US Airways recalling furloughees, possibly hiring new crew for 2011

by B. N. Sullivan

US Airways has announced plans to add 500 crew members to its active work force in 2011.  The carrier will expand its flight attendant work group by 420, and will add 80 pilots to its ranks.

The expansion will begin with the recall of furloughees.  If the positions are not filled by those currently on furlough, US Airways plans to recruit new crew members.

Following the recall, US Airways expects to have no more flight attendants on furlough.  Up to 100 pilots may remain on furlough.

In a statement to the press, US Airways President Scott Kirby said, "This is great news for our workforce and the communities we serve.  We look forward to welcoming our colleagues back to US Airways, and bringing new crew members onto the team."

US Airways plans to have both the new hires and those who are recalled flying the line by July of 2011.

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Spirit Airlines recruiting pilots

by B. N. Sullivan

Spirit Airlines is actively recruiting pilots to become First Officers on its Airbus A320 fleet.  According to a job notice on the Careers section of the Spirit Airlines Web site, the minimum requirements are:

• 4,000 hours total time in fixed wing aircraft.
• 1,000 hours in multi-engine aircraft (at least 50 hours flown within the last 12 months).
• Current FAA First Class Medical Certificate.
• Current Airline Transport Pilot License.
• Valid passport/documents with the ability to travel in and out of the USA and all cities/countries served by Spirit Airlines now and in the future.

Among the preferred qualificationss:

• A320 Type Rating
• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience in 121 airlines or turbojet aircraft.
• Experience in aircraft equipped with EFIS and/or FMS.

Follow this link to apply online.

Good Luck!

Southwest Airlines to acquire AirTran Airways, will hire hundreds of new pilots and flight attendants

by B. N. Sullivan

In a move that surprised just about everyone, Southwest Airlines announced today that it will acquire AirTran Airways. Once the two carriers' operations are combined (pending regulatory approval), the merged airline will operate under the Southwest name.

According to the initial press release about the transaction, the combined company will have its headquarters at Dallas.  The acquisition will include AirTran's entire fleet of aircraft, including its Boeing 717s:

Based on current operations, the combined organization would have nearly 43,000 Employees and serve more than 100 million Customers annually from more than 100 different airports in the U.S. and near-international destinations.  In addition, the combined carriers’ all-Boeing fleet consisting of 685 active aircraft would include 401 Boeing 737-700s, 173 Boeing 737-300s, 25 Boeing 737-500s, and 86 Boeing 717s, with an average age of approximately 10 years, one of the youngest fleets in the industry.   Southwest Airlines also announced, previously, that it is evaluating the opportunity to introduce the Boeing 737-800 into its domestic network to complement its current fleet, providing opportunities for longer-haul flying and service to high-demand, slot-controlled, or gate-restricted markets.  This acquisition supports Southwest Airlines’ evaluation of the Boeing 737-800.

No word yet on seniority integration plans for crews, although I'm sure the respective unions are brainstorming already.

The very good news is that no crew furloughs are expected in the foreseeable future. On the contrary, word is out that Southwest is planning to hire 150-200 new pilots, and 250-300 flight attendants very soon.  Michael Van de Ven, Southwest's Chief Operating Officer, said today that training classes for both pilots and flight attendants were anticipated to begin in early 2011.

Here is the link to the Southwest-AirTran merger website: http://www.lowfaresfarther.com/

American Eagle is hiring pilots

U.S. regional carrier American Eagle, a unit of AMR, Inc., is taking applications for First Officers.

According to the airline's Pilot Career page, applicants must be at least 21 years old, and must be U.S. citizens or possess the legal right to work in the U.S.

Among other qualifications, applicants must:

• possess commercial pilot certification with multi-engine and instrument ratings
• have total fixed wing time of 1,000 hours; multi-engine fixed wing time of 200 hours is preferred
• possess a current FAA First Class Medical Certificate, IFR currency and an FCC license

Domiciles: Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Fleet aircraft types: CRJ-700, EMB-135, EMB-140, EMB-145, ATR-72.

Visit http://www.americaneaglecareers.com/Jobs/Pilots.html for more information, and to apply online.

Also, check out this page on Airline Pilot Central for more (though unofficial) information about flying for American Eagle.

Regional carrier ASA recruiting flight attendants

by B .N. Sullivan

Looks like ASA (Atlantic Southeast Airlines) is hiring flight attendants. ASA is a regional airline in the United States that provides service under contract to Delta Air Lines (as Delta Connection) and United Airlines (as United Express).

According to the job vacancy page on ASA's Web site, the airline is accepting applications for flight attendant positions at their Atlanta base from today, Jan. 28, 2010, through February 4, 2010 (so if you're interested, better hurry!).

Here's the link to information about Flight Attendant Careers at ASA. There you will find a list of the requirements, and instructions for how to apply online.

Good luck to those who apply!

Pilot shortage in India: Airlines need type-rated ex-pat pilots

Air India has a shortage of pilots, particularly those qualified to fly Boeing 777 aircraft. In fact, this shortage of Boeing 777 type-rated pilots has caused India's national flag carrier to temporarily suspend its passenger service between Kolkata and London, a route served by Boeing 777 aircraft. An airline official in Kolkata noted that, if not remedied soon, the pilot shortage could affect Air India flights to Chicago, New York and London from Delhi and Mumbai as well.

Air India, a government-owned carrier, currently employs about 800 pilots, 117 of whom are foreigners. Since there are too few Indian nationals with the needed type ratings and command experience on the Boeing 777, Air India employs ex-pat pilots to fill the vacancies. The Careers page on the Air India website specifies a current need for more ex-pat pilots who are already qualified to fly B777-200/300 aircraft. Online applications for these positions are being accepted now.

So, how did this situation come about? According to an article about the pilot shortage in the Times of India, the current crisis began when Air India's three-year contract with 20 pilots expired this month. Another 10 pilots have just retired. Most of those pilots were Boeing 777 commanders.

An article in The Hindu quoted an Air India spokesman who said that Air India was "expediting the pace of training of pilots and three Captains were turning out every month to fly B-777 aircraft." The carrier also sends young pilots for training to flying schools in the U.S., but this does little to fill the immediate need for experienced aircraft commanders. Thus, the airline is seeking qualified pilots from abroad.

Pilot poaching is another issue that comes into play. The article in The Hindu elaborates:

Some of the senior commanders told The Hindu that despite an unwritten “no-poaching” pact among airlines in the country as many as 31 pilots left JetLite, formerly Air Sahara, and now acquired by Jet Airways as its low-cost arm, over the past two months, and joined Kingfisher Airlines, which is an on a expansion spree after its promoter Vijay Mallya acquired a stake in Air Deccan.

“All these pilots who were operating Boeing 737 will be able to fly wide bodied jets like A-340 after a brief spell of training on simulators. The same pool of trained pilots could have been available to Air India for its B-777 fleet as it would have required just four sessions on simulators. As a majority of pilots are on contracts, there is no question of overtaking anyone’s seniority,” industry sources said.

The Hindu notes that private carriers in India employ ex-pat pilots, too. Jet Airways employs about 100 foreign pilots, IndiGo has 84 foreigners as pilots and Paramount Airways has 11, while cargo carrier Blue Dart has 10 foreign pilots, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. In addition, some 900 of the 2,500 pilots employed in the civil aviation sector are foreigners. About five per cent are above 60 years and are from the U.S. The retirement age for pilots in India is now 65.

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David Neeleman's new Brazilian airline to be named 'Azul'

David Neeleman announced today that his start-up airline in Brazil will be called Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras, SA -- Azul for short. Azul is the Portuguese word for blue. What a coincidence: Prior to beginning work to organize the new Brazilian carrier, Neeleman was the founder and former CEO of Jet Blue Airways in the U.S.

"Azul is a metaphor for security, serenity, loyalty, and quality -- as well as connoting flight, as the color of the sky. But we want our company to define the name, not have the name define our company," said Mr. Neeleman.

Plans for the new airline were announced in March of this year. Azul will begin operating as a domestic carrier in Brazil in January of 2009. The airline, which will be headquartered in São Paulo, will operate a fleet of Embraer 195 aircraft. Each aircraft will carry 118 passengers in a two-by-two configuration.

The new airline is seeking applicants: Click here.

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New pilot contract in place, ASA is hiring

Pilots at Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) have voted to ratify a new labor contract. With the new agreement firmly in place, the airline is aggressively hiring more pilots for its Atlanta hub.

According to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing ASA's pilots, 81% of the 1,239 ASA pilots who were eligible to vote did so, 83.45% of the ballots cast were in favor of the agreement.

The new collective bargaining agreement is the culmination of five years of negotiations between the union and the airline's management. ALPA announced that the terms of the new contract reflect improvements in wages, work rules, job protections, and scheduling.

Expressing his approval of the new agreement, Capt. Dave Nieuwenhuis, chairman of the ASA ALPA unit, said, "Despite many obstacles over the past five years, our pilots persevered and achieved a contract that further secures their jobs and provides overdue increases to their compensation. While we enjoyed invaluable assistance from the 41 other pilot groups in our international union and its professional staff, I cannot begin to describe the impact of the resolve and professionalism demonstrated by each and every ASA pilot."

ASA, a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc., operates as a Delta Connection carrier. The airline's fleet includes both 50- and 70-seat Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ) and the ATR-72.

ASA is actively recruiting pilots at the present time, hiring about 40 per month. ASA pilots are based in Atlanta and fly Delta Connection and SkyTeam codeshare flights.

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US Airways recalling furloughees and hiring new pilots

US Airways announced yesterday that it intends to hire 350 new pilots, with training dates to begin in November of this year. In addition, 140 furloughed pilots who are now flying with US Airways Express carriers will be moved back to mainline flying.

A US Airways press release says that "new hire pilots will move onto the airline's growing Embraer 190 fleet, which in turn will drive current pilots to other aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family." Positions will be filled over the next 12 to 16 months.

For more information and an on-line application, visit the US Airways Employment Opportunities web page.

Oman Air seeks young Omanis to train as pilots

Oman Air is seeking young Omani nationals who are interested in learning to be airline pilots. Mr. Amar Nasser, the Divisional Manager for Human Resource and Administration, said in a press release issued by Oman Air that his airline is "all set to select and recruit a new group of 15 young dynamic school leavers as Cadet Pilots."

The most recent class of nine Omani Cadet Pilots graduated from initial training in the UK and are now undergoing further training in Oman. The next class of Cadet Pilots will train in Australia for an initial 15 month before being accepted as Second Officers and then progressing to the final of four-month phase of training, after which they become First Officers.

The closing date to apply for the next Pilot Cadet class is September 15. Contact Oman Air for further information.

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Colgan Air pilots reject ALPA

Pilots at Colgan Air have rejected a bid to unionize by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). The representation results were tallied by the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C.

In a news release issued by the Colgan Air, airline president Mike Colgan said "We greatly respect our pilots and the choice they have made. Now, we turn our entire focus to taking advantage of the growth and opportunities we have planned, creating more jobs and prosperity for all of us here at Colgan."

Colgan Air, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines, is currently recruiting first officers for its fleet of Beech 1900 and Saab 340 turboprop aircraft. Colgan Air operates as Continental Connection, United Express and US Airways Express.

Northwest Airlines tries to fix its pilot shortage

Looks like Northwest Airlines (NWA) is getting proactive about addressing its pilot shortage. The airline has reached an agreement with its pilots' union on issues related to the understaffing problems that have led to so many flight cancellations this summer. In addition, NWA is recalling the rest of its furloughees and recruiting new pilots.

Yesterday ALPA's Northwest MEC released a statement to announce that the pilots and NWA management had reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) "in an effort to address the staffing problem and the heavy work load NWA pilots have experienced since the signing of the bankruptcy contract."

Among other items, the TA permanently establishes a rate of 150 percent pay for every hour flown above 80 hours which encourages management to lower monthly maximums and to hire additional pilots. The TA also provides incentives for instructors, allowing additional training capacity for returning furloughees and new hires. In addition, ALPA granted the company relief in regards to the 757 crew bunk requirement for international flights.

Speaking of returning furloughees and new hires, Northwest also announced this week that it is recalling all of the rest of its laid-off pilots. Furthermore, the pilot career page on the NWA website says that the airline is now accepting pilot resumes and plans to hire approximately 250-350 pilots in the next 12 months. Here's the link to the NWA pilot position listing, with instructions for applying.

UPDATE AUGUST 10, 2007: An article in the International Herald Tribune says that more than 1,400 pilots have applied for jobs at Northwest since it began a "hiring push" on July 24.

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United actively recruiting new pilots

Last month I mentioned that United Airlines would soon begin to accept pilot applications. 'Soon' has become 'now.' A pilot recruiting page is now open on United's website.

Today United Airlines issued a press release to announce that they would begin accepting pilot applications. United intends to conduct its new pilot recruiting effort entirely on line. If you are interested, visit http://united.com/pilot.

According to the information posted on United's website, the airline is looking for applicants with a minimum experience of 1500 hours TT - Fixed Wing; 1000 hours of Multi-engine (PIC) or Military fighter/trainer (PIC); 500 hours Turbine Time. United only considers pilot time in fixed wing aircraft toward minimum qualifications. See the website for additional qualification requirements.

This is the first time that United has recruited new pilots since 2001. Once selected, new hire pilots will begin training at United's state-of-the-art Flight Training Center in Denver as early as October and will be flying by the end of the year.

Good luck to all of the applicants.

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Emirates recruiting cabin crew worldwide

Emirates Airlines, based in Dubai, is the fastest growing airline in the world. According to a recent article in the International Herald Tribune about Emirates' expansion plans, the airline will take delivery of one new Boeing or Airbus plane a month for the next five years. Among these will the 55 super-jumbo A380s that have been ordered.

All of this rapid expansion means increased job opportunities for crew at Emirates. If you are thinking about seeking employment as cabin crew with a large international carrier, you may want to consider Emirates. In order to qualify, you must have at least a high school education, and have fluency in both written and spoken English. You must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application. All Emirates cabin crew are based in Dubai.

This month Emirates will be holding recruitment sessions in Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore and Slovakia. Visit the Cabin Crew page of the Emirates recruiting website for more information, or to submit your application on line.

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United Airlines will hire new pilots

This summer United Airlines will begin to accept applications from pilots. This will be the first time that United has hired pilots since 2001.  According to an  article published in Business Week, up to 100 new pilots will be hired, and the first of the new-hires are expected to be flying by December of this year.

NetJets orders another 48 Hawkers

Hawker pilots take note: Fractional operator NetJets, Inc. has just ordered 30 Hawker 750, and 18 Hawker 900XP jets from the Raytheon Aircraft Co. This is in addition to the 48 Hawkers ordered by NetJets in October. From an article about the transaction on the Business First of Columbus website:

"This order for 48 additional Hawker aircraft will help NetJets meet its increased demand for private aviation solutions in Europe and the U.S.," said Richard Santulli, NetJets chairman, in a news release.

The article goes on to say:

Deliveries on the Hawker 900XPs will start this year and continue through 2012, Raytheon said. Deliveries on the Hawker 750s will start in 2008 and continue through 2009 on the initial order and start in 2010 and continue through 2011 on the follow-up order.

Keep those delivery dates in mind if you're looking for a job flying a Hawker.

Here's the Pilot Careers page on the NetJets website, just for reference. Tip: It says on the website that they're accepting pilot applications for Citation, Hawker, Falcon, Gulfstream, and Boeing aircraft.

Lufthansa to hire 1200 cabin crew in 2007

German airline Lufthansa is planning to expand its workforce this year. The airline is set to recruit 3,000 new workers in 2007, including 1,200 flight attendants.

According to the Lufthansa website, flight attendant candidates currently are being sought for the airline's Frankfurt/Munich service area, to fly continental and intercontinental routes. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, and fluent in both German and English.

For more information, and to apply online, visit the Lufthansa Careers web page.