Simple question

Do BA and LH operate the A350 and A380 as a common fleet for the pilots?

As BA and LH are not the same company, I would say probably not.

EDIT: I see what you may have been asking, and I think the answer to that would be no as well due to differing pay scales.

T54A wrote:

Simple question

Do BA and LH operate the A350 and A380 as a common fleet for the pilots?

Definite no for LH. No idea about BA.

Nicoeddf wrote:

T54A wrote:

Simple question

Do BA and LH operate the A350 and A380 as a common fleet for the pilots?

Definite no for LH. No idea about BA.

I flew the A330, A340 and A350 as a common fleet at SAA. I however felt the A330/350 common type rating was a bit of a stretch. Surely the A350 and A380 are more closely aligned.

Or as 77West eludes, is this labour issue?

T54A wrote:

Nicoeddf wrote:

T54A wrote:

Simple question

Do BA and LH operate the A350 and A380 as a common fleet for the pilots?

Definite no for LH. No idea about BA.

I flew the A330, A340 and A350 as a common fleet at SAA. I however felt the A330/350 common type rating was a bit of a stretch. Surely the A350 and A380 are more closely aligned.

Or as 77West eludes, is this labour issue?

I agree that 350 and 380 are closely aligned, the 330 not so much. For LH however, it is simply the case of the individual fleets (pre-COVID) being large enough for seperate pilot pools. 330/340, 350, 380 with some extra rules for the 346 I cannot remember at the moment.

My €0.02.

When we first got the A350 and started on the common A330/A350 rating, we also thought it was a stretch. The cockpits certainly have a few visual differences.

However, the operating philosophy is very similar. ECAM handling is pretty much the same. There are a few gotchas but I am much more "in favour" of the common rating now than I was when we started. Not really a big deal.

LH doesn't operate any A380s any more, so pretty moot. Also, for some time, those two aircraft were at different bases, though MUC got some A380s for a while before COVID.

N1120A wrote:

LH doesn't operate any A380s any more, so pretty moot. Also, for some time, those two aircraft were at different bases, though MUC got some A380s for a while before COVID.

LH had a plan doing it at MUC, few Crews had the training, then there was Covid and changed everything. So it was the way LH wanted to go (A350/A380).
Dont know about BA.

Agent wrote:

N1120A wrote:

LH doesn't operate any A380s any more, so pretty moot. Also, for some time, those two aircraft were at different bases, though MUC got some A380s for a while before COVID.

LH had a plan doing it at MUC, few Crews had the training, then there was Covid and changed everything. So it was the way LH wanted to go (A350/A380).
Dont know about BA.

Afaik, there never was a plan to merge the pilot groups, regardless of base.

Agent wrote:

N1120A wrote:

LH doesn't operate any A380s any more, so pretty moot. Also, for some time, those two aircraft were at different bases, though MUC got some A380s for a while before COVID.

LH had a plan doing it at MUC, few Crews had the training, then there was Covid and changed everything. So it was the way LH wanted to go (A350/A380).
Dont know about BA.

I'm not quite sure how LH would have made that work, given that they have pretty strict seniority rules.

T54A wrote:

I flew the A330, A340 and A350 as a common fleet at SAA. I however felt the A330/350 common type rating was a bit of a stretch. Surely the A350 and A380 are more closely aligned.

The A330/A350 are far more similar in terms of procedures and handling than say the 737-400 and 737-8 MAX.

N1120A wrote:

I'm not quite sure how LH would have made that work, given that they have pretty strict seniority rules.

LH have made MFF work before with combinations of A320/30/40. In reality if the airline really wants a way for it happen it will make it work, however there has to be an advantage for the airline.

zeke wrote:

The A330/A350 are far more similar in terms of procedures and handling than say the 737-400 and 737-8 MAX.

How much time do have in the -400 or MAX to back up that proclamation?

DualQual wrote:

How much time do have in the -400 or MAX to back up that proclamation?

How much time do you have on a A330/A350 ?

zeke wrote:

DualQual wrote:

How much time do have in the -400 or MAX to back up that proclamation?

How much time do you have on a A330/A350 ?

About the same as you have in the -400 and Max. Which is why I don’t make blanket statements about Airbus or make proclamations about how they fly. So your assessment of how similar or dissimilar the two are is garbage. Just like mine would be about the 330/350.

zeke wrote:

N1120A wrote:

I'm not quite sure how LH would have made that work, given that they have pretty strict seniority rules.

LH have made MFF work before with combinations of A320/30/40. In reality if the airline really wants a way for it happen it will make it work, however there has to be an advantage for the airline.

Yeah, well, no…! no MFF for LH and certainly not involving the 320.
330/340 is flown as pilot group. 320 is flown as pilot group.

Air Berlin made it work, Edelweiss still does it. LH doesn’t and never did.

T54A wrote:

Simple question

Do BA and LH operate the A350 and A380 as a common fleet for the pilots?

BA does not have it as a common fleet.

BA generally keeps fleets separate (aside from the A319/320/321). For example although the 777 & 787 are a common type rating, BA keep those two fleets separate.

During the pandemic whilst the A380 was parked, many A380 pilots went over to the A350 - some temporarily, some permanent. However whichever they’re on, they’ll only fly one or the other.

Nicoeddf wrote:

Agent wrote:

N1120A wrote:

LH doesn't operate any A380s any more, so pretty moot. Also, for some time, those two aircraft were at different bases, though MUC got some A380s for a while before COVID.

LH had a plan doing it at MUC, few Crews had the training, then there was Covid and changed everything. So it was the way LH wanted to go (A350/A380).
Dont know about BA.

Afaik, there never was a plan to merge the pilot groups, regardless of base.

As i stated, before the pandemic there was a plan for MUC (longrange) and some pilots did already receive the training. the fleet commander was one of them and a couple (few) more. With the pandemic kicking in this plan died. Feel free to to verify, if you are in the company you should get the information asking some LR guys in MUC.