Sir - I read the article "Confusion hits UK's foreign-pilot policy as Airworld hires Canadians for A320s" (Flight International, 17-23 April, P8).
I can surmise the reasons behind the decision, although why the UK Department of Education and Employment (DEE) should be so coy is elusive.
Airworld requires Airbus A320-rated pilots only for the European summer season. As pilots usually like to earn a living all year round and, as Europeans are not permitted to fly Canadian aircraft during the Canadian winter season, they take up employment with airlines which offer them full-time employment.
To enable Airworld to minimise European costs (if not unemployment), however, the DEE permits the use of casual Canadian labour who do not need to be trained on A320s, or retained for the next season.
Amazingly, British Airways seems to have coped without recourse to hiring US pilots after all. Perhaps Airworld might cope by investing in some European-orientated training of its own.
R HOPKINS
Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire
Source: Flight International
