Global downturn and the job market
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Global downturn and the job market
OK , with airline managers having the ball in their court lets see if they are right. PLease folks add / correct to this post as you see fit. I am just deducing this based on what I have read here and seen in the press.
the following are/have laid off/furloughed etc.
Netjets Europe (300 pilots)
Spanair ( 150 pilots)
Austrian Arrows ( 30 Aircraft and associated crews)
SQ Cargo ( almost the entire fleet and its crews)
SQ Mainline ( not renewing contracts as they come up for renewal)
Continental ( announced today 1700 job cuts , not sure how many pilots)
Almost all the US majors ( furlough)
Qantas ( Job cuts not sure how many pilots)
Air Mauritius ( not renewing contracts as they come up for renewal)
CAL / EVA not renewing contracts as they come up for renewal.
Am I right or wrong ? please add /subtract as you see fit. Just time for a little reality check for us all.
the following are/have laid off/furloughed etc.
Netjets Europe (300 pilots)
Spanair ( 150 pilots)
Austrian Arrows ( 30 Aircraft and associated crews)
SQ Cargo ( almost the entire fleet and its crews)
SQ Mainline ( not renewing contracts as they come up for renewal)
Continental ( announced today 1700 job cuts , not sure how many pilots)
Almost all the US majors ( furlough)
Qantas ( Job cuts not sure how many pilots)
Air Mauritius ( not renewing contracts as they come up for renewal)
CAL / EVA not renewing contracts as they come up for renewal.
Am I right or wrong ? please add /subtract as you see fit. Just time for a little reality check for us all.
As to Austrian Arrows (Tyrolean), unless You know something I do not, it is not THAT bad. They want to take the CRJ fleet out of service until summer flight plan 10 and most DH8-300 until summer 11 (might keep a few for short intra-austrian hops though), so that comes up to -20 planes. But there are open orders for 4 DH8-400 with the first to be delivered in autumn 09, so the worst-case scenario for now is -16 planes. They might order another -400 and some F100 additionally, but this has not yet been decided. Still this means a reduction in workforce though.
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adequate rest between flights
And those still working are .... economising .... LAX parking lot is home away from home for airline workers - Los Angeles Times I sure hope they're getting enough sleep between flights.
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Spains a mess:
LTE, bankrupt, approx 110 pilots airbus
Girjet, bankrupt, approx 85 pilots airbus, boeing, fokker 100
Futura, bankrupt, approx 400 pilots, boeing
Gadair, ???, approx 16 pilots, boeing
Hola, ???, 75% laid off, boeing
LagunAir, bankrupt, 35 pilots, embraer
Air Comet, on the verge, 400 plus pilots, airbus, legacy
Spanair, talking about further layoffs, airbus, mc donnell douglas
Air Nostrum, lay offs, 180 approx, canadair, fokker, atr
and a few others that dont come to mind now, mainly cargo, executive layoffs
and no perspectives at all.
LTE, bankrupt, approx 110 pilots airbus
Girjet, bankrupt, approx 85 pilots airbus, boeing, fokker 100
Futura, bankrupt, approx 400 pilots, boeing
Gadair, ???, approx 16 pilots, boeing
Hola, ???, 75% laid off, boeing
LagunAir, bankrupt, 35 pilots, embraer
Air Comet, on the verge, 400 plus pilots, airbus, legacy
Spanair, talking about further layoffs, airbus, mc donnell douglas
Air Nostrum, lay offs, 180 approx, canadair, fokker, atr
and a few others that dont come to mind now, mainly cargo, executive layoffs
and no perspectives at all.
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I think United Air Lines, is getting ready to furlough 1100 or so.
A few months ago I did some math and came up with that at least 9000 US airline pilots will be without a job by September 2009.
I'm 59 in August, and will retire at age 60. I can't do this until age 65.......
Prior to September 2008 Parc Aviation used to have 125 +/- job vacancies at any one time.
Now they seem to post 15-20 job vacancies.
A few months ago I did some math and came up with that at least 9000 US airline pilots will be without a job by September 2009.
I'm 59 in August, and will retire at age 60. I can't do this until age 65.......
Prior to September 2008 Parc Aviation used to have 125 +/- job vacancies at any one time.
Now they seem to post 15-20 job vacancies.
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Gents,
As I accept you all as gentlemen aviators, please also remember many 'operational' jobs go on the ground. the numbers and income may seem far apart, but it's all family income.
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I don't think your info on Singapore Airlines Cargo is accurate. CH Aviation shows them as having 1 747-400 in the desert, the other 13 still flying.
Hardly "most of the fleet". As far as crew, I couldn't tell you. Maybe they are using -400 passenger crews for the freighter ops, but I think that would probably be more expensive than keeping the freighter pilots.
At Cathay & Dragonair, crew control is getting very creative in using guys cause they are desperately short. The CAD has even advised them to stop certain practices because they are illegal, like counting dead-head time as rest to be followed by duty.
Hardly "most of the fleet". As far as crew, I couldn't tell you. Maybe they are using -400 passenger crews for the freighter ops, but I think that would probably be more expensive than keeping the freighter pilots.
At Cathay & Dragonair, crew control is getting very creative in using guys cause they are desperately short. The CAD has even advised them to stop certain practices because they are illegal, like counting dead-head time as rest to be followed by duty.
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Delta Air Lines no longer expects 2009 profit | Reuters
More involuntary lay-offs are in the pipeline, rumors in BRU goins as much as 800 pilots might loose their position at DL/NW.
"..............In May, Delta offered pilots a voluntary separation package in hopes of reducing expenses. But only 215 of the 9,400 eligible pilots signed up, the union that represents them said last week."
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It had been mentioned in the Straits Times that the recession in Singapore is already over. . . ! But even if you don't believe that, just look at links such as: Pilot Jobs, Aviation Jobs, Aviation Employment, Career Fairs, Job Fairs and you will find lots of jet jobs going begging in east asia, especially in China, Korea and Vietnam. . . waiting for current, qualified, willing and able pilots. 
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...and you will find lots of jet jobs going begging in east asia, especially in China, Korea and Vietnam. . . waiting for current, qualified, willing and able pilots.
The problem is, many pilots will not undertake nor consider off-shore positions.
Having seen many economic cycles this is standard and indeed far less severe than what has occured before.
The economies of Asia are already starting to improve (and with them cargo and pax loads) and the rest of the world will ineviatably follow, it's just the rate of improvement that is unknown.
As for pilots; on a global level there just aren't enough. There might be too many in South Africa or the UK but temporary economic hiccups notwithstanding they are short in the Middle East and many parts of Asia and will only become more so.
As a result of huge airliner buying sprees over the last few years there are simply not enough qualified and experienced pilots globally to fly these aircraft. Whilst it might mean the ability to move away from ones' homeland to fly professionally there will be jobs galore in the next 5 years for aviators.
Along with this inevitable shortage/crisis (which we were actually already seeing before it was masked by the current temporary economic wobbles) will be a great improvement in Professional aircrew terms and conditions. There must be - it's simple Economics 101 - Supply and Demand.
Pilots are aging and retiring and there aren't that many to replace them. The military aren't letting go of crews (they have either already gone or are busy supporting historically very much downsized airforces in Afghanistan/Iraq etc). Young commercial pilots aren't training because it's too expensive and the perceived rewards are (correctly) not worth the initial financial outlay.
So it's important not to get caught up in the Chicken Little The Sky Is Falling mentality of analysing how many jobs have been lost at which carriers and look at the big-picture and longer term.
Yes sure the above figures are of concern, particularly if you are one of those affected but they are most likely to be used by unscrupulous managers as an excuse as to why they can reduce your current employment terms. Don't fall into that trap.
For pilots with a decent amount of jet time the future is very rosy indeed.
The economies of Asia are already starting to improve (and with them cargo and pax loads) and the rest of the world will ineviatably follow, it's just the rate of improvement that is unknown.
As for pilots; on a global level there just aren't enough. There might be too many in South Africa or the UK but temporary economic hiccups notwithstanding they are short in the Middle East and many parts of Asia and will only become more so.
As a result of huge airliner buying sprees over the last few years there are simply not enough qualified and experienced pilots globally to fly these aircraft. Whilst it might mean the ability to move away from ones' homeland to fly professionally there will be jobs galore in the next 5 years for aviators.
Along with this inevitable shortage/crisis (which we were actually already seeing before it was masked by the current temporary economic wobbles) will be a great improvement in Professional aircrew terms and conditions. There must be - it's simple Economics 101 - Supply and Demand.
Pilots are aging and retiring and there aren't that many to replace them. The military aren't letting go of crews (they have either already gone or are busy supporting historically very much downsized airforces in Afghanistan/Iraq etc). Young commercial pilots aren't training because it's too expensive and the perceived rewards are (correctly) not worth the initial financial outlay.
So it's important not to get caught up in the Chicken Little The Sky Is Falling mentality of analysing how many jobs have been lost at which carriers and look at the big-picture and longer term.
Yes sure the above figures are of concern, particularly if you are one of those affected but they are most likely to be used by unscrupulous managers as an excuse as to why they can reduce your current employment terms. Don't fall into that trap.
For pilots with a decent amount of jet time the future is very rosy indeed.
