Frozen ICE - sounds about right :)

How miserly airlines created their own pilot shortage

Rj

It's an interesting post, just wondering though - since the 380 is flavour of the month these days and it's taking over a lot of the ULR routes will this continue? If EK starts going to new destinations in the USA will they start these with the T7 or straight to 380?
Not that it seems likely but if the 777X turns up in say 2021 wouldn't that be the new flavour of the month and therefore command focus shift to that? So maybe new hires who join now might just get a command around then????

No, BRJ...

Emirates will endeavour to put what they see as the most commercially appropriate aeroplane on a route at any time.

If they open a route with a 330 but the demand immediately peaks for a 380 to become a suitable airframe, then as long as they have the aeroplane availability (which is the problem), a 380 it will become.

There are myriad other issues but just because an aeroplane is new and shiny doesn't mean that they ignore all the other fleets...the reason this is happening with the 330/340 is because a) they're too small for the majority of routes b) their cabins are out of date and unsuitable for premium (ie first world) routes. As they were always planned to be departing, the company delayed refurbs, the problem now is that they can't get rid of them as they have nothing to replace the capacity with.

In an ideal world, EK won't leave a fleet short in order to fly the shiny new one if they need both equally, however not having enough pilots to do this, they have to spread who they have out to fill the most valuable seats - at the moment, the 380 - as it can take the most passengers.

It's the daily news!!
 

Every day new rumours about the 330/340 fleet. It's become a joke. Operational plan changes daily. New joiners in 2012 were told 6 months 340 n 1 year to 380. 2 years running and all of them, i say again every single one of them is still on the fleet because they started hiring direct 380 fo's.
Recently the word in the market is emirates is not going to hire any more 380 fo's, but even in the latest interviews every one is being told that they will be flying a380 straight away.
Now that makes me wonder, they definitely making up some part of it.
No one knows what will happen and thats the truth. You can speculate as much as you like but the odds are as good as going to the tarot card reader.
And guys on the 330/340 fleet are easily looking at a 8-9 year mark for command if 350 order is cancelled.

The latest rumour is that only 30 upgrades are being planned this year on the B777. I'm counting and will take maaaany summers to get mine!

A340 guys are being screwed over with no-more-upgrades on their fleet, and much junior guys going to the whale jet for "operational reasons".

Just an update on how miserable is life for them (was just talking to one of them at a BBQ the other day)
- 1 Reserve month every 5 months
- Forced leave in May 30 days (no leave this financial year with family and kids)
- No upgrades on the fleet
- No 380, being bypassed by junior guys A330 only
- Rosters up to overtime threshold with 10-15 night turns in cases
- Instructors being initially not allowed to bid for leave and now have been forced.

Happy days!

Agree
 

Farmboy,
I did see one of my 330 friends roster he had close to 90 hours, and 7 days off. There were not any "rest" days either. I was shocked. Working that schedule with a day or two off here and there, he is not long for this world. I tell my non flying friends the reason I have 14 days off a month (I do not work for EK) is because I work Easter and Christmas and my Kids birthdays, and through the night on occasion. Those days are compensation for everything else this job takes from me. I can not imagine 7,8,9 days off coupled with 5 allnighters. I would be dead before age 50.

EK has to hire FO's direct on the 380, nobody who does some research would join the 330

5 all nighters is pretty standard, in fact bottom bid group is usually entirely composed of night turns - I didn't log a day flight for six weeks at one point last year! Also managed eight consecutive rosters without a layover.

Our only hope is that some new recruits do accept a stint on the 330 in order that those of us currently mapping the night time Arabian Sea can escape to the 380 at some point in the future. Currently my predicted course date will see me completing two and a half years of some of the worst rosters I have ever experienced and there is no guarantee that that date won't slip back if the 'golden boy' recruitment direct 380 resumes.

I know it makes commercial sense but it is pretty galling to watch a load of short haul easy/BA/Iberia pilots going straight to the top fleet when I'm getting up at 1am every other night to go to India...

On a related note the lowest guys on the 340 are scheduled for 380 courses around January I believe. Having heard that the 343 is not scheduled for retirement for a couple of years I wonder who will fly it? Seems to me one of a few things will happen:

A) Current 340 guys will be kept back. Current 340 guys get screwed

B) Experienced 330 guys will be kept back and CCQ'd. Current 330 guys get screwed

C) Any poor suckers who join onto 330 this year get cross trained but will there be any/enough of them?

I'm betting whichever option gets exercised somebody will be getting screwed, seems to be standard EK MO....:ugh:

Possibly a No Poaching agreement?