Mr. Gonny, tell us how you got to Emirates?
Guido Gonni: What is called, in a straight line, following the standard recruitment process at Emirates Airlines. Filled out an online request form, attached a resume, and after about a year they called me from Dubai and invited me for an interview, which lasted 4 days. To be more precise, it was not just an interview, but a whole process during which I was, so to speak, seriously “enlightened” from all sides. And here I am, in the ranks of one of the most prestigious airlines in the world, piloting the most remarkable aircraft - the Boeing 777.
Why did you choose Emirates Airline as your employer?
Guido Gonni: It's easy to answer. Emirates is a constantly developing and prestigious airline offering unlimited career opportunities and the chance to live in a city like Dubai. What more could you ask for?
What was your first impression of Dubai?
Guido Gonni: Like many Europeans coming to Dubai for the first time, at first I experienced a slight shock. But literally a few days later I felt the rhythm of this rapidly developing metropolis, realizing all my ideas and dreams. In addition, like all Italians, I am very attached to my family. And here, in the Emirates, I saw that great attention was paid to families. It is inherent in the local culture. I am sure that Dubai is an ideal place to raise children. I myself have three of them. In addition to security, which is important, Dubai is a meeting place for a huge number of different cultures and traditions. And so the children here are growing more open, the horizon of their thinking is wider, they speak several languages. In the era of globalization, this is a great advantage.
Besides professional qualifications, what character traits are important for a civil aviation pilot?
Guido Gonni: I am deeply convinced that the most important thing is modesty. First of all, flight is a never ending learning process. Only a pilot who considers himself to be “just a man” and not “God at the helm” is capable of openly analyzing his actions after each flight with a view to their further improvement. Secondly, modesty and the ability to be accessible to many people working around and for your plane, listen to them, help with advice or just a kind word, while creating a good mood, is important not only for those around you, but also for the pilot himself .
And, of course, a sense of responsibility. During the flight, we are responsible for the life and health of 400 passengers, crew members, as well as for equipment that costs millions.
What would you recommend to young pilots who want to join the Emirates team?
Guido Gonni: Work and Patience. Patience, because it takes time to reach a certain experience. 40% flight skill consists of skill and 60% of experience. Before joining Emirates, I myself was a military pilot in Italy for 20 years, after which I transferred to civil aviation and worked for Alitalia for three years. And even with such experience, as I already said, I had to wait a whole year before I was invited to an interview in Dubai. The minimum requirement for the adoption of a particular candidate is the availability of 4000 flight hours, which, with an average workload, corresponds to approximately seven years in aviation. Emirates Airline has very high standards.
What is your favorite destination airport?
Guido Gonni: I am Italian and, of course, I like to land most of all at home, be it Milan, Rome or Venice. But of these three cities, I prefer Venice.
Is there any interesting and curious story that happened to you during one of the many flights?
Guido Gonni: “Interesting stories” during the voyage is more from the field of cinema. In modern civil aviation, every little thing is provided precisely for the purpose of avoiding any surprises, even very romantic ones. Speaking of romance: the most incredible sight I managed to watch from the cockpit is the moonrise over Turkish Anatolia. She was so huge and red that I involuntarily doubted: is it not the sun?
Math assignment: summing up all your flight kilometers, how many circles around the Earth have you already "twisted"?
Guido Gonni: Approximately 220 rpm. And if we calculate the time, then 1 year and 4 months of continuous flight.
Where do you feel more comfortable: on the ground or above the clouds, in the cockpit?
Guido Gonni: I do not want to sound corny, but it really is - in the cockpit. After 34 years in the sky, I know exactly what awaits me inside my winged car. We call it "put on a plane", that is, to be one with it.
When you fly as a passenger, how do you feel?
Guido Gonni: I know that the guys in the cockpit are professionals of the highest category, the best of the best. So when I am a passenger, I follow the advice of my colleagues - the very one that I myself said so many times to the interphone after takeoff: "Sit back, relax and enjoy the flight".
Emirates: the best of the best
Despite the fact that due to the acquisition of a large number of new airliners, the company's need for new pilots has almost doubled and that Emirates is looking for its employees around the world, the selection criteria for specialists have not decreased at all.
Emirates Airlines was founded by the government of Dubai in 1985. Initially, the fleet consisted of only two leased aircraft flying to Delhi, Karachi and Mumbai. The first own aircraft at the young airline appeared only two years later, after which the network of flights expanded from London to Singapore.
From the 90s to today, Emirates Airlines has been the fastest growing airline in the world. It currently has over 52,000 employees across six continents, 230 aircraft (and another 292 have already been ordered from Boeing and Airbus). Emirates carries 44.5 million passengers a year, earning $ 887 million in net profit. New record investments of $ 6 billion were made, which have no equal and have not been in the entire history of world civil aviation.
Emirates Airlines owns the largest number of A380 (the largest passenger airliner in the world). The company currently has 53 of them, and another 87 have already been ordered from Airbus. The second largest aircraft in the company’s fleet is the Boeing 777. There are currently 141 Boeing aircraft in operation, and another 205 new ones were ordered from the manufacturer several months ago.
For several years, Emirates Airlines has been honored in the top ten airlines in the world along with Qatar, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Cathay Pacific. Testing and classification of companies are carried out in various categories, of which there are about 40: quality of service at the airport and on board, adherence to the schedule, cleanliness and comfort in the cabin, food, drinks and much more.
Tens of millions of passengers of various nationalities are questioned, who give their assessment of a particular airline. And last year, at the World Airline Awards 2013, Emirates Airlines was recognized as the No. 1 airline in the world! In addition, for the ninth consecutive time, she was awarded the title of World's Best Inflight Intertaiment for the Ice entertainment program offered to passengers during the flight.
WHAT DOES EMIRATES OFFER?According to many statistics and surveys, official and not very, one of the most attractive and respected professions in terms of social status and reputation is the profession of piloting a passenger airliner. You must admit that every time when boarding a plane we manage to peek out the ajar door of the aerobatics cockpit, we think with trepidation: "Here they are, the people on whom our life depends." And if from the back we manage to recognize the gray hair on the top of the captain, we often note with relief: “Well, then experienced ...” And this is not surprising. Indeed, despite the fact that a modern aircraft is the most reliable and safe means of transportation, the safety of a flight is still 90% dependent on the skill of the pilots, and only 10% on technology.
In turn, Emirates offers its pilots financial advantages and amenities for the whole family, incomparable with most offers in the airline market.
The base salary per month is US $ 11,100 (crew commander), US $ 7900 (first officer).
Separate payment of flight hours (85 hours per month).
Paid hours of processing (if more than 92 hours of flight per month).
Share of company profits (premium).
Accommodation in Dubai.
Single pilots are provided with an apartment with two bedrooms. Married and without children - with three bedrooms. For families with children - a villa. In any case, the payment of cash equivalents is possible if the family prefers to seek housing in Dubai on their own.
Schooling for a maximum of three children aged 4 to 19 years without cost limits.
Private pension fund.
Personal transport with a driver for moving "home - work - home".
Paid leave 42 calendar days.
Once a year, a flight ticket home (round trip) for the whole family (Business and First class).
Significant discounts on all Emirates tickets in any direction for the whole family.
Medical and dental insurance for the whole family.
Automatic entry into the Emirates Club, whose members are given numerous discounts in restaurants, hotels, SPA, shops, etc.
