Thomas Cook recruiting

[LIMA OR ALPHA JUNK]

I very much doubt it but will enquire for you. The non-type rated guys they have taken in the past came through cadet schemes such as CTC. Recruitment plans will depend upon the EVS take-up and the finalising from Tour Ops of this summers programme.

[Honiley]

Barclaysslave...

From the 'Horses Mouth' - No non-type rated recruitment!

[barclaysslave]

OK thankyou both for the info

[beardy]

If Questor in the Telegraph is correct, TCX plans to downsize capacity and fleet by 25% over the next few years

Questor didn't say TCX, it said Thomas Cook, which is much bigger that just the UK operation: it also said aircraft, not capacity. It is highly likely that the journo was being given a pre-results-release briefing (probably in a noisy bar) and misunderstood aspiration for plan. The idea, which has been around for a long time, is to establish for winter level operations and charter in for summer capacity. They have never made it work in the past (apart from Airworld who returned the leased aircraft at the end of the season).

[LIMA OR ALPHA JUNK]

I hope you're right Beardy but the absence of a definitive statement now for some days on the subject from the DFO on the company website hardly raises the spirit does it ?

3 330s are going next year at present and the current order of 321s does not cover the number of 757s due to be returned to lessors does it ?

[Nightmale]

The EVS bids are now open. Seems like not a bad deal (18 months salary providing you have at least 24 months before retirement - equates to over £150,000 for a senior captain). Might be enough to tempt quite a few of the high earners.

[SW1]

Just got the no from Thomas Cook didnt even make past the application screening stage.

[763 jock]

Nightmale. Where did you get the info about the EVS? I see that the bid is open but I've not seen anything official about the terms.

Thanks.

Edited to add TCG Press Release:

25 January 2011
Thomas Cook Group plc
Narrow Body Fleet Renewal
In line with the announcement on 1 December 2010, Thomas Cook Group Plc announces that it
has today signed a binding contract with Airbus. The agreement is for 12 new Airbus 321
aircraft scheduled to be delivered from 2014, together with options to purchase further A320
family aircraft from 2015.
The new aircraft will be powered by CFM56-5B engines produced by CFM International, a joint
venture by Snecma (Safran group) and GE.
The Group will remain a heavy user of operating leases and it is anticipated that the directly
purchased aircraft will be financed through sale and leaseback agreements with third party
lessors.
Enquiries:

Thomas Cook Group plc
Investor Relations [phone] / [phone]

Finsbury [phone]

[EK4457]

Looks like the PFO emails are being dished out.

Hope you all get better luck than me.

EK.

[Drakestream]

Also just got the PFO email. Not the end of the world, was expecting it really. Good luck to those chaps who make it through.

[G-GOLF]

Me too, saw it coming though - yeah best of luck to all ! We'll get there yet !!

[VJW]

PFO for me too, wonder if it would have been better applying using the B757 application as I'm on the 737NG right now. I used the A320 application - wonder if that made a difference.

OH well

[max_continuous]

Just got my PFO through, low hours, non-TR and can't say I'm surprised, but still always that little tinge of disappointment.

Best of luck to everyone.

[frozenpilot]

It seems a little stange that they sre sending out the 'PFO's' so soon as they are only just starting sim checks and sending the EVS bid out. How do they know the quality of 'sim-checkers' and the amount of people who will take severancy??

[max_continuous]

There is a line in the email saying they will retain details on file, so perhaps call people back in if they don't meet the required numbers?

Doubt it will low-hours chaps, but there's always that little irrational bit of hope.

[CABUS]

Everyone has their own opinion on whats going on however, I believe that they were mainly looking for chaps rated on the bus. I say this as a few skippers have moved accross to the Boeing and I know a few other skippers on the bus who would see EVS as a great opportunity to bugger off. I have also heard that there are a couple of bus bases which are short of a skipper or two such as BFS. As said before on Prune, they are just replacing older expensive chaps with younger cheaper guys. When it comes to 'sim checkers' I think the company can assume that most of the chaps who have got through to the sim stage will meet the standard required which I would imagine is 500hrs on A320 and possibly a couple of guys on the 75.

Best of luck

[londonmet]

EVS

Hi all,

Was this EVS available to FOs as well?

[bucket_and_spade]

londonmet,

No, just captains!

[Coffin Corner]

Just had the PFO email too. I filled out both the Airbus and Boeing applications, but the email is for the bus only at the moment. Oh well.

[VJW]

Perhaps, you still have a chance with the Boeing application then.