Singapore Airlines offers pilots unpaid leave

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has circulated to its junior pilots a suggestion that they can take unpaid leave for up to two years and look for work with other carriers.  This affects more than 1,000 cadets and first officers.  No Captains are included. 

What the move does show is that even the world's best run airlines, and SIA is one of the best, are being affected by the global economic slowdown.  Jobs in fact should not be a problem with Scoot, a new SIA budget offspring starting up later in the year, and Chinese airlines participating in recent US recruitment seminars organised by Miami-based Pan Am International Flight Academy.

"Between now and 2030 the Asia-Pacific area will need 180,000 pilots.  China alone will need 70,000," said event co-ordinator Steve Turner of WASINC who organised the event on behalf the flight academy.  "It's a real enticement to US pilots currently sitting at the bottom of the career ladder here to look overseas, where the pay is so much better."

WASINC said that another event is planned for next year.  Participating Chinese airlines included Air China, Skymark Airlines, Business Aviation Asia, Shenzhen Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Chengdu Airlines, Spring Airlines, Okair, and West Air. www.panamacademy.com www.wasinc.aero

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