Firstly, let me say I have every sympathy with those boys and girls, both flight deck and cabin crew who find themselves out of work. In fact I have a few personal friends who have recently been made redundant from JMC.. .However, having read this thread, I do think it time for some people on this forum to face up to the harsh facts of business economics.. .It seems the thrust of the complaints is that an airline, in this case Excel Airways, has taken foreign registered capacity for it's Summer program.. .Let's look at this from a cold business case as I suspect the management of Excel have to do.. .First, can they secure the capacity they need from the UK market? . .Well, it may be true that there is excess capacity on the UK wide-body market for some of the season, but definately not continuously for the whole season.. .Given this fact, what are the options; 1)Lease in wide-body aircraft and employ extra crews.. .2) Wet-lease the capacity they require for the period they need.. .Option 1 means that you not only have absorb the lease costs but also the costs for crew salaries, insurance, maintenance etc etc. When the leaner times of the winter arrives those costs do not go away, so the overheads vs. revenue begins to increase, putting adverse financial pressure on the airline. This could well force the airline out of business, as has already happened (BWA et al,) meaning not only the jobs of the extra crews taken on, but all the other BRITISH crews that Excel do employ, plus everyone else in the company as well.. .What good does that do anyone?. .Option 2 allows them to bring in the capacity they need for period of time they need it. . .As has been pointed out on this thread already, Air Atlanta do employ quite a significant number of Brits on this contract, so there is absolutely no reason why some of the bleaters on this board cannot apply for a job with AAI.. .Added to which as part of the European Aviation package, an Icelandic company is perfectly entitled to employ any European crew member, regardless of where the aircraft operates.. .Whilst I understand the emotional response people have in these difficult times, trying to force another UK carrier down the road to ruin by forcing to take on aircraft and crews which cannot be sustained helps no one!
Before you all start hurling abuse at me for what I have said, take a long hard think about this from an unemotional point of view, and tell me honestly that if you were a decision maker at an airline faced with this type of decision, that you would not take the same path.