I can understand the need to limit the traffic rights given to overseas operators in certain countries, by allowing access to a large domestic market with very little worth having in return.
However, let us not confuse the two completely seperate issues of airline operations and the free movement of labour.
It never ceases to amaze me how the most international of businesses (aviation) is one of the most restrictive when it comes to the validation of foreign qualifications (licences). If the UK CAA, or any other aviation regulator elsewhere, considers that a pilot is not competent to operate an aircraft based on a validation of a foreign licence then why are they permitted to operate in UK or national airspace at all, as crew on a foreign registered aircraft? The answer is, unfortunately, well known; FINANCIAL AND REGULATORY PROTECTIONISM, mainly in the interest of the regulators and training organisations. Either a flightcrew member is capable of operating an aircraft safely or he is not. The registration markings painted on the outside are totally irrelevent. This is hypocricy at its finest. I am not suggesting there would be a mass migration of pilots, engineers etc due to cultural and language barriers (This is why the fudamental concept of the JAA is a failure) but at least the system would be fair, which right now it ain't! Perhaps all those who are moaning about the fact that holders of foreign licenses are operating here should consider this point- What if the thousands of British pilots working abroad were given the "silver bullet" because all the work was to go to nationals not expats?? They would flock home and there wouldn't be a flying job to be had in this country for the next ten years!! See, it works both ways. Makes me wonder what ICAO actually does too. This is little more than a luncheon club I think.
