– We have high mountains, we have many fjords and we have short runways and a lot of storms. In addition, the runways are slippery in the winter.
The one who describes the Norwegian aviation environment, which is considered to be one of the toughest in the world, is Aleksander Wasland. He is a pilot on the Norwegian airline Widerö and vice chairman of the Norwegian pilot association.
Recruitment in progress
SAS is now recruiting captains for one of its new companies. Companies created to save money. The pilots are currently being recruited to Norwegian routes. The requirement for qualified flights as captain is 250 hours.
– It is allowed but not particularly smart. Since 1946, SAS has built up competence on these routers, says Aleksander Wasland.
The union thinks that the decision to lay off 560 of its most experienced pilots, to replace them with inexperienced pilots shortly afterwards, is deeply problematic.
SAS: We follow the rules
SAS’s CEO believes that they follow the existing rules.
– We naturally follow the requirements that the authorities have decided. We would never do anything that endangers safety, says SAS CEO, Anko van der Werff, to SVT.
Anko van der Werff claims that the company wants all those who were laid off during the corona crisis to return to SAS. But that image does not share the pilot union. They believe that the laid off may apply for the jobs, just like everyone else. The union claims that inexperienced pilots can now get the jobs is serious.
– We feel it is problematic in terms of flight safety, says Aleksander Wasland at the Norwegian pilot union.