Thank you for such a good website, appreciate your passion and hard work in trying to help pilots.
I'm a successful SIA cadet, awaiting a Call Letter after doing my medicals during Sept - Oct last year. I understand that there is a worldwide aviation recession going on and with SIA asking it's FO's to take a voluntary leave - this makes things look even bleaker.
How long could we have to wait before getting that coveted Joining Cadet mail?
Kind regards,
Hopeful Cadet!
Dear Hopeful Cadet,
This is not the first time in this up and down trend of pilot needs. As I have often mentioned in the past, pilot recruitment is very cyclical worldwide. In bad times, pilot recruits in airlines have to work as flight attendants until the economy picks up. Worst still, some, as in the case of Singapore Airlines, had asked its pilots to volunteer for unpaid leave for up to two years as it struggles with a slowdown in the aviation sector.
According to its spokesman, SIA has “a temporary surplus of senior first officers, first officers, second officers and cadet pilots”.
Hence your call up is affected. It is difficult to predict the uptrend but I believe you would be put in the holding bank and be notified when you are needed again.
I wish you all the best.
PS. To check for any latest updates or postings, you can follow my new Twitter at @CaptKHLim
