Saudi Arabian Airlines Beware and true Facts
Join Date: Jun 2016
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Correcting some misconceptions
In response to the statement that Saudis are not interested in moving to the left seat, I'd like to point out a few facts.
I am Saudi and have been a FO with Saudi airlines for 9 years. I flew md90's for 2 years than moved on to the 777. Just last year I was asked by the company to take the ATP test in preparation for command training... Which I immediately did along with a lot of fellow colleagues.
However, training was put on hold and priority was given to foreign direct hire captains. 60 of them. (The average number of captains per class is 4... There is anywhere between 4 and 8 captain upgrade classes a year. You do the math... It's been more than a year now and myself and my colleges are still waiting for training to resume for Saudi nationals. The excuse is the magic statement "company requirements" and We have no choice but to accept it.
The average time for a Saudi to become a captain In our company is 11 years. This is very well known. In the 777 fleet alone there is about 90 Saudi FO's ready and willing to move to the left seat. The other fleets 330 and 747 have probably half of that number ready... This misconception that Saudis are not interested in becoming captains however, is based on the fact that a certain number of senior first officers " mostly ex flight engineers " that became pilots when 3 man crew aircrafts were phased out didn't have the minimum number of hours required for upgrade (4000 hours) seemed like they weren't interested.
A few others actually went for the training and did not make... So they became permanent FO's. These guys have 30 plus years of service and are very close to retirement.
Anyways, please before you go around saying things that you do not completely understand, do your homework. We take pride in our airline being multi cultural and friendly and we welcome all people with their various backgrounds and levels of experience without being judgmental.
I hope this clarifies the issue.
Safe travels to all.
I am Saudi and have been a FO with Saudi airlines for 9 years. I flew md90's for 2 years than moved on to the 777. Just last year I was asked by the company to take the ATP test in preparation for command training... Which I immediately did along with a lot of fellow colleagues.
However, training was put on hold and priority was given to foreign direct hire captains. 60 of them. (The average number of captains per class is 4... There is anywhere between 4 and 8 captain upgrade classes a year. You do the math... It's been more than a year now and myself and my colleges are still waiting for training to resume for Saudi nationals. The excuse is the magic statement "company requirements" and We have no choice but to accept it.
The average time for a Saudi to become a captain In our company is 11 years. This is very well known. In the 777 fleet alone there is about 90 Saudi FO's ready and willing to move to the left seat. The other fleets 330 and 747 have probably half of that number ready... This misconception that Saudis are not interested in becoming captains however, is based on the fact that a certain number of senior first officers " mostly ex flight engineers " that became pilots when 3 man crew aircrafts were phased out didn't have the minimum number of hours required for upgrade (4000 hours) seemed like they weren't interested.
A few others actually went for the training and did not make... So they became permanent FO's. These guys have 30 plus years of service and are very close to retirement.
Anyways, please before you go around saying things that you do not completely understand, do your homework. We take pride in our airline being multi cultural and friendly and we welcome all people with their various backgrounds and levels of experience without being judgmental.
I hope this clarifies the issue.
Safe travels to all.
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However, training was put on hold and priority was given to foreign direct hire captains. 60 of them. (The average number of captains per class is 4...
I never heard about Saudian who failed Captain training
Airlines hire too many direct foreign captains but only a few survive. How many of 60 have stars on shoulders?
Habibi, You just forgot to mention about number one foreign captains priority to pack theirs belongings after 8-9 month of hard training.
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In response to the statement that Saudis are not interested in moving to the left seat, I'd like to point out a few facts.
I am Saudi and have been a FO with Saudi airlines for 9 years. I flew md90's for 2 years than moved on to the 777. Just last year I was asked by the company to take the ATP test in preparation for command training... Which I immediately did along with a lot of fellow colleagues.
However, training was put on hold and priority was given to foreign direct hire captains. 60 of them. (The average number of captains per class is 4... There is anywhere between 4 and 8 captain upgrade classes a year. You do the math... It's been more than a year now and myself and my colleges are still waiting for training to resume for Saudi nationals. The excuse is the magic statement "company requirements" and We have no choice but to accept it.
The average time for a Saudi to become a captain In our company is 11 years. This is very well known. In the 777 fleet alone there is about 90 Saudi FO's ready and willing to move to the left seat. The other fleets 330 and 747 have probably half of that number ready... This misconception that Saudis are not interested in becoming captains however, is based on the fact that a certain number of senior first officers " mostly ex flight engineers " that became pilots when 3 man crew aircrafts were phased out didn't have the minimum number of hours required for upgrade (4000 hours) seemed like they weren't interested.
A few others actually went for the training and did not make... So they became permanent FO's. These guys have 30 plus years of service and are very close to retirement.
Anyways, please before you go around saying things that you do not completely understand, do your homework. We take pride in our airline being multi cultural and friendly and we welcome all people with their various backgrounds and levels of experience without being judgmental.
I hope this clarifies the issue.
Safe travels to all.
I am Saudi and have been a FO with Saudi airlines for 9 years. I flew md90's for 2 years than moved on to the 777. Just last year I was asked by the company to take the ATP test in preparation for command training... Which I immediately did along with a lot of fellow colleagues.
However, training was put on hold and priority was given to foreign direct hire captains. 60 of them. (The average number of captains per class is 4... There is anywhere between 4 and 8 captain upgrade classes a year. You do the math... It's been more than a year now and myself and my colleges are still waiting for training to resume for Saudi nationals. The excuse is the magic statement "company requirements" and We have no choice but to accept it.
The average time for a Saudi to become a captain In our company is 11 years. This is very well known. In the 777 fleet alone there is about 90 Saudi FO's ready and willing to move to the left seat. The other fleets 330 and 747 have probably half of that number ready... This misconception that Saudis are not interested in becoming captains however, is based on the fact that a certain number of senior first officers " mostly ex flight engineers " that became pilots when 3 man crew aircrafts were phased out didn't have the minimum number of hours required for upgrade (4000 hours) seemed like they weren't interested.
A few others actually went for the training and did not make... So they became permanent FO's. These guys have 30 plus years of service and are very close to retirement.
Anyways, please before you go around saying things that you do not completely understand, do your homework. We take pride in our airline being multi cultural and friendly and we welcome all people with their various backgrounds and levels of experience without being judgmental.
I hope this clarifies the issue.
Safe travels to all.
Join Date: Sep 2001
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I left Saudi Arabia 11 years ago as a captain, after 27 years. I can vouch Saudi first officers (always exceptions, of course, but not many) being of high quality and well trained (unless things have changed drastically in the intervening years). The emphasis should always be upgrading locals FIRST, and use direct hire captains from outside only on an emergency basis. I think your company is making big mistakes on this issue. Sam
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Hey guyscan anyone share what life is like on B777 in Saudi in terms of rostering and what type of destinations the B777 flies to etc?? Do you manage to get a string of days off to go home every month if so how many can you expect..??
Any info would be most welcome..
Thanks very much...
Any info would be most welcome..
Thanks very much...
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Thanks Mutt, yeah I know its not a commuting roster. Was just trying to gauge what type of flying I can expect on the B777 and what are the rostering practices like in Saudi. ie lots of night turns and what type of regions does the 777 fly to.. I did look at their site but seems to alot of change of equipment on routes??
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777 flies to most continents within the route structure, so it goes from 1.25 hour Riyadh trips to 16.5 hr trips to LAX. But there is no guarantee that it will stay on any medium haul European route, it has already lost Manchester and half of the Paris flights to the 787.
Gone are the days when Flight Operations management dictated which aircraft flew which route based on their desire to frequently visit that destination for personal reasons.
Gone are the days when Flight Operations management dictated which aircraft flew which route based on their desire to frequently visit that destination for personal reasons.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Sounds like abit of a disorganized operation?? Maybe I am wrong.. Maybe might be abit silly of me looking to jump out of the frying pan(EK) into the fire(SV)?? Sounds like the 777 does turns along with ULRs like we do here in EK.. Just trying to think what would be better in Saudi over the HUGE MESS we have here in EK apart from a little more money?? How many hours on average do you get rostered a month and are the rosters constructed nicely ie enough time to rest between trips??
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Jetkopite, 777 is a nice fleet here. Money is good. Nice mix of med haul , long haul and domestic. Enough of Time off between flights. I have compared Saudia rosters with EK. It's definitely much better than EK. Any flight more than 8hrs is augmented, unlike EK. Just that you won't find Jeddah great & the airline on the whole is not as organized and advanced as EK. Otherwise it is a people oriented company. 5 BDO is guaranteed with one acm travel a month. Use this place to make money and go home on your days off.
Last edited by Flyboy_SG; 20th Jul 2016 at 18:58. Reason: Error
Will fly with you soon. 
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Beware of false promises
Refund of screening can take up to a year (if they give it to you !) you will be paid a good salary doing training but it will be similar to try and get a type rating on the space shuttle. You will have to learn all by memory (including the notes). The training can last up to 9 months (of stress). (A senior A380 Captain has failed the training after many months of training!!).
In the contract that you will sign they promise a lot of things but they will not keep many of them. They are supposed to give you a villa but there are people with family still living in a hotel after a year. They just made of the contract scrap paper, they unilaterally decided to remove the yearly 3% bonus and to commence paying with the gregorian calendar (that will be at least 8000 $ less a year, much more over a 3 year contract period).
They are by contract supposed to give you 30 days holiday in two tranches but they don't , they give you 30 in one go depending on seniority, so at the beginning you will get it when they assign you any time of the year.
Forget commuting you cannot choose your five days off as this is done on a bid system and with low seniority at the beginning you will get what they give you.
They just hiked the visa fee so you will pay a lot of money to bring family over.
So the advise is look elswere if you have other choices.
Ksa is not an easy place to live !!
In the contract that you will sign they promise a lot of things but they will not keep many of them. They are supposed to give you a villa but there are people with family still living in a hotel after a year. They just made of the contract scrap paper, they unilaterally decided to remove the yearly 3% bonus and to commence paying with the gregorian calendar (that will be at least 8000 $ less a year, much more over a 3 year contract period).
They are by contract supposed to give you 30 days holiday in two tranches but they don't , they give you 30 in one go depending on seniority, so at the beginning you will get it when they assign you any time of the year.
Forget commuting you cannot choose your five days off as this is done on a bid system and with low seniority at the beginning you will get what they give you.
They just hiked the visa fee so you will pay a lot of money to bring family over.
So the advise is look elswere if you have other choices.
Ksa is not an easy place to live !!
To All Pilots that are planning to answer the recent full page advert in Flight for Capts at Saudia for B777, A320, A330 and EMD 170/90 crew.
The advert and what is listed at what you will get for pay and benefits is true lies!!! If you are selected for interview it will be either in JED, Cairo or in Europe probably Paris and you will be told that your flight and expenses will be reembursed. Mr B K, HR Rep will send a letter guarenteeing this, but this too is true lies. This money will never be reembursed as mine never was.
As for when you arrive and be interviewed and accepted, you will be on your own money for months until your first pay starts and the process will never be explained to you and it will drive you crazy!!!
As for people they have hired in the recent past, well it is amazing that they pride them self on hiring the best, but in my class of 12 only 2 are left in less then 1 year and the ones left
So, get on at Saudia and them take them for a ride and use the system to take them for a ride. As it is not enjoyable there and the locals don;t want you there, so get them before they get you!!!
If you need other details get in touch. Saudia is the worse in the ME to work for and definetly don't listen to the MUTT responses.
The advert and what is listed at what you will get for pay and benefits is true lies!!! If you are selected for interview it will be either in JED, Cairo or in Europe probably Paris and you will be told that your flight and expenses will be reembursed. Mr B K, HR Rep will send a letter guarenteeing this, but this too is true lies. This money will never be reembursed as mine never was.
As for when you arrive and be interviewed and accepted, you will be on your own money for months until your first pay starts and the process will never be explained to you and it will drive you crazy!!!
As for people they have hired in the recent past, well it is amazing that they pride them self on hiring the best, but in my class of 12 only 2 are left in less then 1 year and the ones left
So, get on at Saudia and them take them for a ride and use the system to take them for a ride. As it is not enjoyable there and the locals don;t want you there, so get them before they get you!!!
If you need other details get in touch. Saudia is the worse in the ME to work for and definetly don't listen to the MUTT responses.
