Cargolux Airlines has already began the hiring and training process for 100 new pilots in Luxembourg – 24 hours after announcing a deal had been struck with the OGB-L, LCGB and CLSC unions on a new collective work agreement (CWA).
The carrier says 52 candidates have been selected and it plans to begin the training process for eight candidates per month from January until July 2016. Candidates for the remaining 48 open positions are expected to begin their training between July and December 2016. The selection process for these positions is still open.
The next selection of applicants will take place in February, March and April 2016 and Cargolux says all training courses are expected to be filled by September.
Cargolux president and chief executive officer, Dirk Reich says: “We are pleased that the new CWA will allow us to bring in 100 new-generation pilots to fly our 747s, the ‘Queen Of The Skies’. Our new colleagues will enable us to offer additional upgrades and more part time opportunities for our existing crews.”
Cargolux announced the hiring of the new pilots as part of the introduction of a new CWA which it says offers attractive conditions and upgrades for its current crew population, as well as new positions to guarantee roster stability and a satisfying work-life balance for pilots.
The Cargolux Crew Training Department notes all in all, 170 Cargolux students will acquire a promotion or a new type rating on the airline’s 747 freighters.
This it says represents the biggest ever volume of training in the history of the company. To cope with the workload, Cargolux is also looking to appoint additional instructors and trainers.
“Finally, the so-called Luxembourgish model will continue to exist. This CWA is a win-win situation for everybody and especially a gain for the social dialogue and democracy.” Hubert Hollerich, Secrétaire Central de l’OGBL.
“The hiring of 100 additional pilots marks a strong sign in guaranteeing growth in Luxembourg and reinforcing Luxembourg as a logistics hub. This will further help preventing fatigue of Cargolux pilots; which is an important step for enhancing the safety of flight operations”, says Patrick Dury, president of the LCGB.
