EK to Decommission 50%+ of Airbus A380, Axe 1/2 of Pilots & Cabin Crew
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Behind the picket fence
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Memories are short, particularly if someone was not directly affected, and it's going to be an employers market for many years to come. There will be plenty of high quality applicants looking for jobs, and whilst EK won't be top of their list, they will definitely work their way down to it if the preferred employers are unavailable. The Middle East may not be a place that pilots aspire to work, but bills have to be paid and many peoples retirement funds have taken a knock and need replenishing.
Big shiny jet syndrome and a adequate remuneration package will likely allow minimum joining requirements of 500 hours A320/B737 time once recruitment starts again.
Big shiny jet syndrome and a adequate remuneration package will likely allow minimum joining requirements of 500 hours A320/B737 time once recruitment starts again.

Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: West Country
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The only thing that has changed has the timescale with the Coronavirus speeding up the process.


Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: 30 WEST
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Beware of long term sick
To those that survive let me tell you about long-term sick at EK.
During long-term sick, you will be paid full basic salary. They will pay all medical expenses, housing and education bills for the family.
It’s only for 12 months. 12 months and 1 day you will be let go. The 12 months goes by really fast.
Remember there is no short/long-term disability. Here at EK when your medical is suspended it can be indefinite. Which means it can go beyond the 12 months. No loss of medical license insurance policy. The only way to collect on the policy was to have your medical certificate revoked. If revoked and there were still some exclusions to collect, one exclusion is if you were to be diagnosed with depression, you can beyond 12 months, no payout. Out the door you go!!!!!
For me, my long-term sick went down to the full 12 months. It was a very stressful situation. I had to organize everything. I was dealing with 4 doctors outside of EK and 1 AME. Not to mention a GCAA medical review board. No one was talking to each other. It was a mess. Then when I did get my medical reinstated, I had to go in for a “special” EK physical fix exam. This exam report will be given to your chief pilot. If you chose not to take the exam you will be shown the door. This exam will give the company a report on the chances of you getting the same illness and whether or not you can remain employed. For me, I passed. But wait there’s more. About a month after being reinstated I was called in for a little chat. This time with HR and fleet. During this meeting you get to “defend” yourself for being sick. At the end of the meeting I was handed a warning letter. It was a 2 year “ level 3 capability” letter. Basically, meaning that If would get sick again with the same illness, during text 24 months I would be let go.
And just to and more stress to your life. Once the medical is reinstated. There will be medical restriction applied to keep the medical current. I had to be medically reviewed, by 4 different doctors + 1 AME, every three months in case of relapse for next two years. Between medical reviews and sim checks I felt every month could be my last month.
We are only human, we do get sick. I was not out doing extreme sports, did not get into a car accident, I didn’t fall down the steps and break a leg, I got cancer. I didn’t ask for it just happened. I’ve recovered + one-year cancer free.
Because of my surgery, chemo treatment 7 + months, I was unfit for sim and office duty. I believe, if I could have been fit for ground duties it could have saved me, but who knows.
Getting diagnosed with cancer at EK will only get your medical license suspended, initially, it could be revoked later depending on how you respond to treatment/recovery and or staging.
Because of my high sick time, all in the last 2+ years, fired, I am going home. I ready for it.
It will be a few years before EK will ever hire again. When it does the T/C Won’t be remotely close to what I was given. Shiny new jet syndrome can be considered an illness!!!!!!! The big takeaway from this is to understand the difference of a medical suspension/revocation of your medical certificate.
During long-term sick, you will be paid full basic salary. They will pay all medical expenses, housing and education bills for the family.
It’s only for 12 months. 12 months and 1 day you will be let go. The 12 months goes by really fast.
Remember there is no short/long-term disability. Here at EK when your medical is suspended it can be indefinite. Which means it can go beyond the 12 months. No loss of medical license insurance policy. The only way to collect on the policy was to have your medical certificate revoked. If revoked and there were still some exclusions to collect, one exclusion is if you were to be diagnosed with depression, you can beyond 12 months, no payout. Out the door you go!!!!!
For me, my long-term sick went down to the full 12 months. It was a very stressful situation. I had to organize everything. I was dealing with 4 doctors outside of EK and 1 AME. Not to mention a GCAA medical review board. No one was talking to each other. It was a mess. Then when I did get my medical reinstated, I had to go in for a “special” EK physical fix exam. This exam report will be given to your chief pilot. If you chose not to take the exam you will be shown the door. This exam will give the company a report on the chances of you getting the same illness and whether or not you can remain employed. For me, I passed. But wait there’s more. About a month after being reinstated I was called in for a little chat. This time with HR and fleet. During this meeting you get to “defend” yourself for being sick. At the end of the meeting I was handed a warning letter. It was a 2 year “ level 3 capability” letter. Basically, meaning that If would get sick again with the same illness, during text 24 months I would be let go.
And just to and more stress to your life. Once the medical is reinstated. There will be medical restriction applied to keep the medical current. I had to be medically reviewed, by 4 different doctors + 1 AME, every three months in case of relapse for next two years. Between medical reviews and sim checks I felt every month could be my last month.
We are only human, we do get sick. I was not out doing extreme sports, did not get into a car accident, I didn’t fall down the steps and break a leg, I got cancer. I didn’t ask for it just happened. I’ve recovered + one-year cancer free.
Because of my surgery, chemo treatment 7 + months, I was unfit for sim and office duty. I believe, if I could have been fit for ground duties it could have saved me, but who knows.
Getting diagnosed with cancer at EK will only get your medical license suspended, initially, it could be revoked later depending on how you respond to treatment/recovery and or staging.
Because of my high sick time, all in the last 2+ years, fired, I am going home. I ready for it.
It will be a few years before EK will ever hire again. When it does the T/C Won’t be remotely close to what I was given. Shiny new jet syndrome can be considered an illness!!!!!!! The big takeaway from this is to understand the difference of a medical suspension/revocation of your medical certificate.
Last edited by chemo2018; 25th Jun 2020 at 21:16.


Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: 30 WEST
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"remember if you haven’t been trapped in the abuse of power due to a trainer who tried to screw you just because he could with no explanation you got a 3 or even a fail for utter BS where nobody wanted to Hear the truth and questioned the training body"
Or on the day the trainer has to FAIL a student because he was called in the office and told that his pass rate is to high. WTF. As a trainer in a previous life, I was proud of my pass rate. I was never questioned on the success of my students.. My philosophy was if my student failed, I failed. .You roll the dice every time you go to the sim. I guess during the briefing before the sim is to ask the trainer how is pass/fail numbers stack up in the training department..
Or on the day the trainer has to FAIL a student because he was called in the office and told that his pass rate is to high. WTF. As a trainer in a previous life, I was proud of my pass rate. I was never questioned on the success of my students.. My philosophy was if my student failed, I failed. .You roll the dice every time you go to the sim. I guess during the briefing before the sim is to ask the trainer how is pass/fail numbers stack up in the training department..

Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New York
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here at home if an airline initial or upgrade training course consistently produced too many failures the regulatory agency would start investigating the training program because apparently they aren’t training very well! I was so happy to leave EK when I did back in 2017!

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sick and tired of the constant winging by those who are employed In Dubai for one of the worlds largest aviation employers. Ever heard of the phrase “ don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. You take the money, you enjoy free quality living, good travel benefits, and I here a good provident fund scheme. So if you find all of this just so unbearable, stand by your words and go find a job in some other part of the world. I am sure you will soon find plenty to whinge about there too.

Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Doctor's waiting room
Posts: 765
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts

Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Simply
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
flyboyone
May I suggest you don't read the thread if it bothers you that much. Also, you mention free quality of living.... what is that? Dubai is many things but the quality of life is no where near free.
May I suggest you don't read the thread if it bothers you that much. Also, you mention free quality of living.... what is that? Dubai is many things but the quality of life is no where near free.

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Dusty West
Age: 52
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sick and tired of the constant winging by those who are employed In Dubai for one of the worlds largest aviation employers. Ever heard of the phrase “ don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. You take the money, you enjoy free quality living, good travel benefits, and I here a good provident fund scheme. So if you find all of this just so unbearable, stand by your words and go find a job in some other part of the world. I am sure you will soon find plenty to whinge about there too.
You must be a soulless EK manager.
"Free quality living", that was pretty funny...none of those 3 words apply in the UAE.
The only statement you made that might have a modicum of accuracy was, "So if you find all of this just so unbearable, stand by your words and go find a job in some other part of the world." Many of us did! It was seriously the best move I have ever made in my aviation career, no regrets and not a whinge since.

You must be a soulless EK manager.

Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Europe
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
least business sense. This whole thing does not make any sense at all. It was pure revenge by someone going t1nder-style like over the flight deck profiles and destroying random lives of guys with families and some of them with big commitments in Dubai....
The writing was on the wall, as we all have seen them making odd decisions past few years....
But I think that most of the guys affected indeed did not see this one coming.. very sad days...
Well like that d-wing dude interfering in these posts above in typical style, we all know so well, suggested,. Lets move on, nothing to see here...

Last edited by 5star; 26th Jun 2020 at 13:08. Reason: typo

Join Date: Aug 1998
Location: the ridge where the west commences
Posts: 768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm pretty sure that if you check your wallet you will not find an EKalpa union membership card.
How then does it become "vindictive" and "disgusting" when the employer culls the ranks as and when and how he chooses?
Genuinely curious
How then does it become "vindictive" and "disgusting" when the employer culls the ranks as and when and how he chooses?
Genuinely curious

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: uae
Posts: 2,777
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you ever had a warning letter or HR capablity hearing , I mean meeting ? The way people have and are being treated is disgusting . I was also involved in a investigation that was to say the least vindicative towards the individual being investigated. Manager wanted him gone !

I'm not sure whether his boss would approve of his posting.


Join Date: May 2006
Location: in the sky
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Obsolete Type Rating and moving families!
With a GCAA A380 or a B777 type Rating you can do anything but nothing!! Unless you tried to keep it alive by paying for your own EASA or FAA checks....
Says it all....
With a GCAA A380 or a B777 type Rating you can do anything but nothing!! Unless you tried to keep it alive by paying for your own EASA or FAA checks....
Says it all....

Only half a speed-brake
As long as you have the EASA licence and are reasonably current, the other ICAO recognized type ratings are transferable to it. It's an administrative task for a small fee, all you need to do is present the underlying licence and valid class I EASA medical, IIRC.
There would be a restriction that is removed by taking a LPC check, I. E. 2 hrs SIM ride worth about 600 EUR if self financed.
There would be a restriction that is removed by taking a LPC check, I. E. 2 hrs SIM ride worth about 600 EUR if self financed.
