Jabba,
Don't you know that Allah will protect these people?
How many fatalities has Phucket had anyway?
This pilgrimage thing is important to them. While I really couldn't care less about them limping around the world, it is kinda interesting to me that most of the worlds flakey operations can be traced back to religion. I'm all the time amazed even at the number of praying pilots flying the line. If you ask me, all religion is a mental disorder.
Pilots used to have a physical science background and argue things from a mtbf (mean time between failures) concept. Not anymore! Nowdays your gear-jerker is likely to be a phyc major or home economics grad. Big help when you're trying to ac-certain the likelihood of a sick engine coming apart.
So what exactly are "the faithful" supposed to do? Swim to Mecca? I really don't want them and their TB particulates riding next to me on a real airline. If you're lucky all you're going to get is head lice riding in the back commuting with them and their secret chickens.
Please find a way to get these old whales back in the air and make your peace with your chosen employer. A blown engine or inop CADC for a month is not unheard of in 747 land.
(there, that ought to get this thread going....)