I resemble that remark!

Did my 10 years and had a great time thanks to guys like you. Won't happen again unless KLM are still throwing guys out before 65. Don't think I would enjoy it much nowadays though, too much work not enough play (like 5 days layover dunnunda!).

flightwatch you are so right! Left at the right time, this company has changed to it's worse, management and pilot attitude wise.
On the other hand people are starting to live in the past and not fighting the
current situation, blaming it to the union which is fighting hard.
The biggest thread in Eu ops is the bloody EASA, just doing what the companies
want, designing rules that might work for Easy and Ryan but do kill you on long haul.
Enjoy your retirement! Good timing!!!

@flightwatch
Indeed, it was great fun to fly with the ex-BA guys.

However at CV they have been occasionally used by management as leverage against the pilot group.

All the best for your retirement! :)

I am applying too, just right now, awaiting a reply.

When i read here the latest comments from2016/2017, then i can't get rid of the feeling it is all so political. But young guys asking substantial questions are not heard.

Ok, we understood that conditions seem to became worse or tighter than before.
And we all know that cargo aviation is not the easiest one.

But when i look back to the places where i worked for or am talking with other pilots in some layover pubs, then i barely find anyone who is satisfied. The majority of pilots seem to complain about their rosters, payment, training dept or whatever.
And maybe it is good so, because without complaints there wouldn't be anybimprovement.

Well, for my point, i will just await if i will be invited. And then see further. All the same discussion i had before already with previous airlines.

And your point is ? :ugh:

Cargolux signs equity contract for launch of Henan Cargo Airlines ? Air Cargo News

So the brand CARGOLUX CHINA will never happen?
For those pilots who where interested in Cargolux China, things might change?

and that's why I left CV...

And where did you go if I may ask?

Cargolux China now Henan Cargo Airlines
 

Cargolux China was a project name until the official shareholder agreement was signed in June 2017. Nothing in regards to the project has changed except that an official name for the future airline has been published. Chinese regulations are very strict when it comes to the approval of names for an airline. Henan Cargo Airlines will be owned 75% by chinese shareholders, mainly HNCA located in the Henan province and 25% by Cargolux Airlines Int. S.A. As from the very beginning intended the operating base of Henan Cargo Airlines will be Zhengzhou and therefore all employee contracts will be chinese contracts without any association to the Luxembourgish social system. Start/End of Duty however will be Luxembourg on both schemes. 14 On/12 Off and 18 On/17 Off. A global health insurance and LOL will be provided by Henan Cargo Airlines.

According to the present CWA you would lose your seniority after having been on unpaid leave exceeding a consecutive period of 3 years.
Better think again before leaving CLX.

Just wondered if anyone is attending next weeks assessment (24-26.7)?

Feel free to PM.

KT

What do you want to know exactly?

ATPL test cargolux
 

Hi guys,
Does anyone know if there is an ATPL test during these 3 days? If yes, how many questions?

Nice week for all!

Thanks 👍🏽 It Looks like no one wants to give any tip about the screening...

Yes
About 20
If I remember correctly was 1 or 2 questions from each atpl topic. If you use 'ace the technical interview book' or Google They have similar questions.
Good luck!

cargolux-to-hold-roadshows-in-november-to-hire-pilots
 

Seems they cannot find the right people anymore:

https://www.wort.lu/en/luxembourg/ai...202b51b13c57b3

Caveat emptor:

"The additional manpower is needed to cover the projected network for the next years and support the diversification of our operations."

Tststs...

Cargolux new joiner
 

I'm looking for "concrete" informations about the lifestyle and work conditions in Cargolux.
They are hiring First Officer, and I would like to apply.
But, after reading the 73 pages of this post, I'm not really sure if it will be a good idea.
Some of the posts on pprune can be very negatives as they are written by non-motivated pilots, but always argumented by other pilots happy of the company.
What is the stand by time or distance to be called ? I live at a distance of 90 minutes drive from Luxembourg Airport.
Any informations about the roster, rest outstation ?

It all depends on your personal and family situation.
Also on your previous flying. Different perspectives.

We have new joiners who were used to being at home every night in their previous job. Guess how they (and their families) feel about flying longhaul?

How do you or your family cope with the permanent roster changes?

How do you cope with 24 hr rest periods, i.e. reporting for the next duty when you are tired again?

Cargolux is no longer the airline it used to be.
Still for some it is a good gig despite the fact that most of the great layovers we used to have are gone - forever.

I've been invited to do the Mollymawk as part of the screening for Henan Cargo Airlines as DEC... Are there any places online to practise this test apart from the Mollymawk website itself?

Also, does anyone know if the entire screening proces for Henan is the same as if I would be applying for Cargolux? That would help tremendously with the preparation.

Please reply or DM me with any information.

Thanks!

Doppio....have they offered you to fly as DEC with Cargolux until Henan starts up ?

No they haven't; if they do I'll probably refuse. I do not wish to get stuck at Cargolux when Henan fails to start up...

Doppio....since there is no confirmed start up date for Henan, and considering that the start up has already been postponed a few years, what are they planning for you until they actually do start up ?

They will not fly at CV. :}

Most likely they will be boroughed to another chinese 747 operator like Yangtze River Express until the operation gets started in 2020 (if at all).

They are still facing a lot of problems and haven't even applied for an AOC yet.

Hi everybody,
has anyone conducted recently the second stage of the assessment in Luxemburg for Cargolux?
If yes, could you please give some info on what to expect in the group exercise/role play and interview.
Would be very much appreciated for some info!

I recently flew with a few "new guys" that joined CV in 2017. My advice after these conversations is, read the f****** CWA all the way to the end, before you sign the contract (and especially before you cancel your previous employment, if any).
Those I'm talking about, apparently didn't do so, and were quite surprised afterwards, how unpleasant the day-to-day operation turned out.
With the so-called "spool-up" conditions, where you don't get a Rest-before-Off day (RBO) at first, plus a week less vacation or so, the overall flying is quite a bit more intense than for us senior guys (which is though already). You are just too long available to Crew planning in a block, so they will push you around with changes upon changes, until finally your next block of fixed Off days comes along. It's a bit like flying long-haul-ad-hoc-executive. To a degree of 50-90% the trips initially assigned are wildcards, mere placeholders to be replaced with anything, usually one day before departure (Crew Damage Control can't plan any further ahead at present).

Still the job can be interesting for many of those, who are currently slave-serving for some early-captitlism outfit with truck-driver pay-scales and no social security, like I hear about EW Austria i.e.

But, unless you are desperate to find any job asap, I would suggest the following:
Go for the test, and if you pass, get access to a copy of the current CWA and study it thoroughly before the interview. Then take a good second (and third) thought, if the conditions for new hires after 2016 will really be sustainable to you (given the extreme instability of the rosters, which they may not tell you about in the interview).
If you have any doubts afterwards, state politely at the interview, that you will be more than happy to work for Cargolux under conditions like the senior guys do, but feel unable to burn yourself out on what is presently on the table for new hires.

You'll be flying a full month more (and earn less) than we do.
I don't think the sometimes extreme roster instability will end anytime soon.
When you have a trip with Floating Off Days afterwards it's best not to plan anything on those Off Days to avoid disappointment.
One colleague was supposed to be Off for Xmas, got a back to back and was home again after NYE.
Imagine how this must have been for the person involved and his family.
Not trying to be negative here but that's just the way it is...
Sure hope the ALPL will be able to get rid of this ridiculous b-contract but I doubt they/we will succeed.
It should be their first priority!

Sad to say, but all of the above is 100% true.
It used to be a great company to work for.

https://aircargoeye.com/fatigued-unh...-for-cargolux/

https://aircargoeye.com/christmas-woes-at-cargolux/

https://aircargoeye.com/cargolux-fli...argo-grounded/

I am trying to leave this Company after more than 10 years because u will simply die here before retirement! It is a !!!!hole! Stay away and go for a more healthy and social 5/4 roster on a more valuable Rating like the Airbus. And remember that you`ll be kicked out of the Company when you are sick too often. Even we had people who suffered from cancer, Luxemburg law allows to simply fire you when more than a year seriously sick.

" !!!!hole" is an understatement :mad:

Given that many seem to be leaving now, what would the time to command be for a new joiner? Not interested in even trying at the moment even though I admit I am looking for new opportunities.

About 15 years.

The time from entry to upgrade is always hard to predict exactly, and I personally believe that 15 years might be slightly exaggerated - in the end it all depends on future development of the company, plus their willingness to hire at least the amount of people that they can provide training for themselves.

As a matter of fact, I haven't seen anybody hired 2001 or later who managed faster than 10 years. On the other hand, a big number of captains who joined CV from 1997-2001 is now in their 50ies and will retire within the next 10 years. Flight Ops Crisis Management yet has to come up with a concept how to ramp up training volume in order to replace those.

But then there is another problem, that they almost completely removed the horizontal move from FO to Cpt pay scale (for new hires from 2016 on). Which means, that after an upgrade after 10 years, you will approximately earn 1000€ net more, that's it.

If that is worth the extra responsibility or offers an interesting perspective, I leave up to you.

High Aeroshizzle. I lived in Uk and worked in Lux for CV few years ago. Short end is, don’t try and loophole it if you’re living in the UK and working there. If there’s one place you’d be mad to try and loop hole it is properly living in UK and working in Lux unless you like being harassed. HMRC are aware you earn in Lux as you will have to declare it. What really stokes their fire is you have to hold a Luxembourg bank account to work for cv.

Unless it’s changed, we have one of the worst bilateral tax agreements. Unlike countries like Germany you still pay any tax due back in the UK, minus the tax you paid in Lux. So nett result is you pay the same amount as if you’d earned it in the UK.

Solution that keeps you away from HMRC is do it safely and live in Europe or have an apartment there that is your full time home, somewhere like Trier nearby. I think in Germany if you’ve paid tax in Lux, they don’t hit you for German taxes, unlike our robbing lot (let’s ignore the Cayman Islands and pick on the little guys)

Can we say the union is crap ? (Going with the BS-contracts )

Where the Cargolux guys going?
 

Hello to all.

From my actual position, Cargolux still looks like an alternative to me. Following the thread for a while, I know that there some problems with the company (roster, decreasing conditions, etc.) and that people are leaving. The interesting question to me is now, what kind of people are leaving (captains, senior F/Os, etc.) and to which airlines they are leaving because it might make sense to apply directly to these companies where the guys with "more experience" are going.

Thank you for the help and a lot of honest answers in this thread.

Norwegian
Korean Airlines
Emirates
Etihad
Ryanair
Turkish Airlines
Silkway West
[not complete]

This does not imply that these airlines are much better. It all depends on the personal situation and how desperate/exhausted/sick-of-constant-roster-changes-that-screw-your-private-life/young/old these colleagues were.

If you describe your personal situation it would be easier to give you sound advice.
Our new Citation guys seem to be quite happy at CV. They earn a few € more and the aircraft is bigger. If this is all that counts.

I know some guys who wanna join Cargolux from the ME 3. Unfortunately to get off for the Cargolux assessment, with the roster they are flying, is quite challenging, not to say impossible without calling sick.

Sure.
The middle east slaves :ugh: would like to come back to Europe.

However joining a cargo carrier in times when Trump begins a trade war with China and the rest of the world is probably not a smart career move.

Thank you for the quick answers.

@final06:
Actually, I have approx. 1300 hours on 737 and total 2100, flying for a carrier where I don't beleave that they will survive the next bigger crisis and I don't like to be in a situation where I have to look for a new job during a crisis. I know that there will be no absolute job security on the flight deck. But I think you can control a little bit of the risk. I share your concerns regarding Trump and the world trade. But I also think that there is a reasonable likelihood that during next election the democrates will come to power again and everything will change to an open market. Furthermore, the Chinese also need the open trade to work against their debts. In regard to Ryanair, I am really interested cocnerning their new contracts because I think it canalso move the whole market a little bit.
I guess that you (final06: Rwy06 LUX?) work or have worked for Cargolux. How would you consider the future demand in Cargolux considering the leavings and retirements and maybe the upgrade chances considering these concerns (I aware the upgrade topic was discused from time to time, but with the new situation of the leavings things might have changed). Furthermore, are there any news reagrding Cargolux China?

Actually, for me it's collecting information to make a reasonable decision. The fact of the leaving is a warnign sign to me, but as often mention it depends on wher you coming from.

Anyway, already many thanks for your information in this thread.

Some comments:
A lot of guys will retire in appr. 10 yrs time.
CV hired 100+ pilots in the last 24 months on the B-scale. Hiring is still going on.
Predictions for upgrade scenarios would be speculative to say the least.
One thing to keep an eye on is the outcome of the next CWA.
The actual CWA plus EASA FTL are no joy.
Under these conditons you would upgrade with a salary plus of 1500€. (It used to be a horizontal move on the seniority list.)
Worldwide demand is growing but not in Europe.
I have seen quite a few carriers go belly up in no time. So don't wait for the democrats. On the other side CLX is "too big to fail" for LUX.
But they do not need 25+ aircraft necessarily. LUX airport serves every cargo airline which brings business. Also our worst competitors.
CV China is a white elephant so far. Or a Yeti as you wish. Some claim the project is still alive. I do not see this materialize.
If you live within 2-3 hrs driving from LUX it might be well worth to apply if you fulfill the requirements (1500 hrs 737 f.e.).

However I would like to encourage my colleagues to give their input too.