tcco94
Future GTA VI Pilot
Besides their forecasts being lower, are they cutting back on hiring due to this program? Or is that so far in advance they aren't calculating that?
JetBlue Announces an Ab Initio Program
- Thread starter JetDoc
- Start date
PhilosopherPilot
Well-Known Member
No, it is primarily due to low attrition, and 10 airplanes a year, plus aggressively doing the cabin refresh on the older aircraft. At least, that's the rumor. This program is like 20 people a year starting in 2020. It will not be a major factor in our hiring.
ClearedForOption
Psychiatric Help 5¢
Ok. How much is this costing in manpower and time spent away from the core business of the business for -only- 20 ppl per year... That could be better spent on safety systems for instance. (Not to mention the negative press that we are just getting the first inklings of). How many already qualified pilots are out there & how many are projected to be out there in 2020 and beyond.
This seems to be a simple matter of investing that money in work rules, pay, vacation allocation and distribution, and retirement. The words 'destination carrier' come to mind... Or in the words of the voice in Kevin Costner's head: 'If you build it, they will come.'
There is no shortage of qualified pilots.
WestIndian425
Well-Known Member
I'm new to the game, so this is just an educated guess. Considering how small this program is and its design to invest in the future, it doesn't appear that Gateway 7 would cost so much that diverting the money elsewhere would make such a difference.
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ClearedForOption
Psychiatric Help 5¢
Any money saved and invested in other ways makes a difference. Heck, it could be going to put CPDLC in the aircraft to improve overwater communications and response times to ATC Queries. (or it could be used to build infrastructure somewhere else, or returned to the employees as profit sharing while also being returned to the investors as 'profit.') It doesn't make sense to be starting up a flight school with so many qualified pilots out there.
Not to get lost in the weeds but... it's not a small endeavor at all. It's taking people from zero time to 'major airline pilot' - designing and implementing a complete 'ab-initio program' from scratch and the logistics associated with supporting said program. It's a very large investment in manpower and resources. (the assertion that the program is going to generate such 'small' results - or at least that's the way it's being described - makes me question the motivation behind the investment in resources/manpower/time/and money.)
Again, this is not about a pilot shortage. It's a 'pay' shortage. (...and work rules, benefits, etc.)
I love my airline and want to see them succeed. While on duty (and even sometimes while off duty) I do everything that I can to promote the brand. The overall success of my career is yoked to the success of the airline. It really is a great airline - they do everything they can to give people a good experience while traveling.
I'll defer to my MEC and ALPA National to comment on the other potential effects of this program.
Not to get lost in the weeds but... it's not a small endeavor at all. It's taking people from zero time to 'major airline pilot' - designing and implementing a complete 'ab-initio program' from scratch and the logistics associated with supporting said program. It's a very large investment in manpower and resources. (the assertion that the program is going to generate such 'small' results - or at least that's the way it's being described - makes me question the motivation behind the investment in resources/manpower/time/and money.)
Again, this is not about a pilot shortage. It's a 'pay' shortage. (...and work rules, benefits, etc.)
I love my airline and want to see them succeed. While on duty (and even sometimes while off duty) I do everything that I can to promote the brand. The overall success of my career is yoked to the success of the airline. It really is a great airline - they do everything they can to give people a good experience while traveling.
I'll defer to my MEC and ALPA National to comment on the other potential effects of this program.
PhilosopherPilot
Well-Known Member
I disagree pretty strongly with this statement. The supply of pilots has changed. Period. The number of new pilot starts is down. The barriers to entry have increased. The money available for training has decreased. This is a much bigger problem than a pay/work rules issue.
Pay has been low at the regionals forever, but now all of a sudden that pay is just not enough? No. The supply of pilots has changed, and the pay has remained the (relatively) the same.
z987k
Well-Known Member
It's a long term pay shortage that has caused the labor supply shortage.
PhilosopherPilot
Well-Known Member
Nope. The pay at regionals was steady or increasing starting in the late1970s. Plenty of pilots were to be had for the last 30 years, with pay increasing that entire time, minus a few concessionary contracts in the 2000s. People had to PAY to go to training at places like ASA until the late 1990s, yet they had far more applicants than positions until very recently.
We are seeing the result of a major change in the funding ability of the average American. I got a loan from Key Bank for my training. It is now impossible for someone to get a loan like that and go to FlightSafety or ATP. Now you must go to ERAU or another university to get funding, and that pipeline isn't big enough to cover the number of jobs necessary. Add to that the change in ATP requirements, and it is a major problem.
It is much bigger than a pay issue.
z987k
Well-Known Member
Just about anyone who has been a pilot for the last 15 years has told just about anyone who has looked at this career to look elsewhere first. Most long term airline people don't want their kids to be airline pilots.
scooter2525
Very well Member
Could this some how tie into JBs siding with EK?
