Currently yes, but they've been recruiting non stop for close to 3 years. Commands will slow down and then anyone at the back of that seniority list could potentially be in for a longer wait.

if you're prepared for that then by all means go for it, but don't believe the Zenon sales pitch to get bums on seats and go in with your eyes open

“currently”
This will change

Just be prepared to wait 8/9/10 years for a command only to be let go on the next downturn.

I know we are in the age of instant gratification, but a reasonable career expectation is spending half your career in the right seat, and half in the left seat. There is two seats and two pilots up front after all.....
Obviously this can get skewed a bit by growth, more captains that are trainers, and more senior people (captains) having more time off, but still. And even more so if you fly long haul with two FOs and one captain.

Essentially - if you're 8 years in at VS, then you will have the opportunity for command. Not 'you will get your command', as not everyone does. If you join now, then it will likely be double-figures time to command.

It’s very similar now to when I joined in 2003/4. There was a period of high recruitment and expansion, which I was at the front end of, and command times were being quoted as 4-5 years IIRC. But then expansion (and retirements) stalled, and it took 12 years until the command process started for me.

Not that I’m complaining mind you. VS back then was amazing fun, and I genuinely loved the job. Also, there was a lot to be said for being a senior SFO under the old bidding system!

Unfortunately that’s not the case anymore. I definitely couldn’t do 12 years under the current conditions….

The future is indeed a guess, but my statement is factual.
Anything else is speculation.
Command time may come down further since lots are still leaving and they need lots more pilots.

Wishful thinking mate

In december I flew to ATL with a very tech savy skipper that made an upgrade calculator with Microsoft Excel. He based the F/O’s at 37 yrs average and current skippers at 51 average. He also based it on zero growth(which is factual for the next 10 years) and a reasonable fixed amount of command courses each year and taking in to account fixed retirements at the age of 61. The outcome was quite shocking.

If you joined Virgin around the start of 2023 going up you’re looking at an upgrade time of at least 12/13 years. And that’s WITHOUT any downturn. But if there’s only 1 year of zero command and still no growth it would easily jump to 15/16 years. We tried loads of scenario’s but the only thing that would really move the needle is people retiring around 55 years, anything else is minimum 12/13 years,even slow growth.

I’ve been here a year and a half and I don’t really have anything negative to say about Virgin, in fact it’s been refreshing to see an airline do things differently than a major. At this airline they kind of like leave you alone and leave you be as opposed to a Major I was with before where they’re looking over your shoulder 24/7.

I would strongly recommend joining Virgin if you’re looking for a nice stable airline with great colleagues and a very good training department, however you need to be prepared for command times of 13 years or longer and no growth in the next 10 years.

cheers.

Quite a statement.

Brilliant

No, I'm a Virgin Captain, so nothing wishful involved, just an opinion.

Wrong reply
 

No mate, guess you replied to the wrong guy. And yes you're correct, nobody knows what's gonna happen, the only thing we do here is just give an opinion. Only thing I did do is observe this excel software that gave a 12/13 yr command wait for people like me who started in '23.

If it turns out to be less well then I'm lucky but I'll set my sights on a 13yr wait.

Virgin - Boeing
 

I see Virgin are recruiting for Airbus rated pilots but nothing for Boeing TR applicants?
does anyone in the know see this changing anytime soon?

Planning time to command in Virgin is all well and good, but those that do need their eyes wide open - this is a heavily loss making airline that is being supported by Delta, their minority shareholder.

Command planning is only worthwhile if you consider this arrangement is likely to carry on for the next 8/10/12 years.

£3.3bn revenue; £230m operating profit in 2024, overall profit of £20m (not much admittedly but target was >0 and was first profit-making yr since 2016). "Much of" their pandemic debt repaid. Pilots conditions not what they were pre-covid, but improving. 🤷🏼‍♂️

According to the latest published annual company accounts (Yr ending 31 DEC 23), a 1.8B net debt before the pandemic has grown to 3.5B net debt. Loss for the year was £225.5M. Which debt has since been paid off?

You know its 2025, right?

Yes - but you can only go on what has been audited and reported to the city rather than wishful thinking as an accounting mechanism.

VS don't report to the 'city'. They're a limited company. You don't run an airline for 40+ years without knowing how to be discreet with profit and loss. Business 1.01