No doubt you are aware of the Peter Principle:
The theory that employees within an organization will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent.
Pilots are checked for their competence several times a year. Airline managers are not, but depend on their ability
and their political skill to survive and rise in the organisation.
Because they are regularly tested and checked, pilots rise to their level of competence. They are certified competent. Other non-operational employees in the organisation are not.
If you introduce, what you claim is a meritocratic system into an airline, will you not introduce an overlay which will bias pilots to also rise to their level of incompetence? Have we not seen this on occasions in pilots who have applied for and who have been selected for management positions?
Regards
Stoic