Heard from a colleague Network have rolled over on their F100 drivers and about to open the doors to external type rated crews. Interested but not willing to be labelled a scab like the 89 days. Anyone got any intel??

Are we still standing by or has something moved?

I heard not many current F100 drivers were interested in the 320, far more were apparently interested in joining mainline.

Again these mods are clearly have some issue with NAA. This is a rumour! It happens to have a question at the end asking if the rumour is true!!!

Annnnnnd it happens this rumour is actually true, NAA most likely will hire externally over internal crew yet again. It’s not because people aren’t interested though, they are using the age old “we have to keep our operation on the F100 running” phrase which has been used in the past. They could just put the new hires on the F100 and then promote from the ranks 100%, but this would imply a level of comittment they seem unwilling to show.

There are a LARGE number of staff wanting to go to mainline but so far the only ones that have got the tick are female. There are still plenty of people wanting to upgrade, the process is complicated by the training which involves up to 5 months away in crap hotels with no provision to come home. This is something some people with young family’s are not able to do.

A320 Capt 183 Base + super with OT threshold 65hrs
F100 Capt 165 Base + super with OT threshold 65hrs
Lots of operational improvements implemented and further on the way (full EFB both fleets, centralised load control imminent etc).
Plenty of interest in A320 from internal ranks.
Crewing levels better than most operators at the moment; nothing like the annual leave issues suffered elsewhere.
Mostly 2 sector days finished under 7 hours of duty.
Mostly fly 4 days a week with a standby.
Average 650 hours per year.
Compared with most operations, an engaged and happy workforce.

Not all factual.

1. Introduction rate (timeframe & schedule volume) doesn’t permit 100% fleet transfer - anyone involved in managing fleet introduction & exponential growth in a relatively small operation will tell you that. Have you asked to see the data? No training department would be resourced to manage that kind of volume on the F100 in one hit. The argument to manage experience levels on the F100 is also a sensible one and demonstrates AOC maturity to the regulator. In fact, NAA have placed more internal F100 Pilots on the A320 than originally thought possible, a fact they should be credited for.

2. Training: A320 Type Ratings that are compatible for CASA acceptance are difficult to secure and dovetail with training plans and fleet intro rate. Initial group went either Singapore or Jakarta. Jakarta hotel issue was a by-product of timeframe and internal QF Group commercial agreement issues. That issue has been resolved, now that there’s been time. The Melbourne hotel is that used by Group company Jetstar, unavoidable due commercial agreement issues. Furthermore, if deemed unsuitable (“crap” as you put it), why have your Union representatives for both entities (JQ and NAA) not addressed this within JQ?
The choice to stay home with family rather than accept an A320 position and associated time away for training rests solely with the individual. There is no 320 TR provider in Perth. This is not the fault of NAA.

Congrats bully, you are cheaper than everyone else

I’m sorry, but the nature of this reply speaks for itself.
it comes down to ones definition of “working hard”

So with no seniority, how do they choose who goes to the 320 from the F100 drivers?

By doing that you have now doubled the training load. Direct entry to type creates one training position, intake to F100 and internal move to A320 creates two training positions. That is one reason companies like DE.

Line training for the 320 is done by JQ, which is a huge load of the network training department.

Launching with any realistic commercial schedule viability commensurate with realistic Training and Checking capability in early phases; means using a third party for bulk line experience makes perfect sense. QF did it with A330 and B787 in recent times as an example.

75% line training load has been done at JQ with remaining 25% at NWK; perfectly matches the T & C resourcing compliment and sector / hour ratio between the two organisations.