EK to get pilots from a neighboring airline
 

Just saw this in the Washington Post...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-haul airline Etihad Airways will loan pilots to competing Dubai-based carrier Emirates under a new program, officials acknowledged Sunday, marking a rare cooperation between the two state-owned carriers who operate only 115 kilometers (70 miles) apart.

There's always been competition between Emirates, founded by Dubai's rulers in 1985, and Etihad, begun by Abu Dhabi's rulers in 2003. But the secondment program between the two comes as Emirates faces a pilot shortage and Etihad still struggles with its business after last week posting a loss of $1.52 billion in the last fiscal year.

In a statement, Emirates described the move as "a common practice in our industry which gives airlines more flexibility in managing their pilot resources." The Dubai-based airline did not offer specifics on the program, nor say how many pilots from Etihad would be flying with the carrier.

Etihad did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A letter sent to pilots from Etihad described the program as seconding pilots two years after they passed a selection process.

Emirates CEO Tim Clark acknowledged in April that the airline was "a tad short in pilots" and that could affect routes. Emirates has a fleet of 266 aircraft that fly to 160 destinations around the world. The airline made a profit of $762 million off revenues of $25.2 billion in the last fiscal year and its name graces sporting events around the world.

For Etihad, the airline has struggled. It suffered a second consecutive annual loss this year and has reduced its fleet from 119 to 115. Its strategy of aggressively buying stakes in airlines from Europe to Australia to compete against Emirates and fellow rival Qatar Airways exposed the company to major losses.

The two Mideast carriers also saw business hurt by President Donald Trump's travel bans affecting Muslim-majority nations and stricter rules on electronics in cabins.

Emirates and Etihad are both government-owned airlines in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Both compete in the long-haul carrier market, using their nation's location between East and West to their advantage.

Seems like people of the "free world" are afraid to comment.....

Perhaps if the opening poster had have stuck with his thread title and started the topic with just that rather than specific carriers involved , we would be having a worthwhile discussion now. Other than that, we need to respect the platform we are using!

What is there to discuss? No EK nor EY pilots were involved in the decision. One has too many pilots. The other not enough . The companies decide to go share . Muppets get pats on the back, and the world moves on. Endat.

EXACTLY :}

I nominate you to the post of DSVP of Muppetry. Effective immediately. You will report directly to the Head Muppet. You have to legaly change your name to AhmedYournamehere to take the job though.

Probably a daft question but why would EY Pilots want to transfer to EK?
Would EY not just transfer (tell) the bottom XX of the Seniority List (if they have one) with the suggestion either go or you might be on the rock n roll (aka dole queue)

The only reason I see why anyone would want to transfer, is if they bought a house that is now worth 65% of what they've paid for it and they hope it will appreciate in the near term.
Another reason might be kids in school that need a year or two to finish. Apart from that, a person with other choices would not be doing this.

I agree, why would you come too EK if your current roster is 40-50 hours a month (that’s directly quoted from an Etihad pilots roster).

They’re currently in the best job, fulltime pay with part time hours. I made the wrong choice of airline it seems.

I wonder if I could go on secondment to Etihad now.

The only reason I could see pilots coming to EK is to gain enough experience and leave or return home to another job. EK is not the place to be.