SA airline pilot mass exodus in 2024?

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machdecimal83
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Re: SA airline pilot mass exodus in 2024?

Unread post by machdecimal83 »

Flugmaour wrote: Thu Apr 18, 2024 8:46 pm
Nicolaas206 wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:43 am
Your last paragraph is also simply not true and swimming upstream against everything that has been witnessed in this thread about the number of people leaving.

Have you seen any actual stats or numbers in order to prove that my paragraph is "not true"?? Highly doubt you have.

I've seen it, I work with it but don't let the actual facts now spoil a good story. Just because a few expat pilots contributed to this thread does not mean the "exodus" as you all like to call it is fact.

If you look at historical trends over the years there have always been movement abroad. It happens everywhere in every country. I don't deny the fact that some guys are leaving. It is just not at the rate that some guys are trying to make it out to be.
Expat pilot here. My last 4/5 flights were all with South Africans and many more are joining. Probably need to rethink that statement.
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Re: SA airline pilot mass exodus in 2024?

Unread post by southside »

BKN wrote: Fri May 31, 2024 5:01 am
Burner wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 5:55 pm SA is being hit twice as hard as the rest of the world. Lots of folk leaving SA seeking better long term futures, AND the industry isn't what it used to be. Its a heck of a hard job, irregular hours, constant pressure to pass medicals/OPCs/exams etc, and very average pay. There are a lot better jobs that will give you a more stable lifestyle, better paycheck, and the ability to have school holidays off. Air travel is cheaper and more accessible than ever, and ticket prices reflect that... here in Europe everyone wants August off to go on holiday and sip cocktails on the beach. The problem is no one wants to load the bags, man the Xray machines, fly the planes, pour the cocktails, etc.
100%, Just the other day I was talking to my better half about my “dream job” that I worked hard to get and now wonder why I’m still in it. In the past the effort you put in was compensated with very good salaries and pilots for major airlines would live decent lives, however the current market is all about cost cutting and the cost they seem to be cutting the most is pilot salaries. My life revolves around aviation now even on days off I’m thinking about upcoming checks, medicals so need to watch what I eat make sure I get my exercise in (possibly a positive), or what ever exam slash conversion the airline wants you to do next. This constant pressure and work load was negated in the past with the salary you got but I feel recently with increase in salaries in other the jobs the consistent time off (working normal hours and actually being awake when your kids and other people are) is very appealing now and the aviation work/life/pay scale has tipped from being a great job (somewhat repetitive), with pay that made sense when considering time and effort put in to an ok job where your time and effort is not properly rewarded. Try putting the effort aviation takes into anything else and see what the rewards are like.

The current aviation market is a completely different beast I look at the guys about to retire here and they talk about how much they use to earn and you just wonder what the hell happened.

This maybe an Airline complaint, I do still reminisce about flying turbo props around Africa, that was great flying however very badly compensated but my days off were my own and the study factor was a lot lower.
The hayday days of exceptional salaries for pilots in SA are gone.

Remember that we had 3 major players….SAA, SA Express and Mango. If you could get into any of them, you would have essentially made it.

The salaries and benefits were great, because it was government funded.

The market now has become exclusively private, aside from SAA, who also are not offering the salaries and benefits that they used to.

Costs are high in aviation, and the competition in SA for market share is tough, so as a business owner it needs to be viable.

You cannot expect to be paid what the guys from the failed SOE’s used to get paid. A private company simply cannot sustain that.

The SAA, Mango and Express pilots had unions that fought for the salaries and benefits.

So unfortunately it is what it is, times have changed.

Those great salaries were paid by the tax payer, these days, the salary is paid by the private sector.

It is still better than an office job and if you love flying, that should keep one humble. Not allot get to do what they actually wanted to do.

I find peace in that and adjust my lifestyle accordingly.
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Re: SA airline pilot mass exodus in 2024?

Unread post by RCM »

southside wrote: Fri May 31, 2024 7:17 pm
BKN wrote: Fri May 31, 2024 5:01 am
Burner wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 5:55 pm SA is being hit twice as hard as the rest of the world. Lots of folk leaving SA seeking better long term futures, AND the industry isn't what it used to be. Its a heck of a hard job, irregular hours, constant pressure to pass medicals/OPCs/exams etc, and very average pay. There are a lot better jobs that will give you a more stable lifestyle, better paycheck, and the ability to have school holidays off. Air travel is cheaper and more accessible than ever, and ticket prices reflect that... here in Europe everyone wants August off to go on holiday and sip cocktails on the beach. The problem is no one wants to load the bags, man the Xray machines, fly the planes, pour the cocktails, etc.
100%, Just the other day I was talking to my better half about my “dream job” that I worked hard to get and now wonder why I’m still in it. In the past the effort you put in was compensated with very good salaries and pilots for major airlines would live decent lives, however the current market is all about cost cutting and the cost they seem to be cutting the most is pilot salaries. My life revolves around aviation now even on days off I’m thinking about upcoming checks, medicals so need to watch what I eat make sure I get my exercise in (possibly a positive), or what ever exam slash conversion the airline wants you to do next. This constant pressure and work load was negated in the past with the salary you got but I feel recently with increase in salaries in other the jobs the consistent time off (working normal hours and actually being awake when your kids and other people are) is very appealing now and the aviation work/life/pay scale has tipped from being a great job (somewhat repetitive), with pay that made sense when considering time and effort put in to an ok job where your time and effort is not properly rewarded. Try putting the effort aviation takes into anything else and see what the rewards are like.

The current aviation market is a completely different beast I look at the guys about to retire here and they talk about how much they use to earn and you just wonder what the hell happened.

This maybe an Airline complaint, I do still reminisce about flying turbo props around Africa, that was great flying however very badly compensated but my days off were my own and the study factor was a lot lower.
The hayday days of exceptional salaries for pilots in SA are gone.

Remember that we had 3 major players….SAA, SA Express and Mango. If you could get into any of them, you would have essentially made it.

The salaries and benefits were great, because it was government funded.

The market now has become exclusively private, aside from SAA, who also are not offering the salaries and benefits that they used to.

Costs are high in aviation, and the competition in SA for market share is tough, so as a business owner it needs to be viable.

You cannot expect to be paid what the guys from the failed SOE’s used to get paid. A private company simply cannot sustain that.

The SAA, Mango and Express pilots had unions that fought for the salaries and benefits.

So unfortunately it is what it is, times have changed.

Those great salaries were paid by the tax payer, these days, the salary is paid by the private sector.

It is still better than an office job and if you love flying, that should keep one humble. Not allot get to do what they actually wanted to do.

I find peace in that and adjust my lifestyle accordingly.
Spot on 👍🏻

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