Well see how things go in the next few years as retirements increase and the 3 big Gulf carriers continue to expand their widebody fleets. All major airlines will feel the pressure.

From a cost perspective, you would think all 3 Gulf carriers would look for cheaper basing alternatives. Paying local taxes and being in compliance would be cheaper than offering villas and educational benefits, etc. It is hard to transplant entire families to the ME and expect them to stay - pilot attrition rates and new training requirements are costly too. Unfortunately, this is all about CONTROL and cost does not always factor in - and that is a shame.

If just one of the 3 big Gulf carriers got creative with hiring this could be a game changer for attracting and retaining the best pilots as they need them going forward. It makes so much sense - especially from a cost perspective in a tight labor market for experienced pilots. We can hope, but I won't hold my breathe...