Air Contractors Atr
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Teesside, UK
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I assume its to take stuff from MAN for transatlantic from STN (now the MD11 doesn't stop in MAN) and then position back to BHX to do the round trip to CDG from there and then position back to MAN. 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: UK
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Sounds good to me
Sounds like a very good company to work for. Any more tips on getting onboard. I do have an ATR 42/72 type rating (from Skyblue at Exeter) but no additional experience.
Please feel free to PM.
Many thanks
Please feel free to PM.
Many thanks
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Europe
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It was a nice place to work until this week management started changing bases and giving a take it or leave it ultimatum to the European lads, some of the guys in Germany have been rightly stitched up!!!
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: UK
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PPJN figures:
What you see on ppjn.com is only for european bases, before taxes, no LOL, no pension, no social security...
Variety in the routes:
This is a big issue. Since the crisis, everybody starts and finishes at their base hence there is no much variety in routes. Basically people fly the same route 99% of the time.
Hotels:
Once again, all has gone crap since the crisis. Expect 3 stars hotel at the airport (whereas in the good old times it was 4-5 star hotels downtown the cities).
Bases:
They close the base as soon as there is a change in the network. As a consequence, people are rebased anywhere else with one month notice. As mentioned above, that's a take it or leave it policy.
Roster:
Expect to be used 3 weeks a month and that's it.
Nice place to work?
Maintenance is good, people are always payed on time, the roster is still issued for 3 months (more or less), nice people to work with (OPS, pilots, etc). However, it's cargo from 7pm to 9am, working in old and extremely noisy turboprops, cold environment, no toilets on board, no crewfood, hotels are low quality, long time away from home, no variety in the routes (maybe 2 or 3 airfields), no security with your base, etc.
Before the crisis it was a great place to work and now it's an OK place to work, The majority will definitely leave the company as soon as the market picks up.
Farnair is now probably better than Air Contractors...
What you see on ppjn.com is only for european bases, before taxes, no LOL, no pension, no social security...
Variety in the routes:
This is a big issue. Since the crisis, everybody starts and finishes at their base hence there is no much variety in routes. Basically people fly the same route 99% of the time.
Hotels:
Once again, all has gone crap since the crisis. Expect 3 stars hotel at the airport (whereas in the good old times it was 4-5 star hotels downtown the cities).
Bases:
They close the base as soon as there is a change in the network. As a consequence, people are rebased anywhere else with one month notice. As mentioned above, that's a take it or leave it policy.
Roster:
Expect to be used 3 weeks a month and that's it.
Nice place to work?
Maintenance is good, people are always payed on time, the roster is still issued for 3 months (more or less), nice people to work with (OPS, pilots, etc). However, it's cargo from 7pm to 9am, working in old and extremely noisy turboprops, cold environment, no toilets on board, no crewfood, hotels are low quality, long time away from home, no variety in the routes (maybe 2 or 3 airfields), no security with your base, etc.
Before the crisis it was a great place to work and now it's an OK place to work, The majority will definitely leave the company as soon as the market picks up.
Farnair is now probably better than Air Contractors...
Join Date: Jan 2011
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The once good conditions have been on a downward slope for a few years now.
The re-basing process have resulted in costs transfer from the company to the crews and in some cases it meant a huge loss of net income for said crews. Again, this was done on a take it or leave it basis with no opportunity for the crews to protect themselves from those bully methods. Now re-basing crews at will have become a normal management tool.
The race to the bottom is also well engaged with a new ryanair style rule imposing the "under training" salary on the new fo's until they reach 500 hrs on type while the previous rule granted them "year 1" salary from the line check on. Swiftair has clearly set the standards. Watch this space. Probably more inventive shafting are to come...
The trust in the managament has vanished, but surely they don't give a damn as long as the job market is on their side... However they still expect crews to go the extra mile to achieve the customer performance goal... isn't that nice ....
On a more positive note, ops peeps are top notch.
The re-basing process have resulted in costs transfer from the company to the crews and in some cases it meant a huge loss of net income for said crews. Again, this was done on a take it or leave it basis with no opportunity for the crews to protect themselves from those bully methods. Now re-basing crews at will have become a normal management tool.
The race to the bottom is also well engaged with a new ryanair style rule imposing the "under training" salary on the new fo's until they reach 500 hrs on type while the previous rule granted them "year 1" salary from the line check on. Swiftair has clearly set the standards. Watch this space. Probably more inventive shafting are to come...
The trust in the managament has vanished, but surely they don't give a damn as long as the job market is on their side... However they still expect crews to go the extra mile to achieve the customer performance goal... isn't that nice ....
On a more positive note, ops peeps are top notch.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Teesside, UK
Age: 33
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Anyone know which route ABR5TR/6TR (seems to be an ATR72) is?
Also is 7TW/8TW (ATR42) the Cologne-Katowice for UPS which Farnair used to have?
As far as I can tell the break down of the fleet is
42's
CDG-HAM-CGN-HAM-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-FCO-AOI-FCO-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-ORK-SNN-ORK-CDG (Fedex)
CGN-KTW-CGN (UPS)
+ 1 spare?
72's
CDG-MAN-STN-MAN-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-BHX-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-WAW-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-PRG-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-AMS-STN-AMS-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-BCN-CDG (Fedex) [alongside 752?]
+ 5TR/6TR
+ 2 in Sweden
+ 1 spare?
Also is 7TW/8TW (ATR42) the Cologne-Katowice for UPS which Farnair used to have?
As far as I can tell the break down of the fleet is
42's
CDG-HAM-CGN-HAM-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-FCO-AOI-FCO-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-ORK-SNN-ORK-CDG (Fedex)
CGN-KTW-CGN (UPS)
+ 1 spare?
72's
CDG-MAN-STN-MAN-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-BHX-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-WAW-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-PRG-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-AMS-STN-AMS-CDG (Fedex)
CDG-BCN-CDG (Fedex) [alongside 752?]
+ 5TR/6TR
+ 2 in Sweden
+ 1 spare?
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Thanks hardcase - it confused me with 7TW/8TW being the same callsign Farnair use on their CGN-KTW for UPS lol - I guess the spares will just sit in CDG for Fedex ready to cover any tech issues?
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Ah right just I saw a similar flight number last week, I guess that was them using the hotspare. That would presumably give 1 ATR42 and 2 ATR72's in CDG as spares? Or is there always 1 ATR on maintenance in Edinburgh?