SQ Pilot Rosters - A340 and A330

[zvezda]

SQ no longer need to fly the A340-500s to Jakarta. That route was operated only so that the A340 pilots could have enough takeoffs and landings. Since pilots are rated for both the A330 and A340, the pilots now operate enough shorter routes with the A330-300s that they get enough takeoffs and landings without needing to fly short A340 routes.

[boing]

pilots are rated for both the A330 and A340

The last time i checked, CAAS didn't approve multi-fleet flying yet. Has it changed ?

[wsssaero]

A330/A340 is sold by Airbus as one family. So it should count as a single aircraft type?

[feb01mel]

Yes, A330 and A340 should be considered the same, even cabin crew who work on A340s previously are also now rostered to work on A330s as the configuration is the same.

[zvezda]

A330/A340 is sold by Airbus as one family. So it should count as a single aircraft type?

More importantly than sold as a single family, the A330/A340 are certified as a single type.

[mec]

More importantly than sold as a single family, the A330/A340 are certified as a single type.

But I guess it doesn't mean the same pilots from SQ have to be flying these 2 types of aircraft, though other airlines may do it ?

[zvezda]

But I guess it doesn't mean the same pilots from SQ have to be flying these 2 types of aircraft, though other airlines may do it ?

SQ could roster the pilots separately for the A330s and A340s, but why would they -- especially since doing so would require flying the A340s to Jakarta (or another similar destination which is a highly inefficient use of an A340)? That SQ stopped flying the A340-500s to Jakarta at about the same time they starting taking deliveries of A330-300s leaves me about 99.44% convinced that they are flown from one roster.

[mec]

SQ could roster the pilots separately for the A330s and A340s, but why would they -- especially since doing so would require flying the A340s to Jakarta (or another similar destination which is a highly inefficient use of an A340)? That SQ stopped flying the A340-500s to Jakarta at about the same time they starting taking deliveries of A330-300s leaves me about 99.44% convinced that they are flown from one roster.

I see Gut feeling again?

No, AFAIK the pilots are 2 separate groups and do not operate as one fleet on SQ.

[jjpb3]

I see Gut feeling again?

But an error with such exquisite precision, don't you think? Almost admirable, I would say.

[zvezda]

I see Gut feeling again?

No, AFAIK the pilots are 2 separate groups and do not operate as one fleet on SQ.

Gut feeling? It's logical for two reasons:
- Most airlines with both A330s and A340s operate with one roster, and
- Why did SQ need to operate to CGK to give their A340 pilots enough takeoffs and landings before arrival of the A330s but not after?

[boing]

Most airlines with both A330s and A340s operate with one roster

A330s and A340 have cockpit commonality and can be flown by the same group of pilots with minimal training. But end of the day, it's still down to the aviation authorities of the respective to approve it. Some airlines do not allow common pool of pilots to fly both aircraft.

Why did SQ need to operate to CGK to give their A340 pilots enough takeoffs and landings before arrival of the A330s but not after?

It could be pure coincidence. Or SQ could have moved the majority of A345 pilots into the A330 group leaving only a small group to have sufficient logging of the flight hours.

Only a SQ pilot could answer this q correctly.

[zvezda]

It could be pure coincidence. Or SQ could have moved the majority of A345 pilots into the A330 group leaving only a small group to have sufficient logging of the flight hours.

Huh?

Co-incidence is not relevant to the question. Why did the requirement to fly short A340 trips go away?

Your second sentence doesn't answer the question -- unless you mean that SQ are moving pilots back and forth between A330 and A340 rosters (perhaps quarterly), so that they get enough takeoffs/landings while on the A330 roster.

The problem was that pilots operating A340s only to LAX and EWR don't get enough takeoffs/landings to maintain their rating (because there are five pilots onboard and only one can log a takeoff and landing per flight and because they only get about four flights (two trips) per month, so the average pilots gets an insufficient 0.8 takeoffs and landings per month). SQ can solve that problem either by flying short A340 trips (such as to Jakarta) or by jointly rostering the A330s and A340s. Clearly, SQ are not now flying A340s on any short trips. Perhaps there is some other way for SQ's A340 pilots to get enough takeoffs/landings, but I can't think of one unless the authorities reduced the number required. It is incumbent on anyone asserting separate rosters to then explain how the A340 pilots are getting enough takeoffs/landings. It is not enough to say they are getting them by coincidence.

[SINFJ]

I read in this board somewhere that the Leadership was flown to CGK in view of scheduling as well as the yield on the run being able to satisfy such a run

[boing]

Just got word from a SQ pilot that SQ does not practice multi fleet flying, which means that A345 are flown by a separate pool of pilots from the A330.
As to why the A345 went away the same time as the A330 intro, it could be:

The all J class config didn't have sufficient demand to be flown to CGK.

Majority of the A345 pilots moved to A330 fleet leaving only a small amount to clock sufficient landings on the A345. Or they could be inter transfered within a certain period of time.

[jjpb3]

Very informative, boing (especially because the update is fact-based / non-speculative). Thanks for clarifying.