Situation in Germany?

[greenjet]

Hey guys,
i was wondering about todays pilot-situation in Germany. What are the requirements(besides being fluent in german) to work for any of german airlines?


ANy help/advice would be appreciated,
thanks

[Denti]

Several thousand pilots out of work, mostly low hour guys though. Air Berlin is about to fold during the coming winter releasing another 1300 pilots with experience onto the local market. OLTs future is questionable as well, right after they bought out contact air which is going to lose its Lufthansa contracts in the near future.

However as far as i know there might be the odd chance at Aerologic, Condor is still slowly taking in new FOs. The situation is not really good overall.

[de facto]

Air Berlin is about to fold during the coming winter releasing another 1300 pilots with experience onto the local market

Where did you get this info?you mean bankrupt for good?Isnt Air Berlin a huge Airline?

[B737NG]

Huge and insubstantial blown up is diffrent. Read some statements made from the Management and you will recognize it. Most of the people in key positions still have a style of running the show. There are many good ones within but they are kept occupied and sidetracked so they cannot disturb the old cliques. The tone is rough and you hear often that you are not forced to work here and free to go........

[Denti]

Quote:
Air Berlin is about to fold during the coming winter releasing another 1300 pilots with experience onto the local market

Where did you get this info?you mean bankrupt for good?Isnt Air Berlin a huge Airline?

Hardly huge, and shrinking fast. So far this year they reduced their fleet by 10% and will reduce it further. And about their financial stability? Well, last December the airline was bankrupt, a not to be named here middle eastern airline bought close to 30% of their shares for €70 million and lend them another 200 million. This june they had to lend them another 160 million to keep them afloat and air berlin has widened its losses compared to the previous year which was already catastrophic with a 300m loss. Either the unnamed middle eastern airline will have to inject more and more capital in an increasing rate or they will cut their losses and the airline will immediately fold. As it is unlikely that air berlin will ever make s profit i would think the latter is going to happen. Why this winter? Because the airline would need another 300 million come december to survive the winter, but only if the winter is as mild as the last one. For a hard winter they need at least double that as their main hub (berlin tegel) will be mostly unusable.

[brakedwell]

What will happen to (Fly)Niki if the worst happens? I understand Air Berlin now owns the airline.

[Denti]

Probably gonna go down the drain as well. It is fully integrated into air berlin and air berlin provides nearly all back office services, it is of course financially integrated too which means that niki doesn't have any money of its own.

I would be happy to be proven wrong of course, in both cases. But i don't see how, especially with a huge labour conflict looming at air berlin and pilots willing to strike the company into insolvency.

[brakedwell]

That would be a shame, Denti. Niki screwed twice!

[EAM]

It is fully integrated into air berlin

What a wishful dream. Niki is not integrated at all, but 100% owned by AB.
Only hope would be that old Niki Lauda takes again some of the Airbuses and starts his 3. Airline, as he still most some of the Airbuses and Embraers.

[Tu.114]

EAM,

that would be his fourth attempt then. There were two companies by the name of Lauda air already. The 1st operated F27 and went bankrupt in 1983, the second one was forced on Austrian Airways in 2002 just before it would have gone belly-up. His 3rd attempt is Fly Niki, which is now a part of the ailing Air Berlin conglomerate.

This gentleman has not exactly a stellar record when it comes to running an airline.

[EAM]

Yes I know that, just took Lauda I and Lauda II as one.
I even wanted to add the comment "Who ever wants to fly for him again" but itīs still better than being without a job.

[brakedwell]

I even wanted to add the comment "Who ever wants to fly for him again" but itīs still better than being without a job.

Exactly, beggars can't be choosers.

[Tu.114]

Denti -

You are making rather strong statements with regards to AB. Now I am not saying they are untrue or even improbable but I have not yet been able to find anything expanding on this except for the rather bad financial figures for 2nd quartal.

Are the further reductions in fleet size You hinted at already certain and maybe even published somewhere?