BMI diversion causes a stir in Irish media

[TightSlot]

The difficulty we often face on PPRune, and one that is demonstrated here, is a lack of reliable information. The original article quoted on this thread provides a minimum of that commodity and a contrasting maximum of emotive (and emotional) BS. As is human nature, we've taken the minimum available facts, and filtered them through our own experience. That's fine, but possibly not a good basis for an argument?

Some facts seem, to me, to be beyond dispute:

• During and after a missed approach, flight deck workload may well not permit time for a PA - the primary task will always be the safe operation of the aircraft
• A diversion will increase flight deck workload further
• A decision to divert should always be communicated to customers as soon as the workload permits, either by flight or cabin crew

Interestingly (well, to me at least) I'm in ongoing talks with our safety department on this particular issue. Some UK airlines have a standard PA for cabin crew to make immediately after a missed approach: The PA's are neutral and avoid identifying any particular cause, but are designed to reassure the more nervous until such time as the flight crew themselves have time to make their own PA. At the moment, I tend to use my own version of this PA, and then dependant upon circumstances (weather, flight conditions etc.) do a quick smiley walk-thru in the cabin to check on pax and crew. I tend not to try and speak to the flight crew until things have settled down somewhat. In many cases, the Commander is happy to allow me to communicate a follow up PA on his/her behalf, especially in busy ATC environments or at more complicated airfields - while this all seems to work quite well, I do feel that the process should be formalised within the company, and that's what we are working on just now.