Kuwait Dumping Boeings and A 300/310s

[Paladini]

Kuwait Airways are to dump all their Boeings and A300/310 aircraft onto the market starting in December. This will lead to an all A320/330/340 fleet by July 2003.

Qusetion remains as to who, at KAC, got the "backhander" from Toulouse? As we hear it, the only profitable fleets in KAC were built in Seattle.

Further rumour that Ex-Pats are being forced out of the company in April due to unilateral contract changes, regarding housing allowances (25% cut).

When will they learn, the ex-pats are their only backbone? <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

[ijp]

The Boeings have been on the market for years. They have lost several leases due to lack of real interest by the company. Some of the leases have been very profitable, and provided me with the best times of my life. (Not to mention great money, double pay plus expenses). .As for the 300's rumors have bounced around for years, same with expats. The fact is, don't hold your breath on anything at KAC. Everything is wait and see.

[Kato747]

Have certainly heard more rumors about changes in fleets here in KAC. Won't hold my breath about those, but the Allowance cuts stand to cost all us ex-pats between $2700 - $4100 per year. It's tough enough to fool oneself that living here in beautiful Kuwait is worth the sub-standard pay.

Breach of contract springs to mind

[fantom]

utter tosh. you telling us the 320s never made a profit? have you evidence regarding anything at all out of KWI? has anybody? unless things have changed remarkably in the last few years, very few know.. .ah.....fintas towers..... <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[ijp]

I don't know if the 320 made a profit, but KAC losses are stagering. Even the unusual accounting comes up with losses. . .Cutting the expats housing allowance 100KD a month will surly turn things around. The 747 leases were profitable. That IS a fact.

[TowerDog]

Fintas Towers still in business?

Aye, this TowerDog has paid some dues in them towers.

[fantom]

12A3 was when I left it in '95. <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[ironbutt57]

Beautiful Kuwait? <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> <img src="confused.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

[Kato747]

TowerDog... Fintas Towers still there but with far fewer KAC.

That's one of the problems with their new housing allowance cuts. They're saying the ex-pats (not in KAC housing) are making too much money but when they hired the guys to fly the Jurassics, no KAC housing was available. Now they're cutting our pay to punish us for not living in the ghetto.. .Go figure.

BTW, a recent new hire took a contract at the lower rate (didn't know any better). He's pissed off as well!

[Paladini]

Visited some friends in Fintas Towers last year..didn't seem like such a ghetto!?

However, since the powers that "think they are" are the ones slashing allowances, how can they get away with these cuts AND deny the ex-pats suitable housing?

Pardon me, but IMHO, this smacks of creative RIF (reduction in force) as the yanks put it. Do they really think those guys will sit back and lose that kind of money and not bitch? or vote with their feet????

Don't the guys there have any sort of "Association"/union? Is that sort of thing allowed in Kuwait, UAE, Saudi?

As for the new guy who signed the contract with truncated remuneration, didn't he have any mates to watch out for him?

[TowerDog]

Yes KAC tried some similar stunt when I came over in 92.. .Refused to sign the contract as it was different from what was "promised" when interviewing in New York.

They changed the numbers and we signed.

We had 3 different KAC housing locations back then: Hawalli was one. After the war they kicked out all the Palestinians and I got a flat in a fairly new 5 story building next to a noisy mosque.. .Hard to sleep when the rag-heads crank up their prayers with amplifiers and external speakers.

Ended up cutting the wires to the speakers a few times.. .Then at least we could drink till 4 in the morning without the "Raped cow" noise from the speakers.. .Then they put guards around the speakers.. .Kept cutting the wires after the guards fell asleep.

Found it best to move to the Fintas Towers after a while.

[fantom]

hmm so who is out there ex fintas?. .so as not to annoy the moderator, I shall start a fintas reunion thread in 'contacts' <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[Flight Detent]

Hi all!. .I'm another Fintas Towers ex-pat, 18A2, - has 'Big Bob' left yet?. .Joined KAC in mid '92 on the 72s, ended up taking them to Damascus in mid 94 and training the Syrians on that type, then returning to KAC for transition to the 74Classics.. .Unfortunately, they sold two of their four 74s late in '94, and my contract was not renewed!. .But I enjoyed the place, had a great time! . .Learned RC flying at the science club in all the spare time!

[ijp]

15G3 from '92 till a few months ago. . . If you accept the contract and everybody around you is making more, don't bitch. You were happy for a job, and you accepted what you thought you were worth. You might screw it up for everyone.. .Back in the early 80's Saudia paid Yanks 25% more than they paid Brits. Oh how they would scream when they arrived in Jeddah and found out. (The logic was the yanks were worth more) No really it was yanks had to pay taxes in USA back then, Brits did not. They complained about it so much, that typical of Arabs, they took it away from the Americans instead of giving it to the Brits. BTW most of the Brits had recieved the "Golden Handshake" from BA. They were making more than anyone anyway.. .Nobody flies at the science club for a few years. They go to Moore Field (in back of Fintas towers)

[ 20 February 2002: Message edited by: ijp ]</p>

[fantom]

ijp. .go to 'contacts' further down the forums....... <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">