What happened to April? I got an email saying April, May, June classes possibly. What are they waiting for to schedule training classes? I was also informed that training contract will start going out in Feb. Can anyone confirm this?

Gents

The pool has just got deeper!! Brace yourselves

boeing strike and a further delay on 380 num 5 has Apr slide to June. Manpower planning(dont think there is any planning) suddenly had to many pilots. Some route/eqpmt might change with loads even some airplanes parked for a short while

I have just heard that Emirates are offering pilots unpaid leave? Any info out there?

Rumour # 09-03

Busted.

Emirates is gonna let everybody in the holding pool expire and hanpick and reinterview the 50 guys tjhey want for this year.

And you know this because...........?

Surplus AB pilots going to the Boeing to cover the first six months of Boeing deliveries this year. New hire classes to start in June. 112 pilots to be hired this year, 56 AB 56 Boeing. (as of last week, don't be surprised if it changes). Didn't here anything about CRJ/ERJ pilots.

"The 777 freighter deliveries will help."

Just heard they (777F) and the 748F might not be coming. Just a rumour..

Update
 

To all in the hold pool. Spoke with HR last nigt on phone and was told that budget meetings are finishing up and they should have course allocations completed by end of Jan. or first part of Feb. She also told me that they were going to allocate dates based on when you interviewed. For example I interviewed in June and she told me that an October class wasn't out of the picture. Also, the 1 year validity period will be extended as long as you are still flying. She said the rumors of not taking the pilots in the hold pool is not true. The only truth to it is, unfortunately for the guys that might not be flying, if they are over the year then they might not be offered course dates. Hope this helps everyone. Just an FYI, I think she told me that there are guys in the pool from last Jan. so these people will obviously get the first course dates, which she said will be June.

The plan for 2009/10 is just about done ( fleet update today )

No interviews til june
Enough Poolies to fill slots this year but bottom poolies could side downwards when interviews start. You do get graded and listed top to bottom depending on how you did durring the interview and your flying background.

Upgrades will slow but this has not been the first time there has been a slow down in hiring. Last time was fall 04, those guys on the bus just upgraded.

2400 pilots now you need 4800 to upgrade, dont think the plan as we know it( lonely line guy) has that many.

DEC's. hope not but will happen, bitching about does you no good
More bad news to follow im sure

I think training is down 60% for this coming year 2009/10

I have been in holding pool since August 2008(screening May 2008) and received an email in December stating that they might not give me a starting date before the expiry of my screening (May 2009) but could consider extension in special cases... No ideas about scoring points at the interview.

Brewbman spoke to hr and mentioned that people would be given class dates based on when they interviewed.

Fatbus says that people would be given class dates based on their ranking and aircraft flown.

So who should i believe?

I was told by hr, that it would be a combination of both. Hire date and experience.
Jan. interview with a crj pilot? vs. a July interview with 5000hr airbus time? Dont know which one they would pick. I'm guessing Airbus guy.

Guys, if you are coming across, just be aware of the problems with the promised villas, which do make up part of your package.The truth of the matter is that the FOs at EK are supposed to get housing, but the accommodation is a stuff up at the moment, pilots who joined from Februaury last year are still in temporary housing (apartments or ramshackle villas), with no sign of any permanent accom on the horizon. When villas do come available, they are allocated without any form of adherence to the seniority list. Even the flight-ops manager who puts out a weekly "update" is not told about them, so we all live like mushrooms

We would be better off if they had told us up front that they were incapable of delivering on the glossy pre-employment ads , then we could still be in our home countries instead of battling to keep our families together due to the terrible impermanance of this setup. Pity they also only allow us a pittance to find our own accommodation, it will hardly find a hamster cage even in these trying times!

So guys, you are forewarned, when you have been in temporary accommodation for 9 months, and your wife is going mental and your kids start to display signs of anti-social behaviour (real things which are showing now!) you cannot say that you did not know, unlike the rest of us poor sods who were hoodwinked! A few weeks in temp they told us :mad::mad::mad::mad:

skyvan....what do you suppose we do if offered a contract?

John,

I can't answer that one for you. You must just be aware that the promised villa may well not occur for quite a while. I was advised only tonight of yet another of my coursemates who is having marital problems since arriving here, a major part of the problem is the lack of permanent housing for us.

All I can say is...if you are in a job at the moment, and are coming here for the bigger plane only, then think if the plane is worth your marriage. The strain you will be placed under, due to no fault of your own, is tremendous. If you don't have a job, or you are about to be laid off, sure, then come along, as this is better than no work at all.

Good luck in your decisionmaking. If you are aware of some of the pitfalls along the way, and your family is as well, you may be able to somehow prepare yourself.

No one can give you the answer. If your single it is a lot easier, all you have to worry about it yourself. Hopefully you know yourself and your limits. If your moving a family, consider the worst, and talk it over with your wife. My advice is do not go if your wife has not been there to see the culture, housing etc. You will really be in the dog house if she gets there and hates it and cannot cope. No job is worth you marriage. Be smart!

emirates pool
 

Any word on contracts for those in the holding pool? Is June still forcasted for training classes?