Etihad Airways PIlot Housing

[waitec]

I have just submitted a pilot application with Etihad.

On the careers web site it states that company accommodation is given subject to availability. Can anyone employed please tell me if such accommodation is presently or will be available in the future?

Are any villas given for pilots with families or just apartments?

Thanks

[waitec]

Any help please?

[Chandler Bing]

Appartments only in SMBZ city, near Mussafah, industrial pakistani suburb of Abu Dhabi.
Look for info on the previous threads reagrding SMBZ.
Pictures, details and comments of the inmates there are available.
seems to be a good place , if you're a fan of Alcatraz.

Cheers

[NTM]

Chandler, if you dont live there, please refrain from making comments.
I live in SMBZC (Mussafah) and the majority of the people, that i know who live there as well, are very satisfied with the place. Especially the ones with kids.
And i personally enjoy the lifestyle there. Great amenities on location, spacious flats (the 3 bedrooms are nearly 2,000 sq ft), nice social living, 20-30 minutes at the most to downtown Abu Dhabi and the kicker is the 15 minutes to the airport, HQ and the training center.

Later,

[Chandler Bing]

No offense there

Read my post my friend

provided you like Alcatraz

Most of the guys there say it's not ideal but ok. If that's what you expect for your life, being ok, then be it.

And you seem to have taken the UAE habit of refraining freedom of speech.
Well enjoy it there then, you fit in perfectly.

[NTM]

Thanks for the smart a** comments,
you obviously love it here. So enjoy yourself as well,

later,

[Gulf Course]

Also living in SMBZC and love it. Great for the family.

Laughable how must people who mock the place don't live there.

[grdproxinop]

Chandler Bing, the sooner you leave EY and go off to your so called Asian job so you can winge and moan about that the better, I too live at SMBZ and if you haven't figured it out I'm one who does believe in freedom of speech, here's an example

With a name like Chandler Bing it is obvious what kind of person you are, of all the names you could have choose you choose Chandler Bing, let me guess he is your idol......

[waitec]

Thanks for your time and information.

Would you guys by any chance know whether any villas are being planned for the future or will it be just apartments?

Thanks again

[astronaute]

I knew 2 pilots who left, just after 6 months with EY , due to the housing in SMBZ city.:confused:

[Gulf Course]

I also know of 2 guys who have moved from SMBZC. One was encouraged to leave Etihad and the other more or less fired for a fairytale employment history and logbook. I think he is with Saudia now pulling the same con.

[FlyingOW]

Gents,

Hi, if I could be so bold as to ask how many hours you are flying in the A330 or B777 fleets at the mo?

What seems to be the problem with the accomodation at SMBZ? Local surroundings? Proximity to airport? Lack of infrastructure? Shops, malls, restaurants, etc?

Could someone post some pics of a typical flat at SMBZ?

Cheers,

OW

PS. 4200 hrs ATPL, Capt rating A320 with 0 hrs (waiting for IOE) and FO rating B767 with 2900 hrs on type. ICAO level 6.

[Severely Jetlagged]

OW,

I am not sure there is a problem with SMBZC as most it seems are happy there.

Since you posted your current experience can I add that Etihad are only looking for rated First Officers with a minimum of 500 hours on type.

To answer an earlier question, villas are still being sought and offered. Right now they have some huge 4/5 bedroom villas for those with large families.

[NTM]

flyingOW,

Not sure for the 330. but on the 777. it seems to vary, but i ll venture to say that the average is at around 60 hours. You can count on an average of 4-6 layovers. And about 1-3 standby days. all these figures are again averages.
You get called very rarely while on standby. again this is for the 777. But i know that on some other fleets, it is not the case.

As far as Mussafah, there was initially a bit of a ruckus. It was mainly due to the fact that Mussafah is the industrial part of Abu Dhabi. It is also where a lot of labor camps are stationed. The whole area is in the process of a major renovation. Slow albeit, but a change, indeed, is happening.
SMBZC is probably one of the first visible changes to the area. So that means, not much around it, has changed yet. That is where a lot people got stuck and refused to accept the place as suitable accomodation.
Those who took it, haven't looked back. it is a nice and decent place to be and live. A few pilots, living at other locations in or around the city have re located to Mussafah. Mainly to satisfy their kids's need. Most of the schools are located within a short drive from mussafah.
We even have company provided transportation to most schools. So far, i havent heard of anybody complaining about this.
Other facilities include tennis court, pool, numerous playgrounds for kids, basketball court, a nice gym (with fitness instructors provided free of charge by EY), free aerobic classes, free swimming lessons for kids, on site laundry drop off/pick up.(free for uniforms and at cost for personal items).
they just opened about 2 months ago, a small sized mall adjacent to SMBZC.(ie you can walk to it. 1 minute walk from the main gate).In there, they have so far a Lulu Express hypermarket, a coffee shop. Others shops are to open for business sometimes soon. they would include fast food places, furnitures stores etc...

i may sound like i am selling the place. i am not. i just live here happily. I am just sick of people, who dont even live here, trashing the place.
It does look different from its first days. But that is how things here look initially. Patience is a vertue in this part of the world. if you dont have it, forget it, you ll never be happy here.
As far as getting pictures, if you ever come for the interview, you are more than welcome for a tour of the place. but it wouldnt be necessary. As company provided accomodations, fill up and go, you probably wouldnt get anything here. you would just be getting whatever is the flavour of that month you are joining.

Hope it is useful

Later,

PS; flamers go ahead !! it is all yours.....

[astronaute]

@ Gulf course, We don t talk about the same 2 guys .:ugh:

[iflysky]

Hi Gents, I live in SMBZC too. Very happy (and trust me I lived in some major sh** holes in my previous life in good old US of A).
My wife is just as equally happy and it seems that my kid has a more of a social life than me at times. It is a very social place (gyms, pools, bbqs, playgrounds book clubs and so on). Most importantly, it gives me a sense of security that my family is not alone when I am on my trips.
Yes, the area around is not perfect, but remember its around. Once you are inside the compound you are in a different world. I do not even see the camps from my apartment windows and my wife and kid never walk around outside except a short distance to the mall,so really, I could care less whats around. BTW they are slowly moving the camps out anyway.
Of course, it's largely what you make of it. You want a villa, sure get in line. They are offering them, but thus far I know of two people who have turned them down and of one family that moved in from a villa to SMBZC.

Cheers and happy landings !!!

[fractional]

There is nothing new when you move to a new urbanization and you are actually the first to build a villa there or the first moving into a new building.
At first, it's like moving to a deserted area. Shortly afterwards, few convenience stores, shops, etc., move in and in 2 or 3 years the whole place is full.
At first it looked a ludicrous move, but this is exactly what EY should have done back when they started; building villas, apartments, in order to accommodate everyone they needed to, because the growth was there for everyone to see. Whether this heralded growth was more of a forced issue than natural is a different matter; self-inflicted (...).
They could have mirrored SV in JED. SV built a compound and you can live a life in there if one wants too. Obviously, the SV compound had other reasons for its existence, but again it's another story.
When EK started, DXB was better prepared and they stayed ahead of the game until recently. It'll most likely get better with the housing availability now caused by this downturn.

[FlyingOW]

NTM,

Thanks for the detailed intel on SMBZ accomodations, very useful indeed. It sounds like a good place to live, especially with the extras you mention!


SJ,

Oh well, so I do not have a shot at the T7 or 330, a shame really since I was hoping to go expat before the end of the year. I will not apply for FO A320 at EY once I get 500 P1 hours on type, just does not make sense. For now, I am willing to give up my command at my present company for a move to a LH/ULH fleet if it makes sense for the family and me.

Also looking into EK and Cathay but neither are hiring at the mo! :(

Thanks again and happy landings,

OW

[waitec]

:ok:Thanks for all the information

[Captain Galactic]

Do many pilots commute from Dubai?

[Nightfire]

Do many pilots commute from Dubai?

Not that I know of. Upon arriving here, some guys preferred to search for their own accomodation, rather than spending several months in a hotel while waiting for the company to give them a flat. Of those, a few ended up in Dubai.

Their arguing was that one hour's drive from Dubai to AUH airport is just as well as taking one hour through Abu Dhabi morning rush hour to the airport.

I don't know if it's true. However, from Musaffah (where I live now), it's only 15 minutes to the airport, regardless of what time of day. Compared to the stress of the Dubai-AbuDhabi highway (people here drive like mad!), it's really incomparable. Especially after you've just come back from a long-haul nightflight, or if you are being called in from a standby. Something not to be underestimated.

So apart from a few rare cases, I don't think many guys would voluntarily choose to do that. If at all, it may work for pilots on the 777 or 340, who only do a couple of flights per month anyway. For somebody on the 320, it would be hell.

As for Musaffah: I like it. Okay, I had expected a villa too - thanks for yet another broken promise.
But now that I'm here, it's perfectly alright. The overhead costs are very cheap (about US$100/month), the building is brand new (no dirt, mould or run-down facilities), it's safe (24h security), you have maintenance on-site available, and whatever else has already been mentioned above.

The best thing about Musaffah: Plenty of basement parking spaces, and your neighbours are proper drivers, who don't wreck your vehicle within a weekend! :}

[Inflatron]

And if they do wreck your car.there are a lot of mechanics around !!!

[CheikhUR6]

Hi guys ,
For you living in sandpit and aware of what's happening around you
what is the best between EK and EY joining as F/O ??
LHS , T&C , package ...
Is there a working condition degradation without any concern from management to expat pilots ?

yohh

[Chandler Bing]

Used to be....

Any F/O who joins now can expect to have around 400 pilots in front of him waiting for the upgrade, so nothing below 5 to 7 years now even with new aircrafts coming in 2012, won't change much and EY still hires DEC's....
Package is still quite good on both sides.

Talking about SMBZ, european line maintenance and engineers have refused to live there and moved to Dubai. just facts.
Hear lots of pilots live there and seem to be happy.

[rightstuff]

I know of one engineer living in Dubai, purely for monetory reasons, all the others that I come into contact with appear to be more than happy with their appartments.

[Dixons Cider]

new aircrafts coming in 2012

Aircraft =1
Aircraft = more than 1
Aircrafts = pidgeon speak for nothing
Gotta love it.

[Severely Jetlagged]

Chandler Bing

Can you please advise when the last DEC applicants were invited for an interview and when the next DEC interviews will be held?

Thanks

[Chandler Bing]

No idea, there is hardly any communication on this sensitive subject.

EY career website still advertises for A330/A340 skippers, therefore no need to have a rocket scientist degree to expect DEC's in the near future ....

Noted for the aircraft/aircrafts thing.... Oups :ok:

[Jumbo Wambo]

Exactly. If they genuinely didn't want to recruit DEC's then why have they been advertising for DEC's on all fleets for a very long time now? Don't be fooled by the lack of DEC's being recruited. They boast about it and claim they're implementing a 'No DEC Policy'. I just feel the lack of DEC's is due more to the slow down in expansion and not because of the so called 'No DEC Policy'. Once the race heats up again Welcome, Welcome the DEC's will be arriving by the herds. Between now and 2012 there will only be 10 additional aircraft to the EY fleet. Most of those will be 320's. I'm sure you guys should be-able to do the maths.

[SIC]

I do not even see the camps from my apartment windows

Nice one. So you are a slave in a slave society - but because there are even lower slaves than you that you conveniently don't have to see - all is ok?:ok:

[Nightfire]

Nice one. So you are a slave in a slave society - but because there are even lower slaves than you that you conveniently don't have to see - all is ok?

Well, it's okay enough for me and some others. Of course the grass is always greener somewhere else, but I've had worse jobs than this one. Ts&Cs are bad, but I have no better offer for now.

So, I return your question: You're just a worker in a worker society at home. Some guys in other jobs earn more money than you, but the guys in the factories get paid even less. But since you don't have to stand at the conveyor-belt with dirty fingernails and a paining back - you're fine with it, no?
Or did you just want to make a point about unequal distribution of wealth, and life being unfair?

[son of the sand]

Hi, applied in april for an F/O position at EY and was wondering if I am successful where will I likely be accomodated. What is the likely chance of getting a house?

[Nightfire]

Chances for getting a house (they call it a "villa" here) are pretty good right now. Several guys, who originally applied for them, changed their minds and got themselves cancelled off the waiting list. Also, there are several people currently in villas looking for someone with a flat, to swap.

There are various reasons for it, but the main one is because of the costs. Water, electricity, maintenance etc. quickly add up to ridiculous bills, especially during the summer. Things get more and more expensive every year, and apparently in future you'll even have to pay part of the rent by yourself. Few people are prepared to spend that much money for a house they don't even own. Life's expensive enough here as it is.

[ItsAjob]

Can someone give an up to date breakdown of the monthly outgoings?

[Boeing 777-300ER]

Happy New Year to all.

May I please enquire where new joiners (if any are joining at present) are being accommodated? Are they being given apartments or villas?

Was reading somewhere (really can't remember where)that Etihad have leased villas at Al Reef project in Shahama close to the airport. Is this true? Maybe EY are following EK and QR who are both providing decent accommodation in compounds.

Thanks for any info

[4krew]

Is there a bidding sys for the roster like night or day shifts, especific flights etc?
It was said before EY will hire DECs, where can I apply?
EY web is only FO up to now.

[chrispatrickGA]

NO DEC IN EY.... you must enter f/o:ok:

[sheikmyarse]

Hello guys ,,wake up... where the **** are you living.. who the **** are you working for? Ohhh very nice...you don't see the labour camps from your window.... ohh...you have a gym...soooo nice...But what about the very concept of labour camp?
Do you remember a guy called Adolf Hitler.. he invented somenthing called nationalsocialism...in which the German arian people where getting all the benefit while other where exterminated or enslaved.
Well it appears to me that it is just about the same story there if not for the fact that there are no extermination ( even if hundreds of indian workers dies every year...unnoticed ) .UAE is the facto a Nationalsocialism and one of the few places on earth where you can buy Mein Kampf... You are just a better paid slave with a gym... but at the end ..just a slave with no rights whatsoever.

[a4mrav8r]

Come on guys it's time for a reality check. If you think life in Abu Dhabi is bad, you would really hate where many of us live and work in the big sandpit just west of you. UAE is like the Garden of Eden compared with some places nearby.:ugh:

[noflare]

SEC 3

Since when has EK staff travel been better than EY ???

Do a bit of research :rolleyes:

[Boeing 777-300ER]

I reallly fail to see what staff travel, labour camps etc has to do with EY housing.

Any help in the matter would be greatly appreciated.

[Nightfire]

Nothing. Just for the sake of nagging, I guess. No matter what the EY-thread title is about, these same "arguments" come up all the time and everywhere.

The labour camps right next to the EY-accomodation in Musaffah used to be one major issue people complained about in the beginning.
It must be either because they were scared of asian labourers, or because they didn't like the sight of poor people.

But it seems that nobody cares too much about it anymore; in reality you hardly notice that camp anyway.
Once it's gone (after all those villas around are completed), I gues the complains will turn against the new Arab neighbours.
Watch this space.