Royal Brunei Airlines In Chaos
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One way, perhaps, to a solution
What to do and ‘how can this be done?’. You pose a question which I suspect many people have also, but how about this for a suggestion;
Put together an articulate plan, some may even say a ‘business plan’ that has been prepared by end users – the line pilots. Make the plan as simple as possible but well thought out that puts into perspective the main problem areas with how the authors of the plan would address those problems. The plan should not involve personalities, just the problems and the suggested solutions. If necessary make it an academic exercise
Put that plan to the CEO who, if he had the knowledge of the ground swell of discontent in an articulate manner may, (one hopes) take action, or at least have the capacity to take action.
But it is so easy to pontificate from a distance.
Put together an articulate plan, some may even say a ‘business plan’ that has been prepared by end users – the line pilots. Make the plan as simple as possible but well thought out that puts into perspective the main problem areas with how the authors of the plan would address those problems. The plan should not involve personalities, just the problems and the suggested solutions. If necessary make it an academic exercise
Put that plan to the CEO who, if he had the knowledge of the ground swell of discontent in an articulate manner may, (one hopes) take action, or at least have the capacity to take action.
But it is so easy to pontificate from a distance.
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All, or most battles are hard to win
5man
I think the situation in RBA regarding the disharmony between management and line pilots is understood (but from a distance) and what appears to be a futile way of going about trying to correct an imbalance between management and pilots, (or anyone else for that matter). However, without the attempt of correcting that imbalance in a constructive way then there is no chance of any form of a successful outcome, albeit minor.
I think the situation in RBA regarding the disharmony between management and line pilots is understood (but from a distance) and what appears to be a futile way of going about trying to correct an imbalance between management and pilots, (or anyone else for that matter). However, without the attempt of correcting that imbalance in a constructive way then there is no chance of any form of a successful outcome, albeit minor.
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Turn things Around?
It will be very difficult for anyone to turn your company around, when for years it has been used as a recruitment ground for all and sundry. At my present company when we arrive on the stand at our home base, we get 1 engineer, perhaps 8 cleaners, 1 pax handler and we still manage to get the a/c turned around in an hour. 
In Brunei, for an Airbus? You will probably get 1 or 2 engineers, 5 or 6 mechanics, 10 or 11 cleaners, 2 or 3 pax handlers ( not that they ever seemed to do anything ) and even then you will still be delayed or something not fixed??
Go into the accounts office and there is a whole floor or more of bean counters, the amount you would expect to see in a multinational company with billions of dollar turnover, not a little airline with half a dozen aging a/c. Most of these people seem to be sitting sending endless texts to their friends, eating or finding some reason or means not to do the work they were put there to do.
This is where the problem starts, it wouldn’t be too bad if everything was running like clockwork, which it should with the amount of personnel that you employ, but the reality is, it’s NOT!!! Of course you’re now stuck with all these people that you can’t do anything else with, you will never be able to make any of them redundant? Just have to keep paying them and making sure there is a good strong signal for their mobile phones.
Then you have a Flt ops department that has a management in disarray and not knowing what to try next due to their limited ability and not wanting to lose face by admitting they have got things wrong. They just continue to alienate their staff, with negative criticism and inability to develop people that truly want to help the company thrive and progress.
Look at the number of Captains and very experienced First Officers that have left over the last 18 months and the ones that are about to leave and ask yourself why? It’s easy, the company just don’t care whether they go or not, they still think it’s still easy just to recruit some more. The cost doesn’t matter?? The disruption doesn’t matter?? Nothing seems to matter to this management team?
The company I work for now, treats us all as valuable assets, nurturing and teaching us to develop our skills and use them in turn to help the company grow and prosper. And guess what? It’s working, and where will we be getting more of our staff??
Good luck RBA.
In Brunei, for an Airbus? You will probably get 1 or 2 engineers, 5 or 6 mechanics, 10 or 11 cleaners, 2 or 3 pax handlers ( not that they ever seemed to do anything ) and even then you will still be delayed or something not fixed??
Go into the accounts office and there is a whole floor or more of bean counters, the amount you would expect to see in a multinational company with billions of dollar turnover, not a little airline with half a dozen aging a/c. Most of these people seem to be sitting sending endless texts to their friends, eating or finding some reason or means not to do the work they were put there to do.
This is where the problem starts, it wouldn’t be too bad if everything was running like clockwork, which it should with the amount of personnel that you employ, but the reality is, it’s NOT!!! Of course you’re now stuck with all these people that you can’t do anything else with, you will never be able to make any of them redundant? Just have to keep paying them and making sure there is a good strong signal for their mobile phones.
Then you have a Flt ops department that has a management in disarray and not knowing what to try next due to their limited ability and not wanting to lose face by admitting they have got things wrong. They just continue to alienate their staff, with negative criticism and inability to develop people that truly want to help the company thrive and progress.
Look at the number of Captains and very experienced First Officers that have left over the last 18 months and the ones that are about to leave and ask yourself why? It’s easy, the company just don’t care whether they go or not, they still think it’s still easy just to recruit some more. The cost doesn’t matter?? The disruption doesn’t matter?? Nothing seems to matter to this management team?
The company I work for now, treats us all as valuable assets, nurturing and teaching us to develop our skills and use them in turn to help the company grow and prosper. And guess what? It’s working, and where will we be getting more of our staff??
Good luck RBA.
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Easy option
I also agree Possum. Sooner they stop being a recruitment agency and get rid of all this dead wood who should never be employed in anything related to aviation the sooner the company will start turning a true profit.
They are just about to lose another few First officers on top of the ones who have already resigned, its time they started at looking at this problem before it gets any worse. How can it be cheaper in the long term to bring in direct entry Captains than invest in First officers who have proved themselves in the system and want to stay?
They are just about to lose another few First officers on top of the ones who have already resigned, its time they started at looking at this problem before it gets any worse. How can it be cheaper in the long term to bring in direct entry Captains than invest in First officers who have proved themselves in the system and want to stay?
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Brilliant Training Material-I think not.
The R N - Have to say it looks good on paper. A closer look however, soon brings new points of view.
Oh, now that brings you into the spotlight, the first symptom of not being a Clone.
Now nobody works harder than CD, and most will say he is a good trainer. However, thats where he should stay.
His tunnel vision and poor hearing in the advice section did cause the BA 777 trainers to remind him that it was they, not him, who had more experience on the 777.
The little training empire that is being built with young and inexperienced pilots, some emotionally immature, should be halted by Ray before it ends in ------
Oh, now that brings you into the spotlight, the first symptom of not being a Clone.
Now nobody works harder than CD, and most will say he is a good trainer. However, thats where he should stay.
His tunnel vision and poor hearing in the advice section did cause the BA 777 trainers to remind him that it was they, not him, who had more experience on the 777.
The little training empire that is being built with young and inexperienced pilots, some emotionally immature, should be halted by Ray before it ends in ------
Join Date: Sep 2007
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777s already here?
Hi there,
Just spotted something this morning -
10:10 BI098 BANDAR GATE OPEN Terminal Three
And was just wondering, are the 772s here or have they just stopped selling tickets on the DXB stop?
Just spotted something this morning -
10:10 BI098 BANDAR GATE OPEN Terminal Three
And was just wondering, are the 772s here or have they just stopped selling tickets on the DXB stop?
Join Date: May 2006
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I would have to agree totally with the Ping Pongs summary of the CD training system. It is a massively outdated repetitive training method. The measure of success of a training system is gauged by the successful progression of candidates through the system, not by massive amounts of paperwork. Success is a pilot’s ability to handle a wide range of situations in day-to-day operations and show sound situational awareness, not have a training record in CD’s office full of forms with lots of ticked boxes. Local FO’s are currently leaving to take up positions with other airlines because they are deemed not suitable for command upgrade, these are locals that have 7-8 years as FO’s and have been raised under the CD training system. That coupled with the way some incidents have been handled over the last few years defines the failure of the system.
Pilots have limited ability to change the overall business model of an airline; they do however have the right to expect fair and an equitable career progression. The CEO may be cautious to listen to the gripes of pilots, however when the freight apron is full of parked aircraft because all the expats have left as they didn’t want to be CD clones, and the locals are deemed unsuitable for upgrade, someone might ask some searching questions. As said before, Ray remove the man from management and let him train only.
Pilots have limited ability to change the overall business model of an airline; they do however have the right to expect fair and an equitable career progression. The CEO may be cautious to listen to the gripes of pilots, however when the freight apron is full of parked aircraft because all the expats have left as they didn’t want to be CD clones, and the locals are deemed unsuitable for upgrade, someone might ask some searching questions. As said before, Ray remove the man from management and let him train only.
Join Date: Oct 2007
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What a Mess
I agree totally with Flappy Wings, CD should perhaps just be in a training role without the amount of power that he wields over everyone. At the moment there are some very experienced F/O’s that have been treated in an appalling manner by the training dept and left with no other option than to leave. I personally have worked for other much larger airlines and have never come across a training regime like this one in RBA, especially when you hear that some newly promoted Capt’s have been advised not to trust F/O’s ( as they are out to kill everyone ) by certain Junior Training Capts. Where do they get these guys???
What is really annoying is the number of excellent training Capt's who are keen to improve the system and learn from others, only to be slapped down by this megalomaniac and his ego.
What is really annoying is the number of excellent training Capt's who are keen to improve the system and learn from others, only to be slapped down by this megalomaniac and his ego.
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Subterfuge In Flight Ops
NKosi, valid points made from far. Were you there with the lack of transparent honesty of 3 or 4 years ago, and its worse now. Can only comment from ops side but we get our share of eng woes as well.
The High Court case against 3 members of the flt ops management is still on the go.
A while ago some of the paperwork was doing the rounds and it made my skin crawl. The managers involved should have been busted or at the least demoted.
Years back told we had a top draw CAA guy who would have been like CHIRP and been able to expose the subterfuge of the then DFO
The case is going to expose the remaining managers for what they are and bring to public attention how not to manage staff
Ill put my money on at least the Oz press turning up. Bring it on
The High Court case against 3 members of the flt ops management is still on the go.
A while ago some of the paperwork was doing the rounds and it made my skin crawl. The managers involved should have been busted or at the least demoted.
Years back told we had a top draw CAA guy who would have been like CHIRP and been able to expose the subterfuge of the then DFO
The case is going to expose the remaining managers for what they are and bring to public attention how not to manage staff
Ill put my money on at least the Oz press turning up. Bring it on
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Tucker Man
I arrived in '97 and left in '02, so you may be able to work out who I am!
Situations change, but honesty and transparency should be evident to all, for most situations - given that there are always commercial in confidence periods. But I advocate that in most cases it is pointless wringing hands and beating breasts, but just to try to sort the problem(s) as they appear, from the lowest to the highest, using the maxims described.
I'll get off my wobbly soap box now.
Cheers
Nkosi
I arrived in '97 and left in '02, so you may be able to work out who I am!
Situations change, but honesty and transparency should be evident to all, for most situations - given that there are always commercial in confidence periods. But I advocate that in most cases it is pointless wringing hands and beating breasts, but just to try to sort the problem(s) as they appear, from the lowest to the highest, using the maxims described.
I'll get off my wobbly soap box now.
Cheers
Nkosi
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Thats a big back peddle from some after an anonymous poster CLAIMED to be a local guy.
Would everyone apologise if it was posted by other avid supporters of rba management. I suspect they would have got a blasting.
The locals know there place in rba so will never stand up to management. Never have, never will. A very few did leave to earn better money than the expats that remained in rba.
I hear rumors continue of pay rises and increases in some allowances.
Ha Ha, heard it all before. Fact is by the time they do increase them the amount they are increase will not cover the losses you have all suffered since they were cut 5 odd years ago. Rba has not increased salaries or allowances in 15 or so years. Will the increase (if true) make up for the last 15 years AND the cuts made by the former greedy and inept ceo, Peter f@stor.
Remember he cut the cabin crews allowances. These cabin crew were earning say $800 to $2000 Bnd a month. F@ster was earning $40,000 a month not including his rumoured large bonus if he cut costs. f@stor was earning as much in two weeks as the junior cabin crew were making in a year. That didnt stop him seeking his big bonus. He was unable to increase renenues so he cut staff pay, increments, allowances.
I Hear things are not too good there at the moment. Huge discontent.
A few I know have applied to the company im with. Not the best here but better than rba.
Dont wait for empty promises. Many of those rumors were been spread around back when I was there. The are just empty rumors.
Would everyone apologise if it was posted by other avid supporters of rba management. I suspect they would have got a blasting.
The locals know there place in rba so will never stand up to management. Never have, never will. A very few did leave to earn better money than the expats that remained in rba.
I hear rumors continue of pay rises and increases in some allowances.
Ha Ha, heard it all before. Fact is by the time they do increase them the amount they are increase will not cover the losses you have all suffered since they were cut 5 odd years ago. Rba has not increased salaries or allowances in 15 or so years. Will the increase (if true) make up for the last 15 years AND the cuts made by the former greedy and inept ceo, Peter f@stor.
Remember he cut the cabin crews allowances. These cabin crew were earning say $800 to $2000 Bnd a month. F@ster was earning $40,000 a month not including his rumoured large bonus if he cut costs. f@stor was earning as much in two weeks as the junior cabin crew were making in a year. That didnt stop him seeking his big bonus. He was unable to increase renenues so he cut staff pay, increments, allowances.
I Hear things are not too good there at the moment. Huge discontent.
A few I know have applied to the company im with. Not the best here but better than rba.
Dont wait for empty promises. Many of those rumors were been spread around back when I was there. The are just empty rumors.
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Just back from Dubai, where I saw one of the boys from RBA, also on a layover. G'day M(ate). Hope things work out for youse fellas back there in the Abode of Peace, for it was indeed such a place when I first turned up. I have many good memories of my time in Brunei, though, to be fair, the last few years of my tenure were not that great. Nothing to do with the people. More to do with what I was trying to achieve, and couldn't. It was only when speaking to me mate that I realised how many great people the airline has working for it, still. I tend to forget names at the best of times and, having moved on, the names of those I left behind in RBA have largely slipped my mind these last few years. Wasn't until jaw-boning with 'so and so' yesterday that I realised there are some very sound characters still there. Got a lot to say about that, really. Having come in from a great session of kiting this arvo, I am positively brimming with good will and hope to sprinkle some kind words for you all. Hang in there fellas. It'll all work out in the end.
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Local Guy?
Local guy express a point of view about the managers, seldom and never in detail.
Whoever you are no matter as you said you care and despite all the hype most of the expats care as well.
But hey guys stand up to the bully boy SN. we aint going to get any progress till this guy gets dumped.
Where do the local management stand. Every day you can see the conflict that this guy starts. When are you going to be heard, dont just leave it up to the expats like me to try and make a positive change.
Whoever you are no matter as you said you care and despite all the hype most of the expats care as well.
But hey guys stand up to the bully boy SN. we aint going to get any progress till this guy gets dumped.
Where do the local management stand. Every day you can see the conflict that this guy starts. When are you going to be heard, dont just leave it up to the expats like me to try and make a positive change.
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The local guy made some valid points. He said he really did care about the airlines success or past failures.
His post was very well written. So im sure he has been in to flight ops and talked to the dfo and ceo about his concerns. He has also stood up to the bullies in management and effected a change.
Rba is in more trouble than it realises. Its pay and conditions are some 20 years out of date. Partly due to cuts made by f@ster and also the lack of increases in many years
It has placed certain staff in management postions that are causing irreversible damage. Even if they greatly increased the pay, allowances and conditions, there is still the problem with middle management. CD and SN on the airbus and the other SN on the boeing. I have heard many say these bully individuals are driving pilots away. Some can simply no longer work with these individuals. They cannot be sacked, repositioned or controlled. This is ongoing. The difference now is there are better jobs available. EK are doing road shows. Apparently Aus in short of pilots. There are places to go. i hope the pay increases in Aus. Even at the moment you can earn more in Aus after tax than you can in bwn. EK are looking for pilots although the exchange rate here is getting worse by the week too.
Will more empty promises of pay rises be enough to keep pilots there now more jobs are avaialble world wide.
His post was very well written. So im sure he has been in to flight ops and talked to the dfo and ceo about his concerns. He has also stood up to the bullies in management and effected a change.
Rba is in more trouble than it realises. Its pay and conditions are some 20 years out of date. Partly due to cuts made by f@ster and also the lack of increases in many years
It has placed certain staff in management postions that are causing irreversible damage. Even if they greatly increased the pay, allowances and conditions, there is still the problem with middle management. CD and SN on the airbus and the other SN on the boeing. I have heard many say these bully individuals are driving pilots away. Some can simply no longer work with these individuals. They cannot be sacked, repositioned or controlled. This is ongoing. The difference now is there are better jobs available. EK are doing road shows. Apparently Aus in short of pilots. There are places to go. i hope the pay increases in Aus. Even at the moment you can earn more in Aus after tax than you can in bwn. EK are looking for pilots although the exchange rate here is getting worse by the week too.
Will more empty promises of pay rises be enough to keep pilots there now more jobs are avaialble world wide.
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Bye bye Darwin...
Darwin is definately gone from Jan 08,
see the press release
http://www.bruneiair.com/news/item.a...PagePosition=1
What is going on with the 777s, last I heard only the -ER's are ready and sitting in Singapore/Fort Worth... are they still getting the 772A's?
Ive also been hearing rumours they are about to order two 777-200LRs ?!? Would be nice, but I dont think they have the money nor the need for that much range!!
Ah well, at least the 763s will be in the fleet for a little longer ... They are only 1992/3/4 builds aren't they? There are 40+ year old DC9s still flying so !!! ...
Wonder where/when this leased 320/763 is coming from?
Interesting times ahead
see the press release
http://www.bruneiair.com/news/item.a...PagePosition=1
What is going on with the 777s, last I heard only the -ER's are ready and sitting in Singapore/Fort Worth... are they still getting the 772A's?
Ive also been hearing rumours they are about to order two 777-200LRs ?!? Would be nice, but I dont think they have the money nor the need for that much range!!
Ah well, at least the 763s will be in the fleet for a little longer ... They are only 1992/3/4 builds aren't they? There are 40+ year old DC9s still flying so !!! ...
Wonder where/when this leased 320/763 is coming from?
Interesting times ahead
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Pay ur hotac on ur own credit card?
Recently an Airbus crew on the way to SGN were asked to pay for their hotel rooms on their own credit cards as RBA has not payed the hotel for sometime. If its getting that bad is anyone going to lease them any more aircraft when they don't even pay their hotel bills on time? and where are they going to get the airbus crews from.
Just read an article in the prestegious paper the "Borneo Bullsheet" congratulating the airline for being run so well by the locals, just like everything else in Brunei, perhaps its time we left them to it?
Just read an article in the prestegious paper the "Borneo Bullsheet" congratulating the airline for being run so well by the locals, just like everything else in Brunei, perhaps its time we left them to it?
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Borneo Bulletin - Dig Deeper - 777 Blunders?
Dont you just love the way news leaks out, Mondays paper enlightens us that the next days KL and then SYD canncelled "due to unavoible circumstaces"
How can this be so indefinable. On behalf of the publics interest, how about making a few phone calls, even read Pprune.
777 blunders, millions of $ lost, wasted. A deal rushed through before a new CEO arrived.
Unavoible cicumstances, I think not.
How can this be so indefinable. On behalf of the publics interest, how about making a few phone calls, even read Pprune.
777 blunders, millions of $ lost, wasted. A deal rushed through before a new CEO arrived.
Unavoible cicumstances, I think not.
