BA Direct Entry Pilot.
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Pole pilot. That's a good article and confirms suspicion on the line. It has been felt for a while that BA was in danger of over recruiting. I think we have over recruited and I would support this by saying look at the CAP levels. Never has it been so low but then again in the last 5 years we have been so very short of pilots so perhaps this is a reflection of what normal crewing levels should look like during the winter program. The change from FPA to flying pay is no coincidence either. Everywhere you look BA is being trimmed down and modernisation is being attempted. It is only pilot recruitment and mixed fleet cabin crew which has continued and that's probably because we were so short. My reserve months in the past were so busy you never saw home but recently I was calling BA and asking to fly only to be told "sorry we don't have anything" The real indications will come in the summer, if we see CAP return to normal levels of 88 rather than the current 72 then recruitment will have had it spot on.
What needs to be kept in mind is that recruitment over the last two years has been exceptional not normal and it would be expected to slow significantly.
Deferred aircraft? The cleaners said so and they know first. They told me we own our 747's and the cost per seat kilometre was significantly less with fuel prices as they are forecast to remain in the period 2017-20. The deferral of orders is in response to weakening of yield on the Atlantic and in Europe and this is the response so that shareholder dividends can see a return of 10-12%. Adding to that of the recent raise of the base rate by the FED capital is also becoming more expensive reducing the efficiency savings of the newer aircraft. To say I was surprised to be having such a conversation from the most reliable source in BA was a understatement.
What needs to be kept in mind is that recruitment over the last two years has been exceptional not normal and it would be expected to slow significantly.
Deferred aircraft? The cleaners said so and they know first. They told me we own our 747's and the cost per seat kilometre was significantly less with fuel prices as they are forecast to remain in the period 2017-20. The deferral of orders is in response to weakening of yield on the Atlantic and in Europe and this is the response so that shareholder dividends can see a return of 10-12%. Adding to that of the recent raise of the base rate by the FED capital is also becoming more expensive reducing the efficiency savings of the newer aircraft. To say I was surprised to be having such a conversation from the most reliable source in BA was a understatement.
Last edited by bex88; 23rd Jan 2017 at 07:52.
The cleaners said so and they know first. They told me we own our 747's
In any event whatever the truth of the above I do agree with the comments about CAP and (over) recruiting.
In BA AFAIK the "summer season" usually kicks in when the clocks change...i.e. usually the last weekend in March..in any event .you can usually tell by the amount of deadheading in the lines....
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Wiggy, I DH each month at least once recently. April will show us more but I think the evidence shows we are in surplus unless the recruitment has been front loaded so captains can be allowed off to LH later in the year.
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Quote:
The cleaners said so and they know first. They told me we own our 747's
Minor point but the cleaners info might be out of date! I believe the rumour might have been true for the old Classics back in the day but certainly a lot of the 744s used to carry a nice shiney plate riveted to the flightdeck wall structure saying which bank ( often a Japanese one) was financing the airframe, though I guess there's a chance that arrangement has changed.
The cleaners said so and they know first. They told me we own our 747's
Minor point but the cleaners info might be out of date! I believe the rumour might have been true for the old Classics back in the day but certainly a lot of the 744s used to carry a nice shiney plate riveted to the flightdeck wall structure saying which bank ( often a Japanese one) was financing the airframe, though I guess there's a chance that arrangement has changed.
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One thing is for certain, BA do t have the ability to plan for the remainder of the week, let alone the year ahead. You can guarantee they will cock the numbers up by trying to be too tight; the. We will see the floodgates open on recruitment once more. Retirements have started again after a 10year pause.
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The retirements have started indeed, not that many though for the next few years, having said that a fairly large number of pilots have put in for par-time which might cause some extra recruitment.
In 2018 the 5 year engagement freeze for those recruited onto the baby bus at the beginning of the previous recruitment bubble is over. Is it fair to presume most recruitment from now on will be for shorthaul vacancies?
In 2018 the 5 year engagement freeze for those recruited onto the baby bus at the beginning of the previous recruitment bubble is over. Is it fair to presume most recruitment from now on will be for shorthaul vacancies?
Last edited by Jumbo2; 3rd Feb 2017 at 13:31.
Yes Jumbo2 I gather that the retirement numbers are perhaps not as high as some have hoped for..or as some predicted (guilty)
. There's also I think the sticky issue of the company for some mysterious reason 
being slow to honour requests for some of the part time contracts.
. There's also I think the sticky issue of the company for some mysterious reason being slow to honour requests for some of the part time contracts.
Well bearing in mind those of us in the pool who applied long haul were asked if we'd accept a shorthaul offer (to which I said yes); having recruitment open again can only be a good thing surely. Unless of course it's only for 320 type rated only and these people continue to jump above those of us in the pool that are non type rated.
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10+ 787s arriving next year and the 350s arriving in 2019. There's still not enough pilots for 2020 with high levels of recruitment apparently. Hopefully good news for those in the hold pool and those wishing to apply.*
*all based on yammer and flying with management.
*all based on yammer and flying with management.