I don't know but I would not be surprised.
After all, if you look at the history of the UK airline industry there are two classes of people, aircrew and @@@@.
Things have changed to a great extent over the last 15 years. The skills required these days to operate a modern EFIS jet do not compare to those required to fly a DC-7 transatlantic in winter, let alone a Lancaster to Berlin and back in 1943.
Alas, in our industry, the ability to follow a "purple line" still holds god like status.
Perhaps thats why so many airlines go belly up. After all, would you take a top chemist in ICI and let him run the company? Well thats what happens in this industry.
It really is about time Ops and Crewing staff were
AA/ Given the credit they deserve for making the impossible happen on a daily basis.
BB/ Have a suitable licence system introduced so we can prove our level of competence to those who don't listen.
CC/ Were paid our worth.
DD/ Had our own association to look after our rights.
If flying was difficult, ops and crewing would do it. Give us all 20 hours in an A320 simulator and we would prove it. Would love to see some of those bronze gods of the sky sit in ops and crewing for a summer month and see what they would do.
There...............
Now I feel better but what does everyone else think??????