Quote:
EK's network is far more challenging
Can anyone explain why it's far more challenging or demanding?

Fairly easy to answer that one Woofer. EK has one of the most (if not the most) diverse route structures in the world. We fly to every continent, operate in the most extreme weather conditions from -40 in Moscow to 50C in our own home base. Monsoons to blizzards.

We operate to many of the busiest, most sophisticated airfields in the world, right through to some of the most remote with very limited facilities.

Some of our destinations are war-zones in all but name.

We operate to airfields up to 7,800ft AMSL, in the middle of summer, with CBs all around, at night.

We need to be NATS qualified, ETOPS (no big deal there!) Northern Himalayas, RNP (AR), and various different route and Cat C airfield qualifications.

And finally, each and every 777 and 330/340 pilot needs to be able to turn up for work and fly his aircraft type, at short notice, to just about every airport on our network (about 110+ of them), regardless of whether anyone in the crew has ever been there before. (I mention this because I recall a few years back a QF exec bemoaning the fact that if they wanted to change an aircraft type on a sector, they had to "negotiate" with 17 different unions).

So, it is indeed a challenging and diverse job. You simply can't maintain a comfortable degree of corporate knowledge about all these destination, so you're always working hard to stay safe going into these different airfields.

I sympathize with the situation that the F/O's will face if this comes to materialize, very hard to feel that your slot has been denied to you or postponed, but lets not ramp up the drama that much guys, please. All this talk about it being "extremely challenging" and such, guys an experienced wide body captain that has seen his fair share of different SOP's flying internationally would be just fine entering as a DEC, again I understand your point of view but!!!!

From what I hear, the A330 gus are already working their b...s off. Reducing the complement by 58 will make matters worse. Granted that the A330's are being phased out but at what rate? And who is going to fly the new A380's?

11 A343 to go next financial year

A343
 

Payscale that is rather subjective as it all depends on the demand. A number of A330's had to go however only 2(EAB and EAC) have left to date if I'm not mistaken.

Also a bit tricky as we only have 8 A343 :}

Calm down, the network is not all that challenging, especially since 99% the weather in Dubai is Cavok. Then there are always challenging airports and weather in every airline on this World.

That challenging thing sounds over the top as it sounds like the work 80% of the pilots I know perform. Its not rocket science folks.

An airport is an airport with a serving approaches and a "straight runway".

a343
 

There are only 8 343's and 10 345's...or the other way around.

11 planned to go, and a mix of everything.

Needed perhaps a little more tact but thank you, I agree with you. :D

If I may, what the captain meant to say.......taken in isolation, flying for EK may not be any more challenging than other airlines, but......

To name a few, most airlines have a homogenous culture in the cockpit with little or no communication issues. Most airlines divide our type of flying amongst narrow and wide body. However at EK perhaps Monday one flies to OPKC, or similar, in the middle of the night and then on Wednesday fly a 16 hour westbound ULR and back and then three all night turns to xxxx, then another ULR eastbound, and do that for 90+ hours with factoring. Of course this will fit a "proper rest" regulation.

What may be trying to be said, is that we fly an incredible diverse network, in ALL the inhabited continents, with arguably aircraft types (re., size) that weren't designed for such flying, with a cockpit crew of over 90 different nationalities and relative experience and hours, with highly fatiguing rosters.

I know there is higher challenging flying out there, more dangerous type flying, and airlines that are operating on a shoestring which makes things challenging. But as stated, the diversity of the flying, with the documented fatigue issues, makes EK unique in it's overall operation. All of which adds to the day to day stress of the EK pilot. It takes it's toll both mentally and physically.

So to you guys out there doing it day in day out.....great job. Just anyone thinking of joining.......be very very prepared. Know a number of guys after one year are unable to sustain and are looking for any exit strategy.

Fack5

I am with you.

Fack5, cheers.

Widebody flying is the easiest in the world, and yes I have done it to 4 out of 5 continents. Busy airports? Bring em on. They treat widebody aircraft with kid gloves. Tiny airports in 3rd world countries? Bring em on, easy and fun flying.

I fly every flight as professionally as I can, but it is a boring job. Widebody even worse. I tell my friends that my GOAL at work is to have a boring day, as that means I did my job well that day.

We get paid what we do for the few times the **** hits the fan, and then we all have to fly like astronauts.

On a daily basis, challenging? A runway is a runway, a CB is a CB, an FO is an FO, from whatever country. Who cares. Show up on time, do your job professionally, and collect your paycheck. Challenging? On a daily basis? No. Easiest job I have ever had. The challenge is staying awake.

50 deg C challenging? Your cockpits don't have AC?
-30 C challenging? No heat either?
aircraft not "designed for airports" Your 330's need more RW than other 330s?
Fatigue? welcome to the big league, girls.

FO's from 90 countries? Challenging? They are not ICAO 4? Actually sounds interesting and you might learn something from them if you would stop complaining and have a conversation with them.

I only read the Emirates stuff occasionally. The job sounds good, except too much complaining. LOL. However that is probably only the bottom 10%, and every place has a bottom 10%.

Yes, wide-bodies are easy...

GEOGRAPHY is hard!!

(there are 7 continents, USMC.)

Wizofoz;
Please Google your response. Different places are taught different things. When I grew up, Australia was not considered a different continent. Antarctica? So Emirates mounts ski's on their 330's also? I stand by my 4/5 continents, as that is what I was taught. Nobody flies to Antarctica other than some contract twin otters, the USAF, and maybe the NZ AF. No commercial flights. I also flew in Oz for 7 weeks in 94, so I ticked that box also, but I don't consider it a separate continent as that is what I was taught. Others may differ.

I was taught 6, including Antarctica, but there are no commercial flights there, unless you have ski mounted 330's.

Really? What on earth is a A319 doing down there?

A319: early photos :: Australian Antarctic Division

I think you better understand Australian humour too:ok:

US,

It was a light-hearted dig, maybe a smiley was needed.

Australia is sometimes grouped as Australasia or Oceania, but not many clump the whole of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga into Asia.

Still, there are at least six continents, and you've flown to four of them. Just because no one else does (though actually, there is a Charter A319 (no skis) service from Hobart- Wilkinson A319 background information :: Australian Antarctic Division during Summer) doesn't mean it doesn't exist!!

Commercial flights to Anctartica:

Antarctica Flights