Halfnut
I will be curious to see if the upper FAA issues “Get Out of Jail Free” cards to those who were a part of the “study.” The waver came from middle management who might not have authority to issue such a waver.
That would indicate that the FAA people are for the high jump. The pilots and JetBlue might be censured but their attorney could argue that they had every reason to believe that they were veing given lawful instructions. Leastways, the attorneys will hope that they have the chance to debate this in court.
The CASA + Qantas study sounds most encouraging. They could certainly sell the detailed report for thousands of dollars each to the rest of the biz and ensure that their name and reputation for safety is stamped through every page. They can then sanction a book and documentary etc. etc.
In the long run, being known as the company that investigated this problem and set the benchmark will be worth millions in simple advertising.