Amiri Flight
 

With the interest being displayed for the Amiri Flight, both visibly on this thread but through many pm's to me, I shall update the information as best I can.

Firstly, the package. Unfortunately, I cannot pass details of the full package on a public forum (my masters would have me!). Interpersonal, the recruiting agency for Amiri are allowed to provide what information they have. If you apply, ask them for specifics.

However, in general terms, the package consists of a basic salary, an "on-call" allowance, accommodation allowance, furniture allowance, transport allowance, 6 weeks annual leave and 12 requestable days off throughout the year (no other days off as such, just the 24/7 standby), medical/dental insurance, annual leave tickets for family. Conditions are exactly the same regardless of your fleet (so A340 pilots get the same as the A320 pilots etc.) Conditions are much better than at QR.

At the moment, most new hires will normally join on to the A320 fleet, but that policy is flexible. Progression to the A330/340 happens when vacancies arise.

On the A320 fleet, you can expect to fly anywhere in the world. Monthly flying rate on the A320 fleet probably averages between 30-40 hours, maybe a bit more for some. However, the flying rate is not consistent. It is a little "seasonal" and is also impacted by training commitments where pilots undergoing line training get priority so as to get them on speed as quickly as possible.

We normally fly co-Captain and one of the captains gets allocated the "Admin Captain" role and he is responsible for the administrative side of the flight such as settling the hotel bill etc. You decide amongst yourself who flies what sectors. We generally either go sector for sector, or sometimes day for day so we don't have to keep adjusting the seats. The system works fine and most are comfortable changing their role from PIC to support pilot. If you feel the need to be in charge the whole time, you won't fit in.

There are decent per diems for each flight you go on. We stay in nice hotels, there is no scrimping there. On the A320 fleet, you may average perhaps 5 night stops per month plus a few day trips thrown in. That said, you might end up on a 20 day world tour where you are away 20 days on the trot, but that is rare. There is no roster, you will just get an sms the day before the trip to warn you of it. Occasionally, there are scrambles to get airborne as quickly as possible but these are rare (on the 320 at least).

The operation as a whole works fairly well. It is still being developed and is heading in the right direction.

The screening process (as I understand it) consists of technical and psychometric testing, followed by a sim ride if successful with the tests, followed by an interview with Amiri management. From those that have gone through it, they said it's a looong day so be as well rested as possible.

As far as I know, applicants who have Airbus time but are not necessarily current are being invited for screening, so if you have 3000 hours PIC A320 but 10 years ago, you are still considered favourably.

I hope that helps answer some of the questions.

Cheers,

Amiri01

PS Please note that this is my take on things, not any official advice so please don't take the information I have passed as being 100% correct. The recruiting company should be in a position to clarify anything.

Amiri - FD
 

Yes, Flight Dispatchers are still required. I believe they are also recruited through Interpersonal in Germany.

Thanks AM01, great stuff mate!

c3

Are the global express guys happy and any vacancies?

Yes, Global pilots all happy. Two vacancies were just filled to cover retirements with no vacancies in the foreseeable future.

flight security
 

can anyone tell me what the package is for a flight security officer i have over 12 years aviation security background with many years spent working overseas

cant seem to find any details anywhere

Amiri01. A very comprehensive and informative posting. Thank you.
However, you make no reference to an age limit!

My understanding is that there is a limit and latest figure is 55!
Would you care to elaborate?
Stig

Hi Stig,

I don't believe that there is an age "policy" as such. What I do know is that with the limitations on pilots aged 60 and over not being able to fly together, that management need to manage the recruiting at various times to ensure a spread of ages so that in the future, there is not a bunch of 60+yo pilots who can't fly together.

Consequently, it would seem that for the last couple of years, there has been a preference for the 35-50 yo age bracket.

However, I understand that there have been a number of pilots aged over 50 that have been invited for screening later this month, so the more "mature" applicants are now being more positively considered.

All I can say really is throw your hat in the ring. If you meet the experience and qualification requirements but still do not get an invitation for screening, then possibly you fall outside the "preferred" age range for that particular recruiting drive.

Sorry I can't be more specific but management will decide the age range preference and I am unlikely to be able to get that information to pass on.

Amiri01

hi Amiri 01


would you know what the package is for the flight security officer been trying to find out with no joy this end ?

Thanks Amiri!
Aforementioned hat already in the ring!
Cheers Stig.

Amiri Interview
 

The computer test includes Aviation Knowledge + Airbus tech gen(Airbus guys).Any information on books to read,type of test,length of test...Thank you..

Amiri01
I think everyone appreciates the amount of information you've posted. Thank you.
I've worked through the Amiri vs EK benefits and it's a close run race. Amiri is alot more 'cash in hand' but with the downside of not being able to plan your life due to those 'spontaneous texts' you mentioned. EK, if you've served 10 years or more, is 15-20% less each month, but you would have accrued a sizeable prov fund and seniority dictates a planning lifestyle.
The EK guy you mentioned, left here a couple of years ago because he was hocked up to his eyes in bad debt and prioritized the Amiri money over his family. Each to their own but he may not be a reliable source to work on.

We don't hear of any Royal flight guys bitching, so you've either got a great life, or very understanding wives.

GF

GF

You've hit the nail on the head with two very important issues with the Amiri job, that is the lack of a "planning lifestyle" due to the 24/7 standby and the "understanding wives" issue and these issues need to be considered closely for those considering the move.

Those that prefer to know that they can plan a dinner party (insert any commitment here) next Friday night without being called out could struggle a little with the uncertainty. Typically, for those of us here, we plan for the dinner party next Friday night, but even with non-aviation friends, there is always the proviso that the dinner party may have to be cancelled at the last minute, or the host may not be present... Everyone understands the situation so if you need to cancel, it's not a reflection on you personally.

There are difficulties when planning things such as medical appointments or birthday parties for the kids etc, because Dad may not be available on the day to take the kid to the doctor or supervise the party, leaving Mum to shoulder the burden. Mums need to be tolerant in this respect. It is the day to day family routines that get a bit mucked up with the uncertainty of Dad's work.

Doha can be a shock to the system for the family, as well as how the "system" is here in Qatar. Again, a wife who can get through the settling in pains is a must. If the wife isn't happy (and we get the occasional one that finds the transition too difficult but that is probably more Doha related than Amiri related), then that will create problems.

I think our wives are actually shocked that we get so much time at home! That said, I'm sure all wives have the occasional dummy spit when we get called out to fly and can't make it to juniors 3rd birthday party...

I am generally able to honour most commitments but certainly by no means all of them.

Everyone needs to be aware that in Amiri, there is definitely no scope for commuting, which is possible with EK for example. With Amiri, you either have your family in Doha with you, or see them rarely (during your 6 weeks leave or when they get a vacation in Doha to visit you).

For those in EK who might be considering a change, the EK provident fund is certainly a better system than our end of service benefit which is negligible in comparison.

I personally think it's a great life, but an understanding wife helps!

I hope this extra feedback helps those considering.

Cheers,

Amiri01

Reference the package, are the twice a year tickets for the family to anywhere in the world? My wife would want to see her family in Latin America at least once a year. Not sure what the rules are regarding destinations and whether or not the whole family must all travel together or do they give you some flexibility?

Also, once you are hired, can you be easily fired? Is the company culture more relaxed than Qatar Airways?

Hi Comanche,

I'm not sure that I can provide specifics about the Annual Leave Ticket policy. Once again, the recruiting company will provide details as much as they can should you ask them.

I guess what I can say is that there is scope within the Annual Leave Ticket entitlement for members of your family to travel anywhere/anytime. So on Monday, you can go to Paris, in July your wife could head off to Latin America and in August, your kids could go to Honolulu, all within the scope of your entitlement.

As for firing people, this is the Middle East so anything can be done and with no reason nor explanation. However, none have been fired during my tenure here and I believe that current management would avoid as much as possible laying off pilots, should the fleet size decrease (unlikely in the next few years).

The company culture is certainly very different from QR. Here, you are allowed to get on with your job with minimal interference and you don't need to be constantly looking over your shoulder. On the whole (and this is quite often a personal thing as well), there is generally a good relationship between Flight Deck crew and Cabin crew so no worries in that respect.

Cheers,

Amiri01

Thanks for the info. It sounds like this job has a lot of potential and ticks many of the boxes, I will apply. My only concern is the school waiting lists for September, a bit of a pain if we want our kids to go to the Doha College or British Schools. Not sure what happens with kids that arrive too late to get a place, I read on some forum that some kids end up getting home schooling until a place becomes available, not ideal really.

Getting kids into the preferred school here is one of the big headaches when you get here. The British Schools are:

Doha College
Doha English Speaking School (Primary only)
Sherbourne
Park House
Doha British School (ex-Doha Montessori)
Newton School
and there's another new but expensive one whose name I can't recall.

The American School has a very good reputation but of course uses the American curriculum. I have mates whose kids go there and they are very happy.

Check their websites for more info.

It is getting harder to place your kids in the British Schools without a British passport.

If you have school age kids, getting them placed could well be your biggest headache in the move.

For those that are successful at screening, personally, I would recommend that anyone with a family try to leave them with relatives until you've got through the first few weeks in Doha. That serves two purposes; one, they get to spend time with Gran and Grandpa before moving so far away; and also, you will be busy with domestic arrangements like getting your Residence Permit (RP), doing the work stuff like license conversion with all its' associated courses, looking around for accommodation, looking for a car (to either buy or rent), visiting schools to check them out, checking out furniture shops, becoming familiar with the shopping etc. The minimum amount of time that you have to submit the family to these tasks, the better. If you manage to get some villas lined up so when the family gets there, you can take your family out on day 1 or 2 to look at specific villas so you can settle on one and move in asap, the better. Also, with your RP in place, you can start getting the family sorted in that respect also (painful but HR at the company help pretty well).

The sooner you can settle into regular life, the less stressful it is, so if you do the preparatory work while the family catches up with relatives, that would ease things for everyone.

Still, you may not have that luxury and may have to bring them with you from day 1. If this is the case, it can be a little stressful.

Cheers,

Amiri01

I would suspect you wouldn't have too much trouble getting into Sherborne. They seem to always have a few spaces in each year group.

Thanks, very useful info here, certainly says something about the quality of guys/girls already working there!

I have been told the reason they need captains is fleet expansion and a move to an all-captain fleet. Is this correct and if so, what's happening to all the FO's?

Ref housing, can one find a decent villa type house for 13000 a month, or is it best to take company accommodation?

I would be leaving a fairly lucrative & very secure A320 job in Europe, but would consider the move because of the much better variety of flying (and less hours than I currently do) & private schooling for the kids.

Recruiting is as a result of fleet expansion. There is a program underway to upgrade the existing FOs to command with a number already having completed the upgrade training. Yes, the intention is for the operation to be all-Captain.

As far as I know, there is no company accommodation on offer. You will need to find your own. At the moment, there are some good compounds such as Al Fardan Gardens where the 4 bed villas are 15000 per month. Reasonable but not flash compound villas run at around 12000 per month. There are some more and also some less expensive.

Be advised that with schooling, the allowance generally does not cover secondary schooling and only just covers primary schooling at most (but not all) schools. You will find that with kids in secondary school that you may end up paying up to 25000 per year per child out of your own pocket to make up the shortfall. This situation is currently under consideration by the company with a view to increasing the schooling allowance, but dont expect this to happen. Run your sums on it not happening then if it happens, it's a bonus.

For the sums, how much should I add to cover utilities for a 4 bed villa?

Water and electric at my 4 bed villa averages out to about 450 QAR a month over the year. Obviously less per month over winter as you're not using air-con, then rises over the summer.

My yearly average agrees with 360BakTraks. The utilities allowance covers this usage level.

Last few questions:

* may the school allowance be used for kindergarten?

* the package on page 1 of this thread does not show a utility allowance, is that part of the package?

* what's the range of the A319/A320, not sure if these aircraft have non-standard approved weights & fuel tanks. Any destinations that you tend to fly to more than others?

* is this the type of job & location only suitable for someone without a job, or could it be well worth leaving a stable job for? I know it depends on the person etc etc, but perhaps someone can give me a general indication. My family would be quite happy in a hot climate in an expat environment, but we only know Dubai and have never been to Doha.

The school fees allowance commences when the child achieves 4 years of age. It covers tuition fees only (not capital fees or other add-ons that some schools have). The British system schools here start with Nursery, followed by Reception then Years 1, 2... Generally, kids turn 4 in Reception so that is when the allowance starts.

There is a separate utilities allowance.

The A320 family have ACTs fitted so range is a shade over 3500nm. Destinations are worldwide but Europe, Middle East and Africa are common.

This is not a job you apply for as a last resort. If you want to move to the Middle East to take advantage of the tax free environment and are happy to be on call 24/7, then this is the type of job which you would pick over any of the airline jobs. You need to ask yourself, why do I want to leave my current job? The move to the Middle East is a major undertaking and lifestyle change. Do you want to put your family through that? How long do you want to spend in the tax-free environment before you might want to go home? What will you be able to do job-wise when you want to move back home? Is it worth leaving a stable and secure job to pay the house off in 5 years (or whatever) but then have difficulty being able to move back and live in it? etc, etc...

Most of us are here because we wanted to save more money than we were doing at our previous jobs. I personally feel that I would rather be doing what I am doing than being with EK, QR or any airline in the region for that matter.

We have pilots here that have come from stable and reasonably secure jobs in Europe that seem to be happy with the move. They are certainly saving more money and are enjoying the lower flying rate than at their previous LOCO carrier.

Again, I stress that you should have a good think about why you want to move from your present job before considering this option. If you decide that the move is for you, then I think this job is a good one.

Cheers,

Amiri01

Amirio1 thanks for all the great info. Do you know how many pilots they are looking to hire? Are there any americans flying for the company?

We are preparing for the arrival of additional aircraft but I do not know the figure for recruiting. I'm guessing around 20 extra pilots but I could be way out there +/- so don't quote me.

We have some North American pilots but not many, probably because we have very few apply, rather than for any other reason. I understand there may be a few undergoing screening later this month.

flight security
 

hi amiri01

did you manage to get the information regarding flight security officer ????

Amiri screening
 

Hi,
Does anyone have any information for the Amiri screening for Captains? I would be very grateful . Thanks :ok:

Sorry Keith, I was not able to make contact with my contact in the Security Department. I am away from Doha for around another week but I'll check it out when I get back and let you know.

Cheers,

Amiri01

The education allowance communicated to me is 90.000 with a max of 30.000 per child per year which is less than the max 40.000 quoted per child on page 1 of this thread. When doing the sums i would have to allow for another 60.000 per year for 2 kids out of pocket for most schools, could anyone shed any light on this?

Has anyone been to the assessment in Frankfurt of late?

Comanche, you are correct about the schooling. If you have two high school kids, then you could well be QR60,000 out of pocket each year for their schooling. If you have 3 in high school, then you could be QR90,000 out of pocket. This definitely needs to be factored in to your calculations.

The package figures and breakdown that are quoted on Page 1 of this thread are from 2 years ago now and are well out of date. The package is much better than indicated there.

Some recent overhauls of the package have now introduced dental insurance, medical insurance that includes a maternity benefit and a much improved loss of license benefit.

Cheers,

Amiri01

Amir01, is there any way to insure against sicknesses beyond 14/28 days as after this time your pay goes down to nil? I am healthy, but one never knows, say an illness that lasts 6-12 months?

Also, what's the call-out time at base and away from base? Can the wives go out and do stuff and leave you with the kids?

Commanche, as far as I know, there is no decent income protection or scheme to look after you in that situation. The company Loss of License insurance has a very small monthly benefit for temporary loss of medicals but I do not have the details to hand (perhaps 1% of the total benefit per month and I cannot recall when it kicks in).

Callout is maximum 2 hours from callout to off chocks, regardless of where you are. So in Doha, if your wife can get back home to mind the kids in 1 hour, then you stand a chance of getting to the airport with enough time to prepare and get aboard. Away base, you do what you can within the constraints of this requirement, so in London for example where we stay downtown and getting to the aircraft from the hotel can take well over an hour, we generally stay within 30 or so minutes of the hotel.

Cheers,

Amiri01

Amiri01, thanks. That all sounds reasonable, the kids would be at school most of the day anyway. Little more restrictive out of base to explore the surroundings, guess you can't go on a half day safari in Africa but at least you don't spend too much money that way. Hope I will be called forward soon for a selection.

Further to my last, there are times when you can "risk" going out exploring. Sometimes, our passengers are at a destination to attend a specific function and you know with a fair degree of certainty that you are unlikely to get a callout until at least a certain time.

On my last trip to Beijing for example, I took a taxi from my hotel in the centre of the city out into the countryside around 1.5 hours to visit the Air Museum (very interesting BTW). So you can occasionally have some flex to safely explore further afield than the 30 minute limit. You just make sure you have a contingency plan i.e. arrange with the other pilot to collect your kit from your room if there's a callout and meet them at the airport etc.

It's not necessary to sit around your hotel all the time.

Cheers,

Amiri01

Comanche, what about APPM for temporary LOL?

Birdy

Birdy, I was already looking into that. Need to check if the territory includes the ME. But that may definitely be a solution. Thanks