Some good news from the telegraph.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: london
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some good news from the telegraph.
Cheap flights lead to shortage of pilots
By David Millward, Transport Correspondent (Filed: 27/03/2006)
The airline industry is struggling to find pilots as demand for flights fuelled by no-frills airlines continues to grow.
While carriers continue to expand their networks, the soaring cost of aviation fuel is making training increasingly prohibitive, with one estimate putting the cost of getting a licence at more than £60,000.
Figures, show the number of UK-registered pilots falling from 2,723 in 2002-3 to 2,400 in 2004-5. According to the Civil Aviation Authority the number of planes taking off from and landing at British airports increased by 6pc in 2004 - the latest year for which figures are available.
British Airways is advertising for pilots, Ryanair is scouring Europe for recruits, and Easyjet has slashed its flying experience requirement from 1,500 to 500 hours.
"Pilots are in demand and cutting flying hours reflects that," said a spokesman for Easyjet, which has added 50 new routes this year.
According to one source at BA, nobody within the company can remember the airline advertising so extensively. "Ryanair is currently paying more to its Boeing 737 pilots than BA, and with the pension crisis and the retirement age of 60 years, many see little point in joining BA for 'job security'," the source said.
Ryanair, which has increased its UK-based routes from 116 last year to 178, is taking on about 300 pilots. The company has held recruitment fairs in a number of European cities and has benefited from shake-outs among some scheduled airlines by taking on staff who have been laid off.
But even Ryanair has struggled to keep up growth towards the end of its "flying year", which finishes at the end of the month.
Many of its pilots have come close to their 900 maximum annual cockpit hours and action was needed to make sure the company did not run out of flying time. As a result Ryanair had to cut capacity by 100,000 seats for the first three months of the year.
The company is prepared to pay salaries of up to £100,000 for an experienced pilot as well as share options.
"Experienced airline pilots are in short supply," said Nick Wilcox, commercial director of Storm Aviation, a company which supplies staff to the aviation industry. "It is extremely busy for this time of year.
We supply a large number of blue-chip airlines and were recently contacted by a low-frills carrier saying they needed a significant number of individuals."
British-based airlines are in a stronger position than some of their continental rivals because English is the international language of aviation.
By David Millward, Transport Correspondent (Filed: 27/03/2006)
The airline industry is struggling to find pilots as demand for flights fuelled by no-frills airlines continues to grow.
While carriers continue to expand their networks, the soaring cost of aviation fuel is making training increasingly prohibitive, with one estimate putting the cost of getting a licence at more than £60,000.
Figures, show the number of UK-registered pilots falling from 2,723 in 2002-3 to 2,400 in 2004-5. According to the Civil Aviation Authority the number of planes taking off from and landing at British airports increased by 6pc in 2004 - the latest year for which figures are available.
British Airways is advertising for pilots, Ryanair is scouring Europe for recruits, and Easyjet has slashed its flying experience requirement from 1,500 to 500 hours.
"Pilots are in demand and cutting flying hours reflects that," said a spokesman for Easyjet, which has added 50 new routes this year.
According to one source at BA, nobody within the company can remember the airline advertising so extensively. "Ryanair is currently paying more to its Boeing 737 pilots than BA, and with the pension crisis and the retirement age of 60 years, many see little point in joining BA for 'job security'," the source said.
Ryanair, which has increased its UK-based routes from 116 last year to 178, is taking on about 300 pilots. The company has held recruitment fairs in a number of European cities and has benefited from shake-outs among some scheduled airlines by taking on staff who have been laid off.
But even Ryanair has struggled to keep up growth towards the end of its "flying year", which finishes at the end of the month.
Many of its pilots have come close to their 900 maximum annual cockpit hours and action was needed to make sure the company did not run out of flying time. As a result Ryanair had to cut capacity by 100,000 seats for the first three months of the year.
The company is prepared to pay salaries of up to £100,000 for an experienced pilot as well as share options.
"Experienced airline pilots are in short supply," said Nick Wilcox, commercial director of Storm Aviation, a company which supplies staff to the aviation industry. "It is extremely busy for this time of year.
We supply a large number of blue-chip airlines and were recently contacted by a low-frills carrier saying they needed a significant number of individuals."
British-based airlines are in a stronger position than some of their continental rivals because English is the international language of aviation.
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 955
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A spokesman said....
Sounds like one of these "....a spokesman said.... " type reports; full of inaccuracies. Probably a major flying school press officer wanting to cite come collateral for marketing sales pitches.... Its all been done before...
Although there is an unwillingness by airlines to SPEND MONEY on crew training - LoCos are "scouring Europe" looking for pilots with £loads to spend on type training... Maybe that money has now run out....!
Although there is an unwillingness by airlines to SPEND MONEY on crew training - LoCos are "scouring Europe" looking for pilots with £loads to spend on type training... Maybe that money has now run out....!
Gizajob
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: uk
Age: 49
Posts: 627
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A massive amount of all media output is based on press releases. This sounds like another example to me. Only question is who released this 'news'?
The only true bit I can detect is that there is a shortage of 'experienced airline pilots'. That's hardly news either though is it?
The only true bit I can detect is that there is a shortage of 'experienced airline pilots'. That's hardly news either though is it?
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: UK
Age: 55
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
desperate for pilots?
Yeah, right.
Three years ago, when I had 250 hrs i used to think - well, maybe i can't find a job because of no experience and poor market prospects.
Now, having almost reached the magic 1500/500 mep and done again the usual round of applications, i can tell you - nobody came knocking at my door begging me to work for them! Yes, I'd probably get a job if I put an extra 25k for a TR...
I wouldn't call that a "desperate" need of pilots, not yet...
Anyway, I am optimistic, and there is no doubt that the situation is getting better and better. And if it is true that, as I've read on the other thread, a low hour pilot got his TR paid for by FR, well, maybe we are heading in the right direction?
Three years ago, when I had 250 hrs i used to think - well, maybe i can't find a job because of no experience and poor market prospects.
Now, having almost reached the magic 1500/500 mep and done again the usual round of applications, i can tell you - nobody came knocking at my door begging me to work for them! Yes, I'd probably get a job if I put an extra 25k for a TR...
I wouldn't call that a "desperate" need of pilots, not yet...
Anyway, I am optimistic, and there is no doubt that the situation is getting better and better. And if it is true that, as I've read on the other thread, a low hour pilot got his TR paid for by FR, well, maybe we are heading in the right direction?
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
1 Post
There will ALWAYS be a shortage of experienced Captains/TRI'/TRE's who are current on a desirable, modern aircraft type. Multiply x 10 for ones who are prepared to move around a bit or go contracting in dodgy parts of the world.
There will ALWAYS be at least a dozen times too many 200 hour wannabes for every entry level job that's going.
Que sera sera ...
There will ALWAYS be at least a dozen times too many 200 hour wannabes for every entry level job that's going.
Que sera sera ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: essex
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry to burst the pessimistic haze but I have seen a lot of colleagues get jobs with airlines over the last couple of years and they are UK airlines
Recently it is clear that fairly inexperienced pilots are getting places
This was not something I witnessed during the past ten years so I think that things are definitely on the up !
Recently it is clear that fairly inexperienced pilots are getting places
This was not something I witnessed during the past ten years so I think that things are definitely on the up !
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: london
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've seen a lot of people i know who trained at my school this past three months literally walk in to jobs. One got his ir in feb and has almost finished his tr with easy jet. to be precise I know 5 people who did just that.
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: The Land Downunder
Posts: 765
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
'UK-registered pilots falling from 2,723 in 2002-3 to 2,400 in 2004-5', what does this actually mean, at BA we have in excess of 3000 pilots all of whom have UK based licences??
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All the people from my ATPL Ground School (Modular) that actually completed all the training ALL have jobs. Granted it took a few 12 months to find work, but we are all now employed.
M.
M.
Join Date: May 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know how difficult it is to get that first job, but this is a good time to be finishing training. Unfazed, Nuclear Weapon and moku have evidence of this with their posts. I actually think the article paints a reasonably fair picture (for once) of the current situation. At my home base alone, Ryanair are having to wet lease a/c from another operator so short of crew are they. And my company is getting seriously short of F/Os and has slashed its entry requirements.Note that's F/Os. We currently have plenty of captains and plenty of SFOs to fill the command courses. It is two stripers my esteemed managers are hunting. If you don't believe me I'll send you a copy of my roster, I'm seeing less of my own bed and much more of the inside of various airport hotels on a regular basis!
I wasn't around for the pre 9-11 good times, but read the posts of the guys that were. Recruitment and low hours job opportunities wise, things are as good as they have been for some time - hang in there.
I wasn't around for the pre 9-11 good times, but read the posts of the guys that were. Recruitment and low hours job opportunities wise, things are as good as they have been for some time - hang in there.