Singapore airlines dump 76 pilots
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Singapore airlines dump 76 pilots
Loss-making SingAir dumps 76 pilots
(01-30 19:10)
Singapore Airlines said it will ask 76 foreign pilots to leave before their contracts expire. The carrier said the pilots, who are on three-year contracts, will be asked to leave by June 30.
But Singapore Airlines would not say when their tenures were originally due to lapse. Earnings at SIA in the first half of the current fiscal year ending March slumped by 30 percent year-on-year. This followed a 69 percent plunge in net profit in the carrier's financial year ending March 2012
“Singapore Airlines has taken the difficult decision to advance the planned release of 76 pilots who are employed on fixed-term contracts,’’ SIA said in a statement, AFP reports. “The airline had previously been releasing pilots only upon expiry of their contracts ... The airline will assist them to pursue employment opportunities within the SIA Group and with other airlines.’’
SIA – considered a bellwether for the full-service airline industry – had earlier this month asked its captains to volunteer for unpaid leave, nearly a year after making a similar offer to its first officers.
The airline has also frozen its intake of cadet pilots as part of a slew of cost-cutting measures.
SIA said it has a surplus of pilots after the global financial crisis “resulted in excess capacity and slower-than-expected growth.’’
Pilots on fixed-term contracts make up about 4 percent of the carrier's pilot workforce of some 2,400.
The airline has been hammered hard by high fuel prices and weak demand in the passenger travel and cargo markets due in large part to the debt crisis in Europe and a sluggish US economic recovery.
* *
The Hong Kong Standard. 30/1/2013
(01-30 19:10)
Singapore Airlines said it will ask 76 foreign pilots to leave before their contracts expire. The carrier said the pilots, who are on three-year contracts, will be asked to leave by June 30.
But Singapore Airlines would not say when their tenures were originally due to lapse. Earnings at SIA in the first half of the current fiscal year ending March slumped by 30 percent year-on-year. This followed a 69 percent plunge in net profit in the carrier's financial year ending March 2012
“Singapore Airlines has taken the difficult decision to advance the planned release of 76 pilots who are employed on fixed-term contracts,’’ SIA said in a statement, AFP reports. “The airline had previously been releasing pilots only upon expiry of their contracts ... The airline will assist them to pursue employment opportunities within the SIA Group and with other airlines.’’
SIA – considered a bellwether for the full-service airline industry – had earlier this month asked its captains to volunteer for unpaid leave, nearly a year after making a similar offer to its first officers.
The airline has also frozen its intake of cadet pilots as part of a slew of cost-cutting measures.
SIA said it has a surplus of pilots after the global financial crisis “resulted in excess capacity and slower-than-expected growth.’’
Pilots on fixed-term contracts make up about 4 percent of the carrier's pilot workforce of some 2,400.
The airline has been hammered hard by high fuel prices and weak demand in the passenger travel and cargo markets due in large part to the debt crisis in Europe and a sluggish US economic recovery.
* *
The Hong Kong Standard. 30/1/2013
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Another CRAPPY place to be... Pilots please remember this Company because this will bite them in the AFT. Eventually they will come back again looking for the EXPATS to help clean their act! Bloody peasants.
They want the expats to fly their CRAPPY low cost outfit for less money, let's see how successful they are with their peanut service run. Hahaha! LOOSERS!
They want the expats to fly their CRAPPY low cost outfit for less money, let's see how successful they are with their peanut service run. Hahaha! LOOSERS!
Last edited by Poster; 30th Jan 2013 at 22:35.
Part of the reason for the reduced passenger demand could be the decision of a totally inept management to constantly erode the privileges of their frequent flyers, and their reluctance or inability to fix their completely useless website which makes trying to book flights a nightmare!
I agree with Poster, I see the history of Gulf Air repeating itself here sadly.
I agree with Poster, I see the history of Gulf Air repeating itself here sadly.
Last edited by Fly3; 30th Jan 2013 at 22:41.
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'Alpas no more ang moh" what a disgrace
We are very sorry to hear that 76 expat pilots have lost their jobs. Singapore is a good place to live but unfortunately over the last couple of years the bad feeling towards foreigners has increased. The Staement made from the union is a disgrace and I wonder does that statement apply to the White passengers that fly within the group everyday. Does the union not want White passengers now as they do not want Ang Moh by 2014. I am sure the management would be disgusted with this statement.
It is about time that everyone leave all there emotional feelings and racist comments away from the workplace. We are all trying to make a living. Most of us have families and need to make a living and It is the constant external pressure from a group of individuals who ruin it for all. Please let us all try to get on with each other and work well with each other. I hope for everyone sake that the unions comments do not jepordize further jobs as the general public would not like to be associated or fly with an airline that may have racist views.
It is about time that everyone leave all there emotional feelings and racist comments away from the workplace. We are all trying to make a living. Most of us have families and need to make a living and It is the constant external pressure from a group of individuals who ruin it for all. Please let us all try to get on with each other and work well with each other. I hope for everyone sake that the unions comments do not jepordize further jobs as the general public would not like to be associated or fly with an airline that may have racist views.
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Well, the post by left coaster has disappeared.
I have not seen or heard anything about this No Ang Moh by 2014. I seriously doubt the authenticity of this. Unless I am proven otherwise.
I have not seen or heard anything about this No Ang Moh by 2014. I seriously doubt the authenticity of this. Unless I am proven otherwise.
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Loss-making SingAir
still make a handsome profit. Who remembers the early 90s where they had
announced they'd "lost" $400 million - where in reality they's made 800 mill
compared to 1.2 billion bucks the year before?
Anyway its the usual SQ cycle - profits down so dump the expats. Things get
better and suddenly they're "terribly short" of pilots. Same old story lah.
Freezing the cadet intake is usually good news for future expat FOs as there
will be a "desperate shortage" of RHSers in about 3 years time.
Correc or not ah?
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Emirates factor?
I appreciate that the economy is terrible in Europe, but I wonder how much of the downturn in SIA's fortunes is due to the rise and rise of Emirates, especially on the Oz and NZ routes?
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No more Ang Moh
Well it certainly wasn't deleted by me...I was passing on what I was told by an ex SQ driver who did 12 years in before he was not renewed, so maybe it was some sour grapes. I don't know why it would be taken down, this is a rumour network! Look for the latest bunch to be scouring the world for new jobs, including that operator in the UAE capitol and Qatar...i know quite a few who are interviewing right now...good luck guys!
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JOBS
The A345s are going in Nov and the A350s will not arrive until mid 2014, so there's a surplus of 100 drivers for just about a year. It's their train-set and they can do what they want, and they do , i know after being there for many years. There are many different nationalities of expats in Sq,not just Ang Mo's and they all get the same crap.
Good luck to you all.
Good luck to you all.
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ALPA-S have their own BB, I suspect that someone posted a thread about Ang Mohs going rather than ALPA-S committee issuing any bulletin of their own.
The ex-pats in SIA have never been in any doubt about their fixed term contracts with a three months notice option. No redundancy payments or anything like it, just the cancellation of any training bond in force and it was always going to be, in the event of over supply, ex-pats first. Very sad but all good things come to an end. SIA have employed expat captains for over fifty years. Poster, don't think you understand how the expat contract works, in any airline overseas, SIA are one of the most cash rich airlines in the world and are definitely not 'Losers'.
The ex-pats in SIA have never been in any doubt about their fixed term contracts with a three months notice option. No redundancy payments or anything like it, just the cancellation of any training bond in force and it was always going to be, in the event of over supply, ex-pats first. Very sad but all good things come to an end. SIA have employed expat captains for over fifty years. Poster, don't think you understand how the expat contract works, in any airline overseas, SIA are one of the most cash rich airlines in the world and are definitely not 'Losers'.
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it's always not nice to see pilots lose their jobs, locals or expats.
but the expats on contract will not have their contracts renewed anymore since SIA seems to have changed policy to hiring only cadets(singaporeans, msians, indians)
they have been released earlier than expected, that's all.
but the expats on contract will not have their contracts renewed anymore since SIA seems to have changed policy to hiring only cadets(singaporeans, msians, indians)
they have been released earlier than expected, that's all.
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Such is the life of a contract pilot. Always the first to get he ax.
Look, anyone who relies on contract flying solely to pay their bills, and doesn't have a backup, is like the guy who doesn't upload extra fuel when destination and alternate is at or near mins.
As a contract pilot you have to plan for these sorts of things. Which is exactly why, at many airlines, the contract pay is more. Because 2 factors are at play: 1) Contract pilots need more money to compensate for prolonged periods of unemployment. 2) Because of that unemployment potential being so great, less and less pilots apply for contract openings, hence the price of the pilot goes up, ie, supply vs demand.
That's why the local or union talent ought to stop their whining when contract pilots are brought in to assist in staffing shortfalls. And just the same, contract pilots need to stop their whining when they find themselves on the wrong side of that employment equation.
If you don't like it, get a job with an established national carrier and get yourself onto that seniority list for protection. I did. It took years but now I have thousands of pilots below me (junior to me). Sure there are drawbacks, my buddies who fly contracts take home more money than I do, and that's fine. But I never really have to worry about getting sacked. There are always tradeoffs.
I have done 4 contracts throughout my career. Each one was quite lucrative but none offered job security. Money isn't everything.
Look, anyone who relies on contract flying solely to pay their bills, and doesn't have a backup, is like the guy who doesn't upload extra fuel when destination and alternate is at or near mins.
As a contract pilot you have to plan for these sorts of things. Which is exactly why, at many airlines, the contract pay is more. Because 2 factors are at play: 1) Contract pilots need more money to compensate for prolonged periods of unemployment. 2) Because of that unemployment potential being so great, less and less pilots apply for contract openings, hence the price of the pilot goes up, ie, supply vs demand.
That's why the local or union talent ought to stop their whining when contract pilots are brought in to assist in staffing shortfalls. And just the same, contract pilots need to stop their whining when they find themselves on the wrong side of that employment equation.
If you don't like it, get a job with an established national carrier and get yourself onto that seniority list for protection. I did. It took years but now I have thousands of pilots below me (junior to me). Sure there are drawbacks, my buddies who fly contracts take home more money than I do, and that's fine. But I never really have to worry about getting sacked. There are always tradeoffs.
I have done 4 contracts throughout my career. Each one was quite lucrative but none offered job security. Money isn't everything.
Last edited by Geebz; 5th Feb 2013 at 05:45.
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Attention: For Foreign Pilots Employment in Singapore
As long as Singapore pilots employment in Singapore is concerned,
(1) Foreign pilots’ employment in Singapore will be safe and unchanged.
(2) All Singapore air operators will definitely protect and continue to hire foreign pilots. The recent "retrenchment” of SIA pilots are just for show to all Singaporeans (just like pulling a strand of hair – what a joke)[see news report <- click].
Since there is no “copied-imperial-British” Singapore employment law stating local air-operators must not recruit foreigners into their ab-intio cadetship, the first class airline (SIA) will still continue to go India, Hong Kong and Malaysia to recruit foreign cadet pilots to replace proud Singaporeans when the time is right and economy picks up.
(3) Ministry of Manpower and CAAS are powerless and have no control in the influx of foreign pilots into Singapore. Thus, foreign pilots need not worry.
(a) CAAS is an agency to issue license whoever meets their requirement and they have no authority to decide who should be employed. {welcome to call all the numbers to check <-click}
(b) Ministry of Manpower has no control of employment of foreign pilots because there is no law forbids air-operators in employing foreign pilots. {Verify with him <- click}
(4) The people of ALPA-S are a bunch of wheel-chair and handicap clowns. The union has no power to negotiate with Singapore Gov't against hiring foreign pilots at all. ALP-S can only publish some pathetic newspapers articles to show everybody (especially to Singaporean pilots) about how concern they are. This is typical example of Singaporean’s "no action talk only" (Singlish abbreviated as n.a.t.o.). Furthermore, there is no viable revenue for ALPA-S to fight for Singaporeans.
(5) Singaporeans are stupid, coward and no balls to protest against hiring of foreign pilots. No threat to foreign pilots at all. Even if there is protest, it will be useless and fruitless.
For instance, the White Paper [click here] passing in the Parliament despite all protests and agony among obedient Singaporeans. Entire house of Members of Parliament (MPs) (excluding the 10 blue helpless hammers) are supporting this. Well, nobody can overturn Singapore Parliament’s decision.
(6) If Singaporeans are capable, Singapore air-operators will not be hiring foreign pilots to overtake their jobs.
(7) Singapore Airlines have been relying and depending foreign pilots very much to fly for their national carrier (yes, it has been for ages). SIA will not be stupid to terminate and decrease the foreign pilot employment rate. After all, >60% of the SIA Flight Operations are non-Singaporeans!
By the way, 76 expat pilots (being laid off) out of 60% foreign pilot pool is a tip-of ice berg.
(8) Singapore Airlines is a private company and is not own by Singapore' Gov't. Singapore Gov't will never get involved in upsetting their own national fleet carrier flight operations. This includes Jetstar Asia, Scoot, Tiger Airways and etc.
(9) Comparing the foreign pilot employment between most Asian countries (including most corrupted country like Indonesia (see recent post here)) and Singapore, Singapore does not have any restriction/governmental anti-foreign pilot policy for all Singapore air-operators to hire foreign pilots.
(10) The mighty Singapore Gov’t is targeting 7 millions populations. This means, Gov’t need foreigners to contribute to S’pore. Foreign pilots are very welcome to survive here. Local air-operators will be happy to wag their tails for as long as foreign pilots continue to stay. All local air operators will be happily making money and do not care who can fly for their fleet.
She [<- click] will be in her gay spirit and continue resting on her comfortable arm-chair, as long as SIA churning money for Temasek Holdings [<- click]. GIC is over-concentrating in money making business, negelcting Singaporeans'interest.
The above ten solid pointers assuring all foreign pilots are safe to have Asian sticky-rice bowl parameter! Great isn't it? Believe me or not, there is still wonderful but warm and favouritism of foreign pilots’ employment in Singapore. Singaporeans have too much issues to bitch and whine than picking on foreign pilots. Not forgetting, foreign pilots employment is always the least to target.
Your Singaporean colleagues will still be smiling ear to ear when they see you, inviting you for dinner, offering free ONS and etc.
Most importantly, my message to all foreign pilots in Singapore, advise all naive Singaporeans/Singapore pilots to calm down and stop wasting their time.
Welcome to make hyper-link to this post or print and distributed to all pathetic Singaporean pilots or Singaporeans wish to become pilot.
(1) Foreign pilots’ employment in Singapore will be safe and unchanged.
(2) All Singapore air operators will definitely protect and continue to hire foreign pilots. The recent "retrenchment” of SIA pilots are just for show to all Singaporeans (just like pulling a strand of hair – what a joke)[see news report <- click].
Since there is no “copied-imperial-British” Singapore employment law stating local air-operators must not recruit foreigners into their ab-intio cadetship, the first class airline (SIA) will still continue to go India, Hong Kong and Malaysia to recruit foreign cadet pilots to replace proud Singaporeans when the time is right and economy picks up.
(3) Ministry of Manpower and CAAS are powerless and have no control in the influx of foreign pilots into Singapore. Thus, foreign pilots need not worry.
(a) CAAS is an agency to issue license whoever meets their requirement and they have no authority to decide who should be employed. {welcome to call all the numbers to check <-click}
(b) Ministry of Manpower has no control of employment of foreign pilots because there is no law forbids air-operators in employing foreign pilots. {Verify with him <- click}
(4) The people of ALPA-S are a bunch of wheel-chair and handicap clowns. The union has no power to negotiate with Singapore Gov't against hiring foreign pilots at all. ALP-S can only publish some pathetic newspapers articles to show everybody (especially to Singaporean pilots) about how concern they are. This is typical example of Singaporean’s "no action talk only" (Singlish abbreviated as n.a.t.o.). Furthermore, there is no viable revenue for ALPA-S to fight for Singaporeans.
(5) Singaporeans are stupid, coward and no balls to protest against hiring of foreign pilots. No threat to foreign pilots at all. Even if there is protest, it will be useless and fruitless.
For instance, the White Paper [click here] passing in the Parliament despite all protests and agony among obedient Singaporeans. Entire house of Members of Parliament (MPs) (excluding the 10 blue helpless hammers) are supporting this. Well, nobody can overturn Singapore Parliament’s decision.
(6) If Singaporeans are capable, Singapore air-operators will not be hiring foreign pilots to overtake their jobs.
(7) Singapore Airlines have been relying and depending foreign pilots very much to fly for their national carrier (yes, it has been for ages). SIA will not be stupid to terminate and decrease the foreign pilot employment rate. After all, >60% of the SIA Flight Operations are non-Singaporeans!
By the way, 76 expat pilots (being laid off) out of 60% foreign pilot pool is a tip-of ice berg.
(8) Singapore Airlines is a private company and is not own by Singapore' Gov't. Singapore Gov't will never get involved in upsetting their own national fleet carrier flight operations. This includes Jetstar Asia, Scoot, Tiger Airways and etc.
(9) Comparing the foreign pilot employment between most Asian countries (including most corrupted country like Indonesia (see recent post here)) and Singapore, Singapore does not have any restriction/governmental anti-foreign pilot policy for all Singapore air-operators to hire foreign pilots.
(10) The mighty Singapore Gov’t is targeting 7 millions populations. This means, Gov’t need foreigners to contribute to S’pore. Foreign pilots are very welcome to survive here. Local air-operators will be happy to wag their tails for as long as foreign pilots continue to stay. All local air operators will be happily making money and do not care who can fly for their fleet.
She [<- click] will be in her gay spirit and continue resting on her comfortable arm-chair, as long as SIA churning money for Temasek Holdings [<- click]. GIC is over-concentrating in money making business, negelcting Singaporeans'interest.
The above ten solid pointers assuring all foreign pilots are safe to have Asian sticky-rice bowl parameter! Great isn't it? Believe me or not, there is still wonderful but warm and favouritism of foreign pilots’ employment in Singapore. Singaporeans have too much issues to bitch and whine than picking on foreign pilots. Not forgetting, foreign pilots employment is always the least to target.
Your Singaporean colleagues will still be smiling ear to ear when they see you, inviting you for dinner, offering free ONS and etc.
Most importantly, my message to all foreign pilots in Singapore, advise all naive Singaporeans/Singapore pilots to calm down and stop wasting their time.
Welcome to make hyper-link to this post or print and distributed to all pathetic Singaporean pilots or Singaporeans wish to become pilot.
Last edited by truefaith; 5th Feb 2013 at 12:39.
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Welcome to make hyper-link to this post or print and distributed to all
pathetic Singaporean pilots or Singaporeans wish to become pilot.
The CAAS won't issue a licence to an expat unless he is sponsored by a Singaporean employer.
Most, if not all of what you write is simply 180 degrees wrong and suggests to me, from the vitriolic presentation, that somewhere along the way you failed to get into SIA?
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Trying to provoke me? Ney... it will not work.
May be I should have bold the entire (3)(a) sentence.
In case you do not know, CAAS search engine is useful to search SASP-2
I am sorry if I upset you.
I am an internet troll. Recently renewed my MOM 'E' pass, and will be working as a contract supervisor doing cleaning. Perhaps, I shall take some photographs of 9V huge cockpits.
Originally Posted by parabellum
The CAAS won't issue a licence to an expat unless he is sponsored by a Singaporean employer.
In case you do not know, CAAS search engine is useful to search SASP-2
Originally Posted by parabellum
Most, if not all of what you write is simply 180 degrees wrong and suggests to me, from the vitriolic presentation, that somewhere along the way you failed to get into SIA?
I am an internet troll. Recently renewed my MOM 'E' pass, and will be working as a contract supervisor doing cleaning. Perhaps, I shall take some photographs of 9V huge cockpits.
Last edited by truefaith; 5th Feb 2013 at 12:22.
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The trouble with a lot of foreigners is that they always try to demonise SQ, other Asian carriers and Asian pilots whenever they cannot get their way, hence the no angmohs thingy. Once outed as a lie they come out with a lot of lies to cover up their original lies. This has been their m.o for decades.
For SQ, it is a business decision. Looking ahead, when they may need more pilots in the future, they can source them at cheaper rates later taking into account the job market forces in their neighborhood. Got a problem with that, well as a pilot looking for better wages, I do. But to do an underhand thing to demonise other fellow pilots not of your ilk, it is very low.
For SQ, it is a business decision. Looking ahead, when they may need more pilots in the future, they can source them at cheaper rates later taking into account the job market forces in their neighborhood. Got a problem with that, well as a pilot looking for better wages, I do. But to do an underhand thing to demonise other fellow pilots not of your ilk, it is very low.