Restarts- Airlines

[Chaxterium]

No need to apologize. It's made me wonder though why airlines wouldn't be keeping their pilots current to avoid this. I understand the costs of keeping pilots current (I'm just talking about sim training) wouldn't be cheap but it seems better than having to put almost your entire pilot group through an initial course again.

Now that I think about it though I guess you can't really keep furloughed pilots current.

Shitty situation all around. Hopefully we're on the back nine of this pandemic.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

No need to apologize. It's made me wonder though why airlines wouldn't be keeping their pilots current to avoid this. I understand the costs of keeping pilots current (I'm just talking about sim training).

Because we have to be recalled in order of seniority, and no one junior can be called into work while there are senior pilots off.

That means, under our CBA, that if they were to bring in pilot number 300 (for example) for training, the 299 pilots senior to him have to be paid full monthly pay. The company obviously can’t afford to pay 299 pilots full salary for a month while number 300 is in training.

All this results in only the top 25-40 pilots being kept current while the rest of us are on CEWS.

If travel explodes this fall, it’ll be a huge undertaking to re-train 350+ pilots to be ready for the busy winter season.

[FL030]

This week's training plan at Air Canada shows a significant uptick in widebody training courses for July and early August. Seems like they are preparing to ramp up for overseas flying this fall.

[Soyer]

No need to apologize. It's made me wonder though why airlines wouldn't be keeping their pilots current to avoid this. I understand the costs of keeping pilots current (I'm just talking about sim training).

Because we have to be recalled in order of seniority, and no one junior can be called into work while there are senior pilots off.

That means, under our CBA, that if they were to bring in pilot number 300 (for example) for training, the 299 pilots senior to him have to be paid full monthly pay. The company obviously can’t afford to pay 299 pilots full salary for a month while number 300 is in training.

All this results in only the top 25-40 pilots being kept current while the rest of us are on CEWS.

If travel explodes this fall, it’ll be a huge undertaking to re-train 350+ pilots to be ready for the busy winter season.

Which is why it makes sense for a pilot group/union to work with the company to allow training in these circumstances (with pay) so that everyone can remain trained in preparation for a recall.

[boeingboy]

Which is why it makes sense for a pilot group/union to work with the company to allow training in these circumstances (with pay) so that everyone can remain trained in preparation for a recall.

Except that - no one could know how long this was going to last. When all this started in Mar 2020, the company went into hibernation mode to conserve what we had - I think there was a certain thought in the industry that by summer 2020 we would know more about COVID-19 and how to deal with it and that we would all be back to work....a 6 month hiatus so to speak. I don't think anyone thought that it would go 19 months (maybe longer?)

If we had a crystal ball I'm sure there would be some things done different. Good or bad - I think the company has done a good job of keeping the company afloat to see a restart, even if there are going to be a few bumps along the way.

[co-joe]

Last month, Sunwing brought 40 pilots in to catch up some of the training backlog. All captains, just to clear the sim sessions and PPC that have gone by since they last flew. They are all back on furlough now, but at least they can hit the ground running in the fall when sun and fun flying resumes. It's nice to see they won't be caught completely flat footed if demand returns sooner.

[grimreaper70]

Fingers crossed we get a quick rebound!

[DHC-1 Jockey]

I was mistaken about the Sunwing numbers. Yesterday, more of our pilots got layoff notices, so I guess some were still active. Now, there's only 6 pilots actively flying, whose seniority goes back to the day Sunwing started operations back in 2005.

[boeingboy]

We still have TFW flights till the end if the month. There has to be more than 6 active right now

[fish4life]

We still have TFW flights till the end if the month. There has to be more than 6 active right now

I really hope you mean in Europe and not here

[boeingboy]

In Europe?

No....they are here out of YUL and YVR

[goldeneagle]

We still have TFW flights till the end if the month. There has to be more than 6 active right now

I really hope you mean in Europe and not here

They are bringing in the farm workers that do jobs Canadians wont take. It's not TFW flying the airplanes

[fish4life]

We still have TFW flights till the end if the month. There has to be more than 6 active right now

I really hope you mean in Europe and not here

They are bringing in the farm workers that do jobs Canadians wont take. It's not TFW flying the airplanes

Ah ok, sorry but with sunwing’s history of using TFW pilots you could understand my confusion.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

We still have TFW flights till the end if the month. There has to be more than 6 active right now

I used a bad choice of words. After the layoffs take effect in a few weeks, Sunwing will only have 6 active pilots.

[boeingboy]

We still have TFW flights till the end if the month. There has to be more than 6 active right now

I used a bad choice of words. After the layoffs take effect in a few weeks, Sunwing will only have 6 active pilots.

Well - That was short lived!

Most if not all are now being recalled.

[vrefplus5]

Has a deal been made with SWG management for the recalls?

[ant_321]

We still have TFW flights till the end if the month. There has to be more than 6 active right now

I used a bad choice of words. After the layoffs take effect in a few weeks, Sunwing will only have 6 active pilots.

Well - That was short lived!

Most if not all are now being recalled.

Did I miss a memo?

[boeingboy]

I used a bad choice of words. After the layoffs take effect in a few weeks, Sunwing will only have 6 active pilots.

Well - That was short lived!

Most if not all are now being recalled.

Did I miss a memo?

Maybe.

Short limited summer program down south for july and Aug. TFW's start home in Sept and restart in Oct.

[boeingboy]

Sorry..now I may have used a bad choice of words. When I said most if not all....I was referring to the ones who were just laid off again. Not all pilots are recalled yet, but it shouldn't be too long. We are slowly turning engines again

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Sorry..now I may have used a bad choice of words. When I said most if not all....I was referring to the ones who were just laid off again. Not all pilots are recalled yet, but it shouldn't be too long. We are slowly turning engines again

So in reality, we’re back to 30 or 40 active pilots?

Until this proposed training LOU is presented, I’m still holding my breath. To recall everyone will be a massive undertaking for the training department, which I don’t see being completed before the winter program.

In AC’s presentation to their furloughed pilots just this week, the VP FLT OPS doesn’t see full recalls until 2023, so I wonder if SWG pilots are in the same boat.