Flight Crew Bidding and Rostering in Major European Airlines

Abstract

This thesis studies the practises on flight crew bidding and rostering in major European airlines. Answers are to be found how pilots are allowed to state their preferences, how objectives for preference satisfaction have been set and how transparency and predictability is solved. Flight crew is one of the most important resources for airlines and ensuring proper manning of every flight is vital part of crew management systems. Requirements for rostering are coming from different regulations, collective labour agreements and company-based efficiency targets. Additionally, crew rostering has effect on job satisfaction and due to flight crew critical role for the airline this area should be well managed. The knowledge base introduces reader to the rather complex operational environment of flight crew planning and how airline business model, base structure and location, and network play role in rostering. Crew rostering and planning process is described in detail and how the process must observe different objectives coming from fatigue management, flight crew preferences, legislation and handled both when building flight pairings and individual monthly rosters. Rosters are one part of employment relationship and high quality of the employment relationship predicts higher level of service quality, better labour, and aircraft productivity, not to mention effect on operating margins. This aspect is important especially now when many airlines are facing challenges to attract new pilots to join and ensure already employed pilots to stay. Proper and satisfactory roster practises is one factor in pilot job satisfaction, declined during Covid19. Research was made using a mixed method and 28 European airlines are represented in results. The questionary was shared among European Cockpit Association member associations representing over 40 000 professional pilots. According to the findings the rostering practises differ hugely among airlines and there is not any industry standard available. There are even differences under same airline groups and airline consolidations or alliances do not mean unified approach to rostering. Pilots are offered different ways to state their preferences and those looking for improvements in their airline could find new repair tools from this study and improve pilots job satisfaction by developing new ways to meet the needs of private life. Clear need for improvements is to be found around communications, clear and predictable rules and offering flexibility for the pilots to state their preferences according to their needs. Surprising high number of airlines are not analysing pilots´ satisfaction to the rostering and seems to leave one really important area related to shift working undeveloped.