this is possible, oops I meant true, then the ex-colleague that I refer to would have timed his employment there very fortunately. He might be 2,100 of 3,500 now. No wonder he moved quickly. But, as 711 says, it's anyone's guess for a pilot joining now, and unlikely to be 5 years.

Seniority list showing 3529 pilots as of 8 April 2026.

Do you guys think CX is still hiring DEFO this year?

I know of people who passed DEFO selection last June and still haven’t been call yet.