Forkfishing, couldn't have put it any better myself! Well said!
is this dispensation available to any other ZS reg operators who may be having trouble finding suitably qualified pilots for 1900s
I'm sure it will be if the concerned company could provide the same level of training as Solenta. Keep in mind, Solenta's training for permanent crew goes above any other companies, and that is a fact.
At Solenta, every fleet has got one or two Training Captains. C208 has 1, Twotter has 1, 1900 has 2, ATR has 2. These are not just senior pilots, but appointed pilot being put in charge of the training and overall quality of ops of the concerned fleet. To support them there is also a full time training administrator, in charge of monitoring the expiry dates, hours, FDP etc.
I guarantee you that CAA won't just hand out dispensations just because they can. I am not sure as to the specifics but that' the way it is, and if you, as owner of a company, or as pilot for that matter, isn't happy with it, take it up with CAA.