Swiss now also employs trained co-pilots

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In addition to training its own pilots, the airline will recruit licensed or unlicensed trained co-pilots in the future. It is said that applicants who already hold a so-called type authorization – ie an approval – for Airbus machines are preferred. Selected pilots receive a permanent employment contract from Switzerland and are trained at Lufthansa Aviation Training in Glattbrugg.

When asked, a spokesperson denied that Switzerland was experiencing a serious pilot shortage. But you want cockpit staff to take action quickly: “We want to make sure we continue using this measure, as we were unable to train new co-pilots during the corona pandemic and it took two years to train new pilots. We have enough cockpit staff in the future,” he said.

The new procedure applies only to First Officers. “Captains will continue to be recruited within the current corps,” a spokesperson said. However, it may also be considered for captains to apply, provided they later join Swiss as co-pilot.

As early as 2018, Switzerland recruited co-pilots with and without a type rating.

The report stirs mixed feelings in the Aeropers pilots association. Henning Hoffmann, General Manager of Aeropers, said that it is in principle pleasing that Switzerland is in a growth phase. However, he stressed that this bottleneck does not necessarily exist.

It is understandable that the airline did not recruit new pilots during the pandemic, in which it suffered heavy losses. “But Switzerland could train new colleagues who would now be ready to act during the epidemic,” says Hoffmann.

In principle, the association prefers the training of new pilots at the group’s own pilot school in Glattbrugg, “as agreed in principle at the GAV for pilots”. However, GAV allows Swiss to recruit pilots who are already trained.

“This has always been possible for co-pilots on short-haul routes, and Switzerland has used it time and time again over the years.” It is therefore a “normal process,” Hoffmann said.

However, it would have been different if Switzerland had recruited captains directly from outside. “This was not stipulated in the GAV and would constitute a violation,” says Hoffmann.

“In terms of job security, corporate culture, seniority and career, direct-incoming commanders will be a clear and permanent disadvantage for Swiss troops.” Members, and therefore the association, do not accept this.

(SDA)

Source :Blick