March 16, 2009
If being a pilot is your dream job, one of Asia's fastest-growing budget airlines is seeking staff via an online contest, and no flying experience is necessary.
In a competition similar to the "Best Job in the World" contest to find a caretaker for a tropical Australian island, Malaysian airline AirAsia launched an online plea for pilots, asking candidates to blog why they should get the job.
"So YOU wanna be a pilot? Simple. What do you have to do? Blog. What? That's it? Yes, you're reading it right. Blog," AirAsia said on its official website.
The airline said 10 finalists will be selected, and they will take part in the first round of AirAsia's new pilot intake, which involves spending a day with pilots at the AirAsia Academy.
Bloggers will only be considered if they meet minimum requirements, which include being aged between 18 and 28, having a good command of English and Bahasa Malaysia and being mentally and physically fit, with good eye sight, the website said.
The competition runs from April 1 to May 15th.
In a spoof video blog entry intended to inspire applicants, airline staff list their reasons for wanting to become a pilot, which range from the flippant -- "getting girls," "money and bling-bling" -- to the more serious -- "this has been a lifelong dream as this is a very important and challenging career, where every single day is different."
On Wednesday, AirAsia's CEO Tony Fernandes said the airline expects to expand its services and remain resilient this year on the back of good demand for budget travel, despite the global recession.
Branson style free advertising!!! Controversy sells and this will too, especially if feminists express outrage and give Tony Fernandez more free publicity.
ReplyDeleteI must say that their business model truly sails against the wind-expansion now when everyone else is cost-cutting. In times of global slowdown, entrepeneurs take advantage. Whether it works or not is something only time will tell. He's proven us all wrong so far.
Hello Ktemoc,
ReplyDeleteWhat is new in this Bolehland?
Well, their Pilots, Cabin crew & Stewardess, ground engineers, etc are either retired ex MAS or some did not make it in the MAS interviews...
THeir stewardess are more "Wannabe" than the more established MAS ones...
Their terms & pay is OK, training also adequate for Local, Regional flying with not much International experience/ exposure....
Their flying schedules are multi 5 to 6 sectors....good training but tiring for the new Pilots & cabin crews...
Trained Pilots & cabin crew are Expensive & hard to come by o their lower terms & pay...
So this is one way to get a lower cost local trained personnel...
My take on AA issue is this :
The CEO is a very smart & a lucky man to be at the "Right Place at the Right Time"
The initial "Infrastructure" cost incurred by Hicom was about RM2.0Billion for the Boeing 737 planes, ground support equipment, aircraft spares, etc.
Most of the B737 aircrafts then were on "Lease" basis.
In every IPO there will be the "Grandoise" idea that they can float a brand to seek the needed funds for the purchase of new planes from Boeing, Airbus, etc. for their route & network expansion, etc...but there will always be "Leakages & shortfalls" in the process.
Projections vs Dynamic Actuals is something that can sometimes suffer "Shortfalls".
The initial IPO was RM4.0 Billion
When one leases planes, ships, bus, cars, etc you are able to work backwards to arrive at the (Dry, Wet,Complete, part, etc) basic unit cost per year, per month, per day, per hour, etc.
With the projected pax/cargo load you can then decide how much "Revenue/Profit" you want to make & it will definitely be cheaper than MAS....based on Local & Regional routes & not International.
It can range from 40% to 60% margins, so you can afford to sell 5%, 10%, 15% of your seats/capacity at RM9.90 per seat/per Kilo cargo, etc.
With the initial "Guarantees" of "National Service Perks" at your price - Airport Pax facilities landing fees, Transit parking & night-stop parking fees, ticketless operations, landing rights, etc.
Now that is a Multi Million RM savings so it is sure profit money with eyes closed....
Yet they still owe MAB about RM110 million?
Now why Airbus & not Boeing?
RM4.0 Billion to buy the planes.
Boeing caters to the Big boys & National carriers.
Airbus caters to the Big boys (newer models) & for the small boys (older & "end of the line models").
For new models planes both Boeing & Airbus can offer up to 40% & more discount (better with end of the line models at your risk !) for "Lead Asian" customer buying several planes with options.
The mandatory "Must have" Flt, Cabin, Ground Personnel Training/Retraining package costs, Basic Spareparts, ground support equipment, Documentations, etc. can come up to about 20% the cost of the plane.
So when AA buys their own planes vs leasing them the whole equation changes as they now have "Holding Costs" & "Real Costs" vs "National Service Perks" at your price.
This new Real costs is running every minute the planes are on the ground & not flying earning revenue.
Just count the number of planes on nightstops, etc when they need to be in the air for 14- 16 hours a day to be cost effective...
They now join MAS & the others "Bleeding" away....
Just how can they justify continueing to sell seats at RM9.90 & make "Absolute" profits?
Given the tickets payments are upfront...
But with the escallating "Holding" cost, the small margins cannot sustain the Leasing repayments, Insurance costs, Fuels costs, Flight/Cabin/Ground staff costs, etc.
Just how much of the original RM4.0 Billion (assuming with no leakages!) supposedly to finance the 100 planes, remains now to finance the batches of new planes being delivered (to make up the 100 planes)?
The government helped build the LCCT why now the Labu issue keep getting recycled?
Why the syndicated loan financing from Barclays ?
To pay for the new batch of planes, their RM110 million Malaysia Airport debts, etc?
The owners are definitely enjoying life at the Holding Company....
But the shareholders, vendors & staff are....???
I have had discussions with International Airline "Billionaire Owners" who now tell me that they are now only "MILLIONAIRES"....
You go figure out.
Anyway, nice to visit your interesting site.
Cheers.
Are you sure the jobs are not for "pilots" flying remote-controlled toy aircraft? Lots of ten years old primary school kids can do that...
ReplyDeleteAre you sure the jobs are not for "pilots" flying remote-controlled toy aircraft? Lots of ten years old primary school kids can do that...
ReplyDeleteTher's one in Penang , remotely controlled from Putrajaya . Not on Autopilot !
Wakakakakaka.........
Flyer168, you sound like one of these rabid UMNO/BN MAS supporters hoping against hope that AA will fail. Becoz you cannot stomach it that MAS has been bailed out so many times by the Taxpayer, you secretly want AA to go belly-up so you can hoot and say 'There, I told you so!'
ReplyDeleteJust as taking calculated risks is part and parcel of the profile of the ENTREPRENEUR, so to is 'being at the right place at the right time.'
But nothing could be as simple as that or else even you might have come up with the AA biz model. It may well be that in the current Global Downturn, AA may sink. But you still have to take your hat off to Tony Fernandez for his chutzpah and making flying truly affordable.
And oh yes, you are right. All those $9.99 offers are gimmicks. But it would take a real fool and a suvcker to imagine that that is all there is to AA's biz strategy. Aftre all, gimmicks and adverts are part and parcel of any business strategy and the customer has to walk around eyes wide open!
http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com
A high-flying career, curvaceous young ladies thrown in for eye-nutrition.
ReplyDeleteCome on, Ktemoc, here's your big chance.
flyer168
ReplyDeletewere you kicked out of AA ? seems like you've got a lot of grievances with AA .
I think you could possibly be one of their high level management staff since you know so much ! Welcome to to retrenchment pool .
I have to say the sweetie on the left is kinda cute ;-)
ReplyDeletewhy the girls looks like a trans?
ReplyDeleteCan't see any tunnels among the sweeties, as claimed by a MP in Parliament
ReplyDeleteCan't see any tunnels among the sweeties, as claimed by a MP in Parliament
ReplyDeleteTry bending your head lower , you might not see a tunnel but a cave covered by bushes . Inviting you to go in ! hahaha anon 8:47 AM but as KT say , I am equally agreeing with him on the one on the left , she has that " come on take me , charm "
Anon of 9:21 AM, March 18, 2009, you're an absolute optimist wakakaka, she has a sweet smile, full stop! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised Air Asia is having a difficult time recruiting pilots. They pay below market rates, work the pilots up to the maximum allowable by regulations...
ReplyDeleteThey are going to end up only with the lowest common denominator....
Hello donplaypuks® & Anonymous 6:44 PM,
ReplyDeleteFYI, I am no UMNO/BN or MAS asslicker..
Have been in the Aviation Industry for 4 decades until retirement...
It is a Global Aviation Industry trend in this 21 century context...
Even Ryan Air is having financial difficulties...
As I had said....
The CEO is a very smart & a lucky man to be at the "Right Place at the Right Time."...
Anyway, do take advantage & enjoy AA's Low cost flights & service whilst it lasts...
Cheers.