Cargojet Hiring Outlook 2024-

[PWJ58]

Hi gents,

For anyone looking at coming to CJT the Hiring outlook for the year is quite Nice; they are looking to hire 12-16 pilots every month until the end of the year…. Big expansion plans and lots of changes coming to flying and trips… company is moving away from overnight scheduled domestic (even though they have 90% of that market) and looking to expand into the ACMI and Charter market which seems to be very succesful for them. A lot more international daytime routes and interesting layovers (Japan/china contract) and hopefully more Europe if DHL gives it to us.

As industry hiring seems to be slowing down these guys are going full steam ahead and are looking to add 2-3 aircraft every year (as they are converted)

Really impressed with the company and management that are trying their best to expand from a smaller op into a large 705 (60 aircraft by 2030)

Hope this helps! Happy Flying

[Canadaflyer46]

Not surprised there’s lots of hiring. Lowest paid widebody captains in the world. UPS pays $450CAD an hour for 767, Cargojet is $138. It’s obscene anyone would work for that, you’d make double flying an Embraer at Porter and have normal sleep patterns.

[pild04]

Thanks for the hiring outlook!

I am aware of the hiring experience requirements for FO's? Is it firm given the current hiring environment? Are the requirements lowered with an internal reference?

[braaap Braap]

Not surprised there’s lots of hiring. Lowest paid widebody captains in the world. UPS pays $450CAD an hour for 767, Cargojet is $138. It’s obscene anyone would work for that, you’d make double flying an Embraer at Porter and have normal sleep patterns.

Not to mention the ridiculous subversion of “scope” and general bullshit with the US pilots taking the flying. That still going on?

[C-GGGQ]

Yes. 21Air still going strong

[VFS]

Hi gents,

For anyone looking at coming to CJT the Hiring outlook for the year is quite Nice; they are looking to hire 12-16 pilots every month until the end of the year…. Big expansion plans and lots of changes coming to flying and trips… company is moving away from overnight scheduled domestic (even though they have 90% of that market) and looking to expand into the ACMI and Charter market which seems to be very succesful for them. A lot more international daytime routes and interesting layovers (Japan/china contract) and hopefully more Europe if DHL gives it to us.

As industry hiring seems to be slowing down these guys are going full steam ahead and are looking to add 2-3 aircraft every year (as they are converted)

Really impressed with the company and management that are trying their best to expand from a smaller op into a large 705 (60 aircraft by 2030)

Hope this helps! Happy Flying

Tell me you’ve worked there for a very short period and came from a shitty 703/704 without telling me.

Absolutely trash company and upper management, always has been from the early three holer days, not going to change.
The only reason you should consider this place as a place to hang your hat is because every other large 705 has PFO’d you. Need a reason? Look no further than being the lowest paid 67 pilots in the WORLD.

[Stratopaused]

As industry hiring seems to be slowing down these guys are going full steam ahead and are looking to add 2-3 aircraft every year (as they are converted)

Really impressed with the company and management that are trying their best to expand from a smaller op into a large 705 (60 aircraft by 2030)

Fascinating...Because their investor presentation from their last quarterly report says this:

Cargojet completed the sale of the four remaining B777 aircraft

▪ Cargojet owns the feedstock for two B767 aircraft with plans to convert these as
demand begins to recover

▪ Cargojet has two surplus B757 freighters which could support future revenue growth

So they sold four tails, and have four more that are available to be converted into freighters if the industry improves. How does that count as growth?

[Handover]

]

So they sold four tails, and have four more that are available to be converted into freighters if the industry improves. How does that count as growth?

Sounds like someone in flightops trying a switch n bait to get more cheap pilots...

[C-GGGQ]

]

So they sold four tails, and have four more that are available to be converted into freighters if the industry improves. How does that count as growth?

Sounds like someone in flightops trying a switch n bait to get more cheap pilots...

Likely. They got a big influx of pilots from Lynx, but many have already left as better offers come in. Pay aside (the starting pay for FO’s was top until westjet’s new contract) it’s not a terrible job. The “backside of the clock” thing isn’t wholly accurate. Plenty of day flights and usually only one leg per night maybe 2-4 hrs. Then a day or two layover. It’s a lazy job honestly 20-30 flight hours a month. Max 15 days a month any pick ups on GDO’s are 2x.

[laklak]

If you are lazy or one of those that slipped through the cracks and just barely passed your PPL/CPL/IR or had to complete a retest one or two or even 20 times, then CargoJet will be a perfect fit for you. What's that saying that some use to disrespect our profession? That even a monkey can fly a plane. Well, sadly it is true when it comes to being a CargoJet pilot. Come to CargoJet because these pilots are not just monkeys, they are the largest group of unintelligent people you will ever meet.

[CaptDukeNukem]

]

So they sold four tails, and have four more that are available to be converted into freighters if the industry improves. How does that count as growth?

Sounds like someone in flightops trying a switch n bait to get more cheap pilots...

Likely. They got a big influx of pilots from Lynx, but many have already left as better offers come in. Pay aside (the starting pay for FO’s was top until westjet’s new contract) it’s not a terrible job. The “backside of the clock” thing isn’t wholly accurate. Plenty of day flights and usually only one leg per night maybe 2-4 hrs. Then a day or two layover. It’s a lazy job honestly 20-30 flight hours a month. Max 15 days a month any pick ups on GDO’s are 2x.

Double pay at cargo jet is still less than 1.5x pay on GDOs at porter

And maybe someone can correct me. But I think Porter gives 1.5x pay even on “grey days”

[C-GGGQ]

If you’re looking at DEC then yes. If you’re looking at FO then no porter 1.5 does not beat 2x at cjt. Grey days are also 2x because of the max 15 day clause in the contract. Any extra day worked is OT. We don’t have to make it to 85 credits first. There is a lot wrong with the contract for sure, and a management unwilling to lift a finger for any QOL improvements. However, the hotels are great 95% of the time. The days are usually short. The flying is relatively varied. It COULD be one of the greatest places to work if management would see how the market has changed. However they seem content to be a pass through airline rather than a destination. So don’t worry about Captain wages. Unless you’re DEC you wont be here long enough to go Captain

[Bleed Air]

Yes starting pay $138 DEC Capt 1 is low hopefully that will change with new contract in 2026.
However it is a bit of apples and oranges when you compare hourly rate.
Most airlines hourly rate is based on a min guarantee which most airlines try to schedule their crews to as closely as possible and guarantee 12-13 GDO’s per month.
CJ’s min guarantee is 85hrs and we fly nowhere near that and only work 15 days per month so to have only 12-13 GDO’s those extra days are all OT at double time.
For sake of clarity I’ll give you my half year numbers.
I was a DEC on yr 3 pay.
I worked 91 days in 6 months (that’s flying, reserve, sim GS) add 15 vacation days for 106 to average 17.6 days/mo 15.2/mo not including vacation
I flew 73 sectors 12.2/mo
DH 22 sectors 3.6/mo
Total 15.8 sectors/mo
Flew 214hrs in 6 mo 35.6/mo average.
Total income regular pay plus OT vacation stats $120K/6 mo
Divide that by 85hrs min guarantee it equals $235/hr
So you can work you schedule make a little and treat it like a part time job, or you can work a lot( there’s some that work a lot more OT than me), I’m probably middle of the road.
Also CJ pay increases for everyone on July 1 irregardless of when your date of hire. So a Capt 1 or FO 1 hired in June move to Capt 2 FO 2 on July 1at a couple weeks later.
Hope that explains it a bit better.

[C-GGGQ]

A 50% raise puts the fo’s up near (before conversion) delta rates. But would leave the captains rates lagging behind a lot even 100% doesn’t get year 1 captain up to Delta rates

[ant_321]

Yes starting pay $138 DEC Capt 1 is low hopefully that will change with new contract in 2026.
However it is a bit of apples and oranges when you compare hourly rate.
Most airlines hourly rate is based on a min guarantee which most airlines try to schedule their crews to as closely as possible and guarantee 12-13 GDO’s per month.
CJ’s min guarantee is 85hrs and we fly nowhere near that and only work 15 days per month so to have only 12-13 GDO’s those extra days are all OT at double time.
For sake of clarity I’ll give you my half year numbers.
I was a DEC on yr 3 pay.
I worked 91 days in 6 months (that’s flying, reserve, sim GS) add 15 vacation days for 106 to average 17.6 days/mo 15.2/mo not including vacation
I flew 73 sectors 12.2/mo
DH 22 sectors 3.6/mo
Total 15.8 sectors/mo
Flew 214hrs in 6 mo 35.6/mo average.
Total income regular pay plus OT vacation stats $120K/6 mo
Divide that by 85hrs min guarantee it equals $235/hr
So you can work you schedule make a little and treat it like a part time job, or you can work a lot( there’s some that work a lot more OT than me), I’m probably middle of the road.
Also CJ pay increases for everyone on July 1 irregardless of when your date of hire. So a Capt 1 or FO 1 hired in June move to Capt 2 FO 2 on July 1at a couple weeks later.
Hope that explains it a bit better.

That’s some fancy math to justify the pitiful pay. Also, ONLY 15 days? You realize that is a lot right? Outside of the regionals 15 days is on the high end of what most airline pilots are working.

[C-GGGQ]

Ok I’m calling you on that. In what world are any of the Canadian pilots working less than 15 right now? All I hear is 18+ days a month from guys at AC etc.

[ant_321]

Ok I’m calling you on that. In what world are any of the Canadian pilots working less than 15 right now? All I hear is 18+ days a month from guys at AC etc.

AC has max 16 days on narrow body and only the most junior block holders on wide body would work more than that. One of my good friends is a relatively senior 220 FO another is sitting about 75% on a wide body and both work about 12 days for the most part. Westjet also had 16 days max and most guys I know there work significantly less than that, but with the socialized bidding it really depends on what your priorities are. I work for SWG and have averaged about 10 days per month since I’ve been here. My buddies at Transat seem to average about the same.

[CaptDukeNukem]

Ok I’m calling you on that. In what world are any of the Canadian pilots working less than 15 right now? All I hear is 18+ days a month from guys at AC etc.

AC has max 16 days on narrow body and only the most junior block holders on wide body would work more than that. One of my good friends is a relatively senior 220 FO another is sitting about 75% on a wide body and both work about 12 days for the most part. Westjet also had 16 days max and most guys I know there work significantly less than that, but with the socialized bidding it really depends on what your priorities are. I work for SWG and have averaged about 10 days per month since I’ve been here. My buddies at Transat seem to average about the same.

Awesome! 10 days a month on average?! Does that mean you get months with 6 days of work and others with 14?

Or are you just doing 10 a month in general? I’m legitimately jealous since I work many more than that. And I don’t know anyone at AC or WJ that work that little.

Maybe you can post your July schedule for us to admire.

[ant_321]

Ok I’m calling you on that. In what world are any of the Canadian pilots working less than 15 right now? All I hear is 18+ days a month from guys at AC etc.

AC has max 16 days on narrow body and only the most junior block holders on wide body would work more than that. One of my good friends is a relatively senior 220 FO another is sitting about 75% on a wide body and both work about 12 days for the most part. Westjet also had 16 days max and most guys I know there work significantly less than that, but with the socialized bidding it really depends on what your priorities are. I work for SWG and have averaged about 10 days per month since I’ve been here. My buddies at Transat seem to average about the same.

Awesome! 10 days a month on average?! Does that mean you get months with 6 days of work and others with 14?

Or are you just doing 10 a month in general? I’m legitimately jealous since I work many more than that. And I don’t know anyone at AC or WJ that work that little.

Maybe you can post your July schedule for us to admire.

It varies a bit and depends on what you bid and your base/seniority. My typical bid of medium length turns gets me the 10ish days. Once in a while I’ll do a lazy pairing that increases the days. I’m currently on deployment and we have all short flights so we are working closer to 15 days and everyone is losing their marbles. Haha.

[nohojob]

What ant 321 says is true...for now.

[Handover]

.

[Anticyclone]

Hi gents,

… company is moving away from overnight scheduled domestic (even though they have 90% of that market)

Seriously guys...do you thing someone would believe tha BS??
Night flying is the core of the cargo ops business model and who would jeopardize 90% of it's market?? and for what??

[C-GGGQ]

So what he says is technically true. A lot more charter work these days. The domestic overnight hasn’t slowed though. However the biggest part has always been DHL and those are not strictly overnight. Early mornings or late nights, certainly some all night turns. My next pairing is certainly wrong side of the clock. Lot of south america out of miami but last month I was mostly Cincinnati and mostly daylight. 5am calls kinda thing. That Sunwing sched sounds amazing. I hope those guys keep some semblance of it going forward. I keep this job because at relatively low seniority (1 year) I get exactly what I bid for days off if not entirely destination. Making an easy commute.

[CaptDukeNukem]

So what he says is technically true. A lot more charter work these days. The domestic overnight hasn’t slowed though. However the biggest part has always been DHL and those are not strictly overnight. Early mornings or late nights, certainly some all night turns. My next pairing is certainly wrong side of the clock. Lot of south america out of miami but last month I was mostly Cincinnati and mostly daylight. 5am calls kinda thing. That Sunwing sched sounds amazing. I hope those guys keep some semblance of it going forward. I keep this job because at relatively low seniority (1 year) I get exactly what I bid for days off if not entirely destination. Making an easy commute.

Doesn’t sound completely terrible.

How many 705s have you worked for out of curiosity.

[C-GGGQ]

First 705. The thing that will take me away from cjt is the upgrade matrix/ time. I’m a solid 10 years away cause of my hours. Been around 21 years. Been back at the commercial side for 5 now. All 703 charter and medevac. If Management would see how the tides are turning (or care) then like I said it could be great. Will take a strong union and we’re stuck till 2026 to see any meaningful gains. Scraping out some small QOL increases currently. So we’ll see.