Something happening at Sunwing?

[Takeoff OK]

Heard a rumour that the CP and assistant CP just quit, and that there may not be many (or any) planes going over to Europe this summer. Can somebody shed any light on this?

[FL320]

It is true that the CP resigned. There will be less aircrafts/pilots sent in Europe this summer, the main reason is that the pilot group and the company did not agree on some points. The EASA regulation is more complex now. Too many pilots in Canada = possible layoffs in the summer.
However Sunwing will need more pilots for the next winter since the fleet will be increased.

[ZBBYLW]

However Sunwing will need more pilots for the next winter since the fleet will be increased.

They better not be getting them from Europe...

[FL320]

They better not be getting them from Europe...

With less pilots sent in Europe in the summer that would probably be more difficult

[Bandit07]

Is it true that Sunwing may lose a lot of pilot to Air Transat?

B07

[CMD-A]

Hey FL320,
Why don't you let the union and the company work things out first before you start speculating all over the net?
Unless you are in the SWG management, you don't know more then anyone of us, do you?

[FL320]

I am not speculating over the net. Takeoff Ok asked a question and I just gave a factual answer. I said possible layoffs, that's just a suppostion. I have no idea about what's coming up and I truly wish all the best to SWG...

[pilotman15]

Just got an email advertising sunwing Toronto direct Amsterdam in the summer? Just wondering which aircraft this is supposed to be on? I went through to book a ticket and it didn't list the aircraft type.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Hey FL320,
Why don't you let the union and the company work things out first before you start speculating all over the net?
Unless you are in the SWG management, you don't know more then anyone of us, do you?

The official Sunwing Censor on AvCanada? CMD-A, I heard of this "rumour" about possible layoffs and less Foreign deployments at least 2 weeks ago. Yet no one posted anything here, although all Sunwing pilots know about it. You guys run a tight ship.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Is it true that Sunwing may lose a lot of pilot to Air Transat?

B07

It's never a good idea for one to lay off experienced pilots when others are hiring. For years, Canjet has kept on its summer rosters much more pilots than it needed just so these would come back the next winter. That is how it was able to grow from a 5 aircraft company in the summer to a 12 to 13 aircraft company in the winter by only importing 30 to 40 foreign pilots.

The Sunwing business model that wants to keep just 6 or 7 aircraft in Canada during the summer but grow to 34 aircraft in the winter needs to be thought out. It has been made possible in the past only thanks to the use of hundreds of foreign pilots, sometime having more foreigners flying sunwing aircraft than there were Canadian pilots. This is unacceptable and cannot continue. Of course it will affect its bottom line, but hiring and training pilots always has been, still is, and always will be part of the cost of doing business in aviation. All the other Sunwing competitors have to deal with hiring and training pilots, no company can evade that reality in order to brings costs down.

Furthermore, no company can maintain in Canada and over several years, a large pool of highly paid employees that pay no income taxes in this country. It might have been overlooked, but it is not tolerable that a large part of Sunwing pilots pay income taxes in another country when they spend, year after year, half of the year in Canada flying Canadian passengers in Canadian aircraft. The laws of this country state that Temporary Foreign Workers must have a Social Insurance Number, must file an income tax declaration every year and must have deductions on their pay checks. Whatever Tax Treaty their home country may have with Canada come into play AFTER all of the above has been complied with. One cannot come to Canada on a TFW Visa and just Ignore Revenue Canada.

Furthermore, it is not tolerable that the European Union (EASA) is tightening the conditions under which Canadian pilots can fly in Europe while at the same time, Canadian Official here bend backwards and even violate Canadian Regulations that were meant to restrict foreign pilots into this country to allow more foreign pilots into Canada.

Reciprocity is good and is to be encouraged, but it is not tolerable that every year and over a number of consecutive years, Sunwing imports more foreign pilot into Canada than it deploys to Europe. That is not reciprocity. We Canadians are getting shafted. This has to stop. Last year they sent a record number of aircraft and crew to Europe (7), so about 105 Canadian pilots were always in Europe. That was good. I don't have exact numbers, but in exchange, there are probably 130 to 140 foreign pilots in Canada working for Sunwing this winter. Not true reciprocity. This must stop.

Why is it such a big secret that Sunwing, that deployed 7 aircraft to Europe on wet leases last summer, will be down to 2 or maybe three aircraft in Europe in the summer of 2014 ?

Because at the same time, Sunwing intends to operate more aircraft in the winter 2014/2015 that it did this winter (it has 32 this winter). So less pilots to Europe but more aircraft next winter. Why do I feel there is a bit of a contradiction here ? No wonder its a big secret and that there is Sunwing Internet police on this Forum.

[tincanflyer]

Heard a rumour that the CP and assistant CP just quit, and that there may not be many (or any) planes going over to Europe this summer. Can somebody shed any light on this?

...ask Gilles

[BlueStar]

Ah friend of mine that works at Sunwing told me that, the pilots must now have to do an European medical and will have to write all JAA Atpl exams in order to be able to fly over in Europe, he didn't know if they have a grace period or if they needed it for this summer.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

To fly commercially in Europe for a European Based certificate holder, regardless of state of registry of aircraft, one needs an EASA licence. One can get a validation once in your lifetime, for 12 months. They allow you to fly for one year while working on your EASA licence. After one year, an EASA licence and medical is required.

[Sunwing738]

Just got an email advertising sunwing Toronto direct Amsterdam in the summer? Just wondering which aircraft this is supposed to be on? I went through to book a ticket and it didn't list the aircraft type.

Codeshare agreement with Arkefly (They also had the service last summer as well). Last year they were operated by a 767 but we may see a mix of 767's and 787's this year. Sunwing also sells Montreal-Paris as a codeshare agreement with Corsair those flights are operated on an A330.

[ea306]

Hey FL320,
Why don't you let the union and the company work things out first before you start speculating all over the net?
Unless you are in the SWG management, you don't know more then anyone of us, do you?

The official Sunwing Censor on AvCanada? CMD-A, I heard of this "rumour" about possible layoffs and less Foreign deployments at least 2 weeks ago. Yet no one posted anything here, although all Sunwing pilots know about it. You guys run a tight ship.

Aunty and Uncle don't always need to know when Mom and Dad are not getting along...