British Airways' Director of Flight Operations
 

What could possibly explain the sudden resignation of Captain Stephen Riley, without any apparent succession planning, from his well renumerated post as British Airways' Director of Flight Operations? A COO stepping in temporarily can hardly be described as normal practice - does that even follow CAA procedures??

Ambitious career people in high posts don't make sacrifices without substantive reason or to take a stand or to make a point, because by then, crossing the rubicon of trading personally held beliefs and morals for a big fat pay cheque has long been resolved.

So, any thoughts as to the TRUE reason behind this fascinating turn of events? What other reason could there be other than a moot desire to return to line flying?

Don't feed the troll :rolleyes:

Looks like it was a good lunchtime session in the pub!

On further investigation. I stand corrected! Breakfast?

It’s probably as you’ve said on another thread:

He saw your post, realised his flying years are numbered and wants to make the most of it whilst he still can :oD

Might be because he has not made a great success of things, however, nice to have a job to go back to. BA are about to outsource its Load Control and as a former Mr Lord is with Menzies now it would not be a surprise!

I find it confusing that BA has taken so long to outsource parts of its operation, considering they started the process in 1985?

The natural successor to the DFO post at British Airways would surely be Captain David Charles Maunder, he is currently BA's Head of Flight Operations and he has previous in-role experience with City Flyer. Why then BA's COO as replacement DFO and not Captain David Maunder?

I heard a suggestion that it was something to do with outsourcing of training.

L3 are expanding in U.K. and have at least 2 ex-BA senior pilot/training managers in their upper echelons. Could Deeply Concerned be right?
mcdhu

Small Piles may be in the frame?

A number of airlines seem to be contracting their training to L3 but I am concerned at the quality of their training personnel who are all on zero hour contracts, and are self employed contractors who offer their services to L3. If you don’t keep the rostering personnel happy you don’t get used, no matter how good you are.

For an airline such as BA, L3 are absolutely and undoubtedly a sub-optimal solution to the training requirement. Any change from the status quo, represents a quantum leap (downwards!) in quality!

However, what they are, is cheaper than BA’s in-house training.

In this day and age, what more do you need to know?

Please feel free to imagine the ultimate result of such a (so far hypothetical!) move?

Who has a scooby whether this has anything whatsoever to do with the bizarre musings of the OP??

What Overstress said.

The change of DFO may well be linked to training, but for what reason?

Do you really think a highly paid person (a non-executive director) would sacrifice a substantial remuneration package almost overnight, merely on a point of principle concerning one sole area of their overall remit? Of course, they wouldn't !!

As to 4468's comment on 'sub-optimal solution', perhaps he/she would care to explain what they mean by it. Not only could using an external ATO save money, but it might yield other unforeseen efficiencies and benefits.

As for feeding Trolls, 'Overstressed' and 'ReallyAnnoyed' seem to be in denial of something. What could that be, the ending of a cosy existence?

Don’t judge everyone else by your apparently low moral standards.

Zero/Zero, okay, morals (I accept I have none and I'm very okay with that - it makes me dangerous), so tell me this, how does abandoning a critical position such as DFO in such as rush as to preclude finding a natural successor speak to etiquette and protocol. Furthermore, does it not signify a weak mind to give up a great package over something that doesn't actually matter that much! I doubt if any DFO has a weak mind including the guy who jumped out. That's why I'm suggesting rumours linking the event to the use of an external ATO may correct, but perhaps in a more nuanced way than rumour(s) would have you believe.

Does anyone know?

I'm swimming in the "New DFO" hold pool .....

Sorry to interject here but I am struggling to see the relevance of this in relation to 'Terms and Endearment'? Would this not be better placed in the BA forum?

Pilotless, to say "signify a weak mind to give up a great package over something that doesn't actually matter that much" really does show your ignorance. If he really did resign over possible pilot training being outsourced then I have a lot of respect for him. Whoever replaces him, if they do accept outsourcing when it comes to pilot training, has absolutely no respect from me whatsoever. Quite simply if he felt that it would affect safety and yet the board COO etc wanted to continue with it and wouldn't listen then what else can he do? Stay in role as someone stuffs it up due to poor training and then say "I told you so"?

I don't know why he left but the rumours of training being outsourced are appauling if true. The airline has cut in many areas - quite rightly - to save money over the past decade. Pilot training is one area I don't believe money should be cut from as it stands.

BA's pilot training is of a very high standard, the trainers are very skilled at their jobs. The biggest part of a trainers job is the "how". If the trainer doesn't work for BA or fly BA aircraft and use the SOP's day in day out then they don't have the knowledge nor experience to know HOW to apply the SOP's, they just know what the manual says. Ask the guys who did their BA A320 type ratings at CTC, they came back to BA and had issues due to the differences they'd received from CTC.

Ultimately it could be something totally different, like once again a shortage of pilots (who said that?!) and potential issues this summer. Supposedly JSS can't cover the work as it's saying we need more pilots, hence it's introduction has been delayed. Whatever happens, I think it's fair to say that most BA guys now couldn't think any lower of management and will presume the worst whenever a rumour starts.

You can take TCAS back. He left EK last year!!!!!!

It might be a perfect storm...

We all know from what we have witnessed that DEP recruitment has appeared to be sub-optimal......::rolleyes:

His ex possibly mates have.well and truely got their feet under the table at L3......

The training agreements and aspirational bidding will no doubt be under the microscope...

And it snowed...............

Once Lindsay left and HR took ascendancy it was bound to go ' sub optimal'

Oh yuk.

Pointless post. The DFO will say when he is ready and why would anyone on here know the actual reasons.

Absolutely. Maybe more details will come out once the dust has settled. I flew with a trainer just before crimbo who mentioned that it was becoming a full time job for the DFO to keep the wolves from the door of the training department. First I'd heard of it and was utterly god smacked. Apparently outsourcing of training / checking was being thrown up as an idea on a regular basis and very much thought of as a positive step in the eyes of AC and his bean counting chums.


Of all the cut backs I've seen since AC arrived, this is the one that's saddened me the most. They've just secured the pensions, Eurofleet CSD's and Pursers have redundancy looming, training department rumoured to be under threat. What's next, the dry cleaning.....oh wait.... :ugh:

Suggestion is that he was “removed” not resigned. Too much on the crews side, not enough the tough Company man in the present Cruz driven agenda.

Being asked to resign and being removed are two peas in a pod. The question is how can we force Cruz out?

RexBanner, WW will bin him in a heartbeat once he's served his purpose. It's just a matter of time. Then he can replace him with someone cheaper....

CM going too. So he can't replace SR...

What the hell is going on? These guys will have signed on as pilot managers for the rest of their career at BA, and now 2 seniors have been pushed..

I would imagine that the closure of NAPS might help a senior manager weigh up the hassle vs reward equation. Even as a lowly line pilot with nearly 30 years in, I am counting the days until I can bail. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate BA is one of the best places to be in civil aviation;it’s just that I recognise that civil aviation is not the place to be anymore.......

:D:D:D
just need the "Like" button now...

By Cruz I also meant Walsh in tandem. Mind you as a Hammer I am feeling particularly militant right now.

Stephen Riley does have morals - and a sense of what is right &, more importantly, safe. He jumped/was pushed because he wouldn't sign off on outsourcing ALL training. He's not the first to put what's best for safety above what's best for himself. Garry Copeland did the same last year. As 'Managing Director Combined Operations' he was the 'Accountable Manager' and the legal buck stopped with him. When he asked IAG for money to do what he considered to be essential safety related work they refused. He jumped as well. There are some good guys around - but every day fewer!!

And the new DFo is .....................?

No news as yet.

Rumours of a reorg at the top of Flight Ops with announcements as to who is doing what by the end of the week (perhaps).

I thought Klaus had appointed himself to the role

He has, but as I understand it only on a temporarily basis (there has to be a DFO/company chief pilot etc) until such time as the candidates bidding to replace SR have gone through whatever process is involved and a replacement has been selected and named.

Ahh yes it’s not supposed to look like a dictatorship 😎 You’re probably right having re read the FAN

I’ve heard it from a source very, very close to the meeting in question that SR was indeed sacked. With regards to the outsourcing of training, (correct me if I’m wrong but) if AC and KG wanted to take such a course they could quite easily impose it without the say so or agreement of SR.

Interesting timing that NS just happened to leave her post in quick succession to SR. Could it be mere coincidence or is it indicative that there has been a huge manpower cock up (allegedly at least 400 pilots short at the mo) leading to heads rolling.

660 hours for the rolling year 🤫

I’m not sure about the reasons for all the movement that has gone on (IMHO one of the “transfers” is more of a sideways move than downwards) but as far as the DoFO is concerned,..yes I agree...my sources have that as being a consequence of manpower numbers (again) rather than anything to do with the training empire.