As far as i am aware no one has left recently

There has been a Captain resign from the Airbus in the last 12 months, and a B744 SFO left 2 weeks ago for new pastures.

Other than that, I only know of:

1 B744 retiree a month ago, and sadly two early deaths on the B744 in the last 12 months.

And a senior Captain has just retired from the Airbus last week apparently.

Think it is fairly obvious that there will be cock all recruitment at VS for the foreseeable future!

one other B744 SFO has handed his notice in recently...

B744 fleet is not the best lifestyle fleet at the mo!!!!! morale a little low....

Virgin is pretty well hedged for the next year, less well for the year after. Survival is the name of the game for all airlines over the next part of the cycle. Virgin's strategy will include very tight cost-control and moving capacity from stalling markets to stronger ones. I assume, if it really becomes necessary, Virgin will take capacity out of the market, but no such actions have been mooted as yet despite BA suggesting that they will do so, and Ryanair talking in terms of grounding 20% of their fleet through this winter (though their unhedged position makes them particularly sensitive to spot fuel prices).

Certainly, recruiting is very much on the back boiler. At the moment, there are some 'attrition' appointments ongoing, but it's unlikely there'll be more this year. As has been said, folks don't leave Virgin in any numbers so don't hold your collective breath. Talk of substitute aircraft for the 787 is hypothetical and somewhet irrelevant right now as the first delivery (prior to Boeing's delays) was not scheduled for another 3-4 years. The A380 is also not due for some years. Once we can see our way out of the current downturn the news may change, but the consensus of economic opinion is that this downturn will be deeper than anything of the last 20 years thanks to the combination of tight credit, inflation, and high oil prices, and the subsequent upswing will be some time in coming. Despite Virgin's legendary ability to buck the trend, this one looks like keeping Virgin's recruiting door closed for the next year or so.

Edit: I should make the point, once again, that I am not part of the Virgin recruiting organisation and everything I say is my own opinion, based on my own observations. Don't hold me - or Virgin Atlantic - to any of it!

Virgin Atlantic - Manchester Base
 

Can anyone advise whether they're recruiting F/O's at the moment?

They're not recruiting at the moment.....but who knows what the plan will be tomorrow.

As far as a Man base is concerned, all Flight deck are based at LHR, with some Cabin crew given a Man basing.

The plan tomorrow will be the same as today. No recruitment. I can guarantee you that.

Maybe so but there are Airbus and Boeing courses starting this month (I know people on both) so as the hold pool empties won't that mean future recruitment is more likely?

No, the courses starting this month were really recruits for the extra A343 we had coming in March 2009. 747 courses offered due to SFO's on 747 being offered Command on 340's, hence 747 FO's needed.

That is now not happening. Our General Manager Flying took the honourable step of honouring courses that people had accepted, on the basis that people had left jobs in order to commit to VS.

We are now overcrewed by about 10 people evidently, although the 747 fleet would debate that, with a pretty heavy workload.

Don't hold your breath.

Recruitment in about 18 months I reckon. But it COULD change........but not that likely. Especially if we merge with a.n.other Heathrow carrier.......

...or with another European carrier...

Tchuss