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Old 31st Oct 2019, 01:06
  #64 (permalink)  
Lima Juliet
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 4,333
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then the importance of their job and their effectiveness in that job (ie saving lives) would be greatly assured
Chugalug2 from that quote above, then you would imply that the primary role of cabin crew above all others is passenger safety? I would argue that is a secondary role and that the primary role is passenger service, comfort and ensuring the passengers are compliant for the journey ahead. It’s a bit like saying that the primary role of the Aircrew (see what I did there?) is the safety of the passengers, when actually the primary role (or even dare I say ‘Aim’) is to get the aircraft from A to B and just one of the objectives is to get there safely. Otherwise, if we take your definition, we could get from A to B with our aircraft Aircrew, Cabin Crew and passengers but claim it is ineffective because one of the passengers had a heart attack and died despite the best efforts to save them?

Finally, I have flown many flights as a passenger in an aircraft too small to have Cabin Crew, or with too few passengers to require Cabin Crew, so if the aircraft can fly without the Cabin Crew and complete its desired mission what does that really say about the importance of the job or their effectiveness to me? Personally, I would be content to fly on a flight in any aircraft without Cabin Crew as a passenger if everyone else knew what to do and behaved like me. So really, that primary role is passenger service, comfort and ensuring the passengers are compliant for the journey ahead and the rest is secondary effect. That is why, at best like the PJI, they should be seen as ‘honorary aircrew’ for increased med screening and priority treatment. But other than that, they are from the respective ground trade and trained to operate around an aircraft, rather than operate it for the purpose of being airborne (and I don’t mean turn the galley on, dishing out in flight or operating the cabin lights!).

As for MAA definition, they also mentioned the dreaded ‘B Word’ until recently until someone put in an amendment to change it. The definition of Aircrew can also easily be amended. They are, after all words with variable context (but the context is the important bit).
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