BA Recruitment
 

I am waiting for the 'year to expire' before reapplying to BA which it has this today!, although it does not look like the BA Site has any vacancies for direct entry. Is this a temporary thing whilst they fill the backlog of sims etc or have they recruited everyone for the time being?

Cheers in advance. TRon.

Just saving the slots for all the BACon pilots when BACon goes under! :)

...exactly what i;d like to know...

Not exactly! BA at Gatwick is at present converting to "Mid-Fleet" whereby Short Haul (SHAG) and Long Haul ops will be combined. Ultimately, the BA offering at Gatwick will be substantially different from that offered at Heathrow (maybe akin to the BA Connect brand if it is successful!) Of course, if BA Connect is too successful, BA will probably sell it (remember Go!!!)

Those people, pilots and cabin crew, on BA Mainline contracts will (supposedly) be offered positions at Heathrow if they wish, hence the lack of available positions! Incidentally, Cabin Crew positions now are only advertised for Gatwick (and on the new contracts!!!)

The midfleet which you're referring to at LGW is indeed going to happen. The thing is, it only affects cabin crew.

There will be no change to the work pattern for LGW 737 pilots or the 777 fleet who are dual based LHR / LGW.

No new pilot opportunities there I'm afraid.

I posted this on the BA DEP thread, but perhaps it is more relevant here.

"...And one last question - Whats the score if you are a couple of hundred hours short of 2000 and 1000 jet when you pass the interview? If they offer you the bus or 75/76 can you ask to hang out poolside until you get the hours? This would be notice period plus a month for me.

How flexible are they?
When are the next 777 courses?
Are they still recruiting for 75/76??"

Thanks again

TRon
The latest Cassandra run had a requirement for the following DEPs:

737-32
320-70
757-14
777-91
747-3

That's 210 DEPs although only about 151 retirements expected. No one can actually predict what the requirement for this year will be because of the Pension issue and the Retirement issue in Oct/Dec. Probably after this recruitment year there will be only a trickle for the next five years as retirement age goes up to 60. However if the pension issue goes the wrong way there may be a requirement for 2500! BA reqruitment are apparently trawling through last years "near misses" and calling for interview. The short haul fleets might be stocked from the flying schools and LoCos but BA will probably struggle on the 75/77/74 due to the joke BARP pension.

Good luck.

A friend of mine who is a Ryanair captain visited last week and confirmed that some of his colleagues who had failed at interview last year were being rung by BA and 'invited' to reapply now that their year is up.

I guess experienced 737-800 pilots would fit nicely into a ZFT 777 course.

It seems our time may be coming at last... Emirates obviously concur with the above... They are advertising for 777 DECs in Flight International requiring only Boeing glass cockpit command experience. This is the first time in my 13 years in aviation (9 with airlines) that I have been qualified to apply for a L/H command vacancy. Not that my interest is any greater than noting the fact at present (depending on what happens over pensions), but a significant shift in the pilot supply market methinks?

Sorry to digress slightly from this thread, but do BA have Second Officers on their B744s? Or indeed anywhere in the company? My understanding was they got rid of them some time back, but a mate of mine has been contacted by someone claiming to be one, so I thought I'd check this out with those 'in the know' on his behalf.

Many thanks in advance, and sorry to hijack the thread.

IORRA

No they don't.. there are 2 FO's on the longhaul flights which require them.

They DO have Junior FO's and Senior FO's though, however you can perfectly well have a Senior FO as a cruise relief pilot.

Thanks Dave!

Flying Tom
 

How long do you reckon is going to take for the pension issue to solve?
I am considering the idea of joining and the two issues together will make the difference in my decision.
And why do you say 2500 will leave because of the pension issue?
Can you please explain?
Thanks.

Bubair

I think the crunch will come at the end of this October when the Actuary's recommendations are put forward. Coincedently the same time the effect of the new pension legislation will be known. Likely strikes about then. The 2500 number is the number of pilots on NAPs, the pension in question. The 400 on BARP and about 300 on APS are not directly affected. At least 20% of the 2500 have stated they will leave if there is a cut in their pensions.

I am considering the idea of leaving and the two issues together will make the difference in my decision too!

In order for a satisfactory outcome BA will have to pay more money into the fund which they are very opposed too even though most employees at BA are working very hard and producing excellent profits.

If the pilots on all three pension schemes don't stick together the downward spiral already started by the introduction of BARP will continue and become un-stoppable.

If you are under 30 BA is probably still a good move unless you are with Virgin, Cathay or Britannia.:)

3rd Quarter profits announced today exceeded expectations. Difficult to keep pleading poverty IMHO.

Correction on my earlier view about industrial action. Expect it to happen post March, probably May/June. WW just said at the Q3 conference he expected the matter resolved by the time the Actuary's report is published in October. It was also said that this report might be delayed. Don't see how that is possible because it legally has to be completed within 7 months!

... In being released to the unions and staff! :mad:

But now the thread's starting to drift and the pensions debate is happening elsewhere... Here in fact - BA pilots 'prepared to strike'

How the mighty fall...

BA is not what it used to be by far..

...No, and nor is the industry, and nor is the world, your point about BA being?

to get back to the origin of this thread.. i too looked on the BA website and couldnt find a pilot application page.
I'd like to get in the queue, can anyone direct me to the online application?
or should i write?
i do have 737 command time so hope that will help!

26.2

You cannot apply at the moment, as they will be dealing with the current applications before opening another "application window"

Keep looking on BA.com under Company information/careers and they will re-open it shortly. Recruitment will be ongoing for some time.