What is a typical roster like on the Airbus fleet at the moment?
is there more of a benefit to being single fleet on a A330 or A350?
or is everyone flying both?
Any movement towards 3 days off after each trip like BA?

Any info appreciated

Would anyone know how many years the wait is currently to get onto a part time contract, Airbus RHS?

Part-time wait is considerable. The fleet is under crewed and no end in sight. Older guys are retiring early, people taking part time to try and get some respite, which just makes the issue worse. The running joke is part time only means a part time wage with a full time roster squashed into a shorter time frame.

Airbus expect 5+ trips a month, alot of it to repetitive destinations especially on 350, 2 man , one night, two or occasional 3 days off then rinse and repeat.

Unless the company choose to reduce the flying program nobody sees this changing anytime soon. Endless "talks" between company and union seem to produce no change. People are voting with their feet.

Pay/benefits/ etc are pretty good, but the issue is rosters and pilot numbers.

Boeing pilot numbers are in a better state and a more relaxed/happy fleet there.

New CEO, so perhaps some changes coming.

Anyone with commercial flying experience and uk licence would be considered right now.

VS will haemorrhage pilots further this year as they have not honoured a contract that should have been implemented over a year ago. Their desire to recruit younger/low hours/inexperienced pilots to the airline has backfired on them in a huge way, namely in retention issues. Why would a 20-something year-old pilot stay at VS, when they're stuck in a cycle of trip-2 days off, trip-2 days off, when BA are offering more days off, on a bigger network, with three-pilots, with options on short haul also?

A recent change of CEO might cast a fresh set of eyes on this glaringly obvious issue, otherwise; expect more revolving door recruitment and potentially cancelled flights this summer.

Why don't Virgin direct junior B787 pilots onto the A350/330 Fleets? The 787 fleet is heavily overcrewed in comparison with the Airbus. And presumably RR engine problems make the 787 roster even lighter.

Has anyone heard of when and if the compressed roster will be offered? I know they’ve trialled it with a handful of guys but keen to hear if anyone had any info if its something they would implement?

Are there any further possible changes to contracts as pay talks are soon due I believe.

When comparing money to the amount of work, I think the best paid LH pilots in the UK are at European Cargo and One Air. They're doing 2 (and very very rarely 3) trips per month with no time in employment linked salary structures. Both looking for family-type rated FOs.

Pilots continue to leave Virgin, including even to EuroFlyer.

Those on the easyJet scheme that came over to fly Airbus for 3 years , are leaving to go back early to EasyJet.

life style on the A330 and A350 is rubbish with mostly 1 x night 2 man trips. Virgin are returning 3 x Boeing 787’s to the leasing companies, when airlines want them and trying to move Boeing pilots and trainers over to the Airbus, of which hardly anyone is volunteering for.

of those recruited during the previously 12 months, it did not increase pilot numbers and did not completely replace the numbers that left for other airlines like emirates , BA, Jet 2 and EasyJet etc.

The union agreements previously negotiated, not completely implemented still.

Although the company did carry higher passenger numbers and had increased revenues, it did not declare a profit and instead a loss for the previous financial year.

Virgin is no longer a place to join as it was in the past and is just another airline. Try to avoid Virgin and go elsewhere

Surely Virgin have Seniority system? If there are no volunteers for required fleet movements, the most junior pilots are Directed by the company.

Airbus rosters are so bad that anyone so directed is (by definition) junior enough to go elsewhere easily. You'd simply generate crewing shortfalls on both fleets.

Understood. I have a relative on the Airbus Fleet, comparing their roster with the 787 Fleet, looks like a different Airline. The 787 fleet seem to do half, the work, three pilot flight deck, as opposed to for example a 2 pilot Florida Airbus trip, and great destinations it seems!

The Boeing 787 fleet has no command upgrades for 2 years minimum, management are trying to convince crew to move to the Airbus as they are over crewed with 3 x 787 airframes going back to the leasing company. VS is the only company sending 787's airframes back..

Rumors going around that Virgin are looking to stop / pause recruitment with the oil going up and Middle East conflict.

Still many Airbus and Boeing flight deck leaving the company every month for other opportunities like BA etc.

Recruitment is NOT paused for pilots at VS... especially those who will go on the 330/350. There are no requirements for the 787 fleet at the moment, but that doesn't stop one from taking an Airbus position.

Remember in any time of economic uncertainty Virgin are always the fist airline to “pause” recruitment before they offloading staff.

Would you go to a company that struggles to make a profit when there is a conflict in the world that has potential to spread and that is already having a huge impact on fuel costs? Personally I’d sit tight where you are for a year or two, see if Virgin survives.

The Virgin CEO announced a stop to recruitment in a internal communication.

Smart move in the circumstances

Is that what he said? Pretty sure there was another half to the sentence you are paraphrasing there, if you're in the company and saw the internal communication. You should probably share that also.

To be exact, Boeing recruitment is stopping in 2 courses time but Airbus recruitment continues..

Kindly get your facts correct..

Keeping to facts, bear this in mind. When the CEO talks about stopping recruitment, he will be talking about all roles. It’s not always all about the pilots!
Kindly get all the facts

Virgin CEO did announce a recruitment freeze. For all non essential roles.

Pilot recruitment is still on going and will be during this year. Pilots need to be hired to allow the company to honour contracts agreed in the last pay deal 3 years ago. Recruitment is only onto the airbus.

Both are accurate facts.

And there I thought this was a professional "PILOTS" rumour network and thread on "PILOT" recruitment at Virgin. But thanks for the info on non "PILOT" recruitment issues.

So, let me go back to the thread at hand and yes people Virgin is still aggressively seeking "PILOTS" on the Airbus. Not so much on the 787, they might get rid of some 787 next year, not a 100% sure how many.

Calm down champ. I am well aware of the name of this forum!
Now maybe re read what I actually posted, instead of what you think you read.
I’m not going to repeat myself for the likes of you.

if you are a VS employee, read the latest FCM newsletter dear chap!!! Fact……

I’m not, mr touchy

Well since you’re being so clear about stopping recruitment for all roles, and are all about facts, the Virgin website is currently recruiting in 15 different areas. Including Airbus pilots.

Virgin Atlantic Careers Website

And this thread is in the pilot terms and endearments section, specifically dealing with pilot jobs, on a professional pilot website.

So;
(1) This is specifically about the pilots
(2) Virgin are still recruiting pilots
(3) Virgin are still recruiting in other business areas
(4) There is no stop in recruitment in other roles.

So basically.

You are proven to be completely incorrect on everything you have said.

Or they are stopping all NEW recruitment.

Oh dear! You clearly know nothing about how recruitment works.
These are long term roles that are being advertised. They take a long time to fill. It’s even the same for pilots. Who would have thought!.
The CEOs direction is very clear. Now, do you really believe that HR are blindly ignoring him?

So basically.

You are proven to be completely incorrect on everything you have said.

I understand there’s possibly a downturn in recruitment amid the conflict but has anyone applied recently and completed the full selection? Or are they putting you in a hold pool/pausing your application.

thanks

I have applied for Virgin Atlantic last week. How long does it take for them to get back?

As your given qual is SLF, I imagine it will be a while, so dont give up the day job..

actually I have 1500 hours total time and 1000+ hours on 737 thank you very much

my bold

12,000 hours TT, A320 and A330/350 ratings, and over 10 years flying A330 TransAtlantic to JFK, Florida, San Fransisco, Las Vegas, Kansas, Calgary, Cancun, and to Maldives, Goa, Nairobi, Cape Town, etc etc.

Applied to VA twice. Went through the online tests and telephone assessment. No interview !!

And I still get weekly reports from LinkedIn that my qualifications and experience exactly match the VA pilot requirements. No interview !!

Go figure. :confused:

Not much activity on this thread unfortunately but what's life truly like at VAA these days? What's the mood and the job genuinely like.

A few of my mates (and myself included) have been made offers on the A330neo fleet and pondering whether it's worth leaving a somewhat comfortable life at the LCC.

I am not after the holy grail of aviation, 30, single, no commitments and not too far from LHR helps. It's either long-haul now or locked in LCC command & golden handcuffs and you know how that goes.

Boeing fleet seems better but no offers being made for a while now.

Yes, the company is not what it used to be like, but any genuine feedback, especially on the Airbus fleet, new joiners etc is highly appreciated. Most of this thread and I completely understand why is looking back at how things were.

Please PM me if more comfortable.

Cheers!

M

My apologies, should be fixed now 👍

Anyone got any idea if they’re likely to hire for Boeing in the near-ish future? Or even open up the Airbus application to non-Airbus folk?

Seems they opened a secondment possibility from Virgin Oz, to VS. Mate of mine downunder said they had received a notice today!!. Not sure how that will work!

Sounds like you'd be better off at BA

A UK cargo airline got a waiver from the UK CAA and the relevant government employment department to allow EASA license holders with no UK work rights to be hired for 2 years due to a shortage of type rated pilots available at short notice. But that was quite exceptional.

Pros and cons, (probably more pros these days) but BA's just not for me.