Wizz Air | Chief Pilot

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY!

Wizz Air is a leading European low-cost airline with a fleet of modern and fuel-efficient aircraft. Our mission is to provide affordable and reliable air travel to everyone, everywhere, while minimizing our environmental impact. We are proud to foster a diverse and inclusive team of over 8,000 employees from more than 90 nationalities, who share our values of inclusivity, positivity, dedication, integrity, and sustainability.

As a rapidly expanding airline, we offer exciting career opportunities across a range of functions, from flight operations to engineering, customer experience, finance, and more. We provide extensive training and development opportunities to help our employees grow and succeed in their roles. Joining Wizz Air means joining a team that is passionate about aviation, dedicated to excellence, and committed to making air travel accessible and sustainable for all. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career in the aviation industry, we welcome you to explore our job opportunities and become a part of our success story.

Chief Pilot WAD

Based in Abu Dhabi

Place in the organisation

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi Chief Pilot, Nominated Person Flight Operations (NP FLT), reports to the Accountable Manager.

What we offer:

• Base salary and employee bonus scheme
• Unlimited number of significantly discounted and confirmed seating tickets, giving access to a continuously growing network of destinations
• Relocation package (if applicable) – expense budget, Temporary accommodation, Administration support
• Life insurance
• Instant impact, from any level of the organisation, exposure to C-suite management
• Fast career progression, internal mobility and talent management supported by training opportunities (Wizz Academy and bespoke trainings)
• True international and multi-cultural work environment, passionate, driven and diverse teams

Responsibilities:

The NP FLT is responsible to the Accountable Manager for:

• Fulfilling the duties of NP Flight Operations as defined by GCAA
• Ensuring the safety, security and regulatory compliance of all flight operations activities including Operations Control, Cabin Operations, Operations Planning, specific approvals, and all contracted activities.
• Ensuring that sufficient resources are allocated to the flight operations and raising any issues to the Accountable Manager.
• Creating policy which enables WAZ to conduct safe flight operations under the provisions of its AOC.
• Ensuring the airline has sufficient pilots and cabin crew to support the operation.
• Ensuring that all personnel and activities comply with the Safety Management System procedures and processes, that they are aware of operational risks and takes action to accept or reject according to the risk tolerability matrix.
• Models and promotes a just culture across the Wizz organisation that fosters safety practices
• through effective leadership.
• Ensuring timely and adequate closure of non-compliances.
• Liaise with the competent authority on all flight operations matters.
• In conjunction with Chief Cabin Crew, ensuring the safety, security and compliance of cabin
• operations activities including all contracted activities.
• Providing oversight of the activities performed by WAC, ensuring that all flight crew operating, and training activities are planned in compliance with the FTL and other relevant regulations, and that the required number of flight crew to enable the aircraft to fly the commercial schedule in a productive and cost-efficient manner.
• Providing oversight of the activities performed by WAC, ensuring the safety, compliance, and
• efficiency of Operations Control activities.
• In conjunction with Flight Operations Coordinator and Performance Pilot ensuring safe, compliant, and secure day-to day operations including on-time performance, project management, oversight of IT implementations and a positive collaboration with Wizz Air’s subsidiaries, defining joint policies and procedures.
• Maintaining continuous oversight of deviations from company standards, ensuring the on-time
• execution of safety and compliance corrective and improvement actions, and the systematic risk assessment of flight operations processes.
• Ensuring safe flight operations through the establishment of flight operational policies, standards, and procedures considering information coming from Airbus.
• Liaison with the Crew Training Manager ensuring that flight crew training is performed according to the relevant regulations and company operation standards.
• Liaison with the Senior Manager Human Resources on establishing working practices and terms of service affecting those staff.
• Liaison with the Senior Manager Safety, Manager Security and Senior Manager Compliance on safety, security and compliance matters including FDA.
• Assess the future potential risk through an active review of future demands in line with projected operational growth, and proactively identify suitable resources, technologies, systems, or processes to mitigate risk.
• Establishing airport and crew operating minima for WAZ operations
• Participating in the Safety Action Board, Weekly Flight Operations meeting, Recruitment Committee and Operation and Procedures group meetings
• Authority to make decisions on tolerability of safety risk in respective functional area
• Representing Wizz Air in relevant industry bodies.

The NP FLT is responsible for all matters concerning safety, legality, economy and efficiency of Flight Operations, including:

• The daily management of pilots
• Ensuring that all communication with pilots is appropriate and effective
• Organizing the flight operations aspects of base visits
• Development and maintaining a team management style which encourages just culture
• Leadership, management and development of Flight Operations staff to ensure the effective and timely delivery of their objectives
• Ensuring a high standard of discipline within the pilot community
• Command upgrade plan, including identifying and notifying potential candidates
• Following up delay codes that are attributed to flight operations
• Maintaining a database on pilot attrition and create monthly reports
• Being familiar with pilot recruitment and support the process when appropriate
• Being familiar with the objectives of crew training department and cooperation with Training
• regarding any issue related to released pilot
• Being involved in the annual compensation review for pilots
• Provision of timely feedback to senior management on compensation related issues raised by the pilot community
• Close coordination with other departments within operations for the smooth and efficient functioning of the Airline
• Ensuring the timely availability of properly trained and qualified pilots, including having responsibility for pilot recruitment
• Maintenance of all crew records with regarding duty periods and flight times duration
• Ensuring the company Operations Manuals, Parts A, B and C conform to the relevant regulations
• Ensuring correct accident reporting and maintaining procedures for notifying the required (local) authorities
• Ensuring that deviations from company standards, incidents and accidents related to Flight
• Operations, are recorded, analysed, reported and that corrective action is taken as required
• Attendance of relevant industry forums and conferences

Authorities of the function

The NP FLT has the authority to:

• Approve or disapprove new routes and aerodrome category assignments.
• Approve changes in OM Part-A, Part-B, Part-C and MEL.
• Assignment of crew members to operate, command, or perform duties on aircraft operated by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.
• Accept MEL, approving extension of MEL rectification interval extensions (RIE) or delegating this approval to suitably qualified and trained pilots as per the procedure described in the MEL
• preamble.
• Activate CMC.
• Suspend operations within area of scope if deemed reasonable.
• Approve safety improvement actions.
• Make decisions regarding risk tolerability in accordance with the risk tolerability matrix.
• Liaise with all Authorities.
• Approve department’s manuals.
• Liaison with original equipment manufacturers.
• Liaison with other external entities.
• Approve maintenance check flight.

Skills and competencies

• Native or similar standard of spoken and written English.
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Work well under pressure.

Minimum requirements:

• 3-year university degree
• Hold or have held a valid flight crew licence and the associated ratings appropriate to the type of operation conducted under the AOC.
• Practical experience and expertise in the application of aviation safety standards and safe operating practices.
• Comprehensive knowledge of:
• Applicable UAE/GCAA regulations and associated requirements
• AOC Operations Specification
• The need for and content of relevant parts of the Operations Manuals
• Familiarity with management systems preferably in aviation.
• Appropriate management experience, preferably in a comparable organisation.
• Five years of relevant work experience of which at least two years should be from the aeronautical industry in an appropriate position.
• Be acceptable to GCAA as a Nominated Person (Flight Operations).

When applying, please only provide valid information regarding your educational background and certificates, as the original documents will be requested during the hiring process.

We look forward to meeting you and learning more about your skills and experience. Join the Wizz Air team and discover the world of opportunities.