Wizzair
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Switzerland ... oh wait: Swaziland
Posts: 585
20% of the pilots fired in April. The start of Wizz Abu Dhabi (which some people considered to be their savior in the ME) is pushed again and again (now to the middle of January and with only two aircraft). Per Eurocontrol data the company is flying 5% of the capacity operated last November (despite another 20 aircraft were delivered since). As of this moment 10 aircraft are flying out of 135. The biggest base (Budapest) is cut to four flights a week. Not four destinations but four flights. The majority of the remaining crew are on non-paid "holiday" during the winter season. Company communication is about improving demand from next month (since like May), not happenning. Go figure how much pilots they need. Unless they do another round of fire & re-hire (or replace with rookies) drive.
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 566
All predictions of recruitment in early 2021 were based on the assumption that there would not be a resurgence of the pandemic, a second round of lockdowns and travel restrictions and abysmally low demand for flying throughout the winter (because, honestly, why would you go somewhere where everything is closed and a curfew is in place). Many countries on the route network remain off limits to foreigners indefinitely. Even if vaccines are successfully deployed in early 2021 and the acute stage of the public health crisis abates by the summer, never to come back, a return to more than 70-80% of 2019 flight numbers by the end of 2021 is unlikely. And, for now, Wizz air have enough pilots to cover 80% of their 2019 schedule, possibly up to 90% if some of the redundant pilots will be called back. So, late 2021 or early 2022 seems to be the optimistic time line for recruitment now.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Europe
Posts: 228
Internal rumor is that post covid19 salaries are going to be initially half of what pre-covid pay was. It's not clear whether this will apply to new hires/rehires or to everyone further dividing the pilot group thus preventing forming of a union some sort.
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 566
Q2 2021 will be an interesting time if the EC does not extend the suspension of the 80-20 slot rule in March. The moment those slots are up for grabs, Wizz air are ready to take them. That's what JV has been indicating consistently in the past months. And this is something which can redefine the landscape in many parts of Europe which previously enjoyed a totally different setup.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: FL510
Posts: 903
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 566
There was a 20% pay cut in late March - and, back then, the idea was to restore the pre-COVID salary after one year for current employees but to keep the new, lower pay scale for any new joiners. Then, in the summer, the length of service bonus was capped - as far as I remember, now any further year of service after the fifth one makes no difference to pay. Right now, many pilots are either on part-time contracts or on alternating periods of unpaid leave.
That's the part which is certain for now. Can anyone confirm whether the new, further reduced pay scale is a fact or just a rumour? If it's real, this is likely going to affect a number of other airlines across Europe, especially Eastern Europe.
That's the part which is certain for now. Can anyone confirm whether the new, further reduced pay scale is a fact or just a rumour? If it's real, this is likely going to affect a number of other airlines across Europe, especially Eastern Europe.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Europe
Posts: 228
Rumor has it that a zoom meeting has leaked costing some heads/managers so far. Many subjects were discussed during this meeting like a matrix on how to choose who should be let go and based on what reasons, further salary cuts, etc.
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Dubai, once... now London
Age: 46
Posts: 61
aviationvictim
The majority of redundant captains and FOs are working jobs where they make a quarter of their previous airline pilot salary, operators know that, so why on earth should they offer more money ? As of today and the foreseeable future pilot's bargaining power is close to zero.
The majority of redundant captains and FOs are working jobs where they make a quarter of their previous airline pilot salary, operators know that, so why on earth should they offer more money ? As of today and the foreseeable future pilot's bargaining power is close to zero.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: ??-ask crewing
Posts: 134
History tells us a surplus turns to a desperate shortage very very quickly, and while I fully support pilots accepting big pay cuts, when the boots on the other foot, they MUST MUST MUST either walk away to a competitor, or demand a massive pay deal to prevent them doing so (and compensate for the bad times).
And when that deal is assessed by the pilot, inevitably the behaviour of the airline during the bad times will be remembered, so airlines which think they are saving a bundle by slashing pay, will only lose it later by having to pay more when pilots are rare as rocking horse
. So for example, given an offer from both wizz and easy, I would in future need the wizz package to be about 25% above easy, because I now know that come the bad times, the wizz pay will crumble away in a second.
And when that deal is assessed by the pilot, inevitably the behaviour of the airline during the bad times will be remembered, so airlines which think they are saving a bundle by slashing pay, will only lose it later by having to pay more when pilots are rare as rocking horse
. So for example, given an offer from both wizz and easy, I would in future need the wizz package to be about 25% above easy, because I now know that come the bad times, the wizz pay will crumble away in a second.
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 566
Improvement in T&Cs is due in two situations - whenever the company needs to attract new employees (by convincing them to quit their jobs in other companies) and whenever retention of the present employees becomes problematic (obviously because there are other, better opportunities out there and people are moving onto them in large numbers).
Which of those is the case now? Neither, unfortunately. Therefore, any improvement is off the cards until numerous other opportunities come up, absorb most of those thousands on the dole or in low-paid non-flying jobs now and provide better alternatives for present employees. As things stand now, those who still have their jobs will be clinging onto them for dear life and those who are out of jobs will sign up for literally everything. Not exactly an environment conductive to pay increase.
Which of those is the case now? Neither, unfortunately. Therefore, any improvement is off the cards until numerous other opportunities come up, absorb most of those thousands on the dole or in low-paid non-flying jobs now and provide better alternatives for present employees. As things stand now, those who still have their jobs will be clinging onto them for dear life and those who are out of jobs will sign up for literally everything. Not exactly an environment conductive to pay increase.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: ??-ask crewing
Posts: 134
I'm not talking about now. I think a pilot crunch could be sooner than you think, maybe two years, plus about 6 to 12 months for that realisation to be reflected in pay. I know first hand that at least a couple of big airlines have kept their pilots on the books, not because they are feeling charitable, but because they can see a crewing shortage looming very soon. I personally think wizz will regret letting their true colours being shown.
Join Date: May 2011
Location: France
Posts: 48
The paycuts everyone seem so eager to accept are permanent and you’ll never see pay levels rise again. Especially in a non-unionised Eastern European company. Wizz will come out of this crisis stronger than ever with a workforce cheaper than ever. This of course undermines all airline jobs in Europe as everyone’s scrambling to keep up with the ultra low cost idea. It’s never-ending.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: ??-ask crewing
Posts: 134
Yes, a pay/demand equilibrium does require that pilots are willing to relocate - if Wizz is the only show in town, and the pilots are a captive market, then can pay whatever they want (to a point where pilots decide no longer to be pilots or relocate). But in places like Luton, there are normally many many options for pilots, and accordingly, the Wizz Luton terms were not that different to easyJet (and wizz had a much more reasonable type rating scheme)
