The Commanders Conference. (CC)
Apologies for the length but this is my overview and 'personal' opinion of the CC.
First off, the participants. MM from the training department might just have a positive affect on training and hence flight safety. TCAS is more intelligent than most people give him credit for, yet he obviously slanted his arguments and opinions to fit into the rational of his superiors. AAR has convoluted and illogical thought processes and he could potentially bring down this airline. We should all have an appreciation for how difficult it must be to deal with him on a daily basis partly because he views all EK employees as subservient and lucky to be in Dubai.
Ed is stuck between a rock and a hard place and he is not equipped to effectively deal with things. He was programmed to intercede whenever certain aspects of the operation were mentioned, but his reponses turned into mini-speeches with no relevance. He appeared more concerned about being a dutiful employee to HIS bosses sitting around the table, than actually formulating a coherent and relevant answer.
Overall the CC was eye-opening. There was an overiding theme about how commanders must take a more proactive role in leadership, take responsibility and not only PERFORM accordingly but be PERCEIVED in such a manner. TCAS effectively communicated these areas of concern and it was well received by the pilots in attendance. The pilots acknowledged certain recent errors in judgement but management refused to take ANY responsibility for policies and practices which might contribute to someone momentarily performing below their normal standard.
TCAS went to great lengths expressing how this profession is one of the best in the world and much is expected from us, but none of the managers accepted the logic that massive deteriorations in job conditions COULD have a detrimental affect on a pilot. On the one hand they agreed that a pilot undergoing certain stresses should not be commanding an aircraft, yet other stresses such as max off days, accomodations, overtime, fatigue and especially rostering practices, are not a part of an EK pilot's life; therefore they cannot be a casual factor. Anything which might be detrimental to a pilot's performance ( if caused by mismanagement) should be overcome by our high level of professionalism.
1) No policy or practice at EK is detrimental to pilots.
2) we should consider the plight of other pilots around the world and be thankful to have this job.
Up to a point they argued that morale at EK was fine but after a few more pointed questions and comments, they seemed to acknowledge the 'frame of mind' of the pilot group. This is what brought about their argument that professional pilots should be able to overcome these problems and perform our duties at a high level, regardless of stresses caused by the company.
What they would not consider, is that none of the recent flying errors, were willfull or typical of the pilot's normal standard of performance. In other words, those guys thought they were doing their best but they screwed up for some reason. Not following SOP's was a theme and likely a contributor to some errors in judgement, which is a fair assessment. But it was so obvious that blame was placed on the pilots in every single one of their 5 examples, before even the facts were determined.
What of the underlying causes, even if mistakes were made? Morale, fatigue and idiotic rostering practices were taboo subjects, especially if someone questioned if there was a LINK to recent events. Ed jumped in at the mere mention of these topics, which was comical after a while. These potential causes are being ignored because it directly involves delving into management practices, which clearly they are unwilling to do. Discussion of these factors was cut short which made it clear they are not considering them as casual factors. They have come up with an alternative explanation.
TCAS and M attribute the recent spat of misjudgements to the years that EK has gone without an accident. They expressed how it is common for an airline with a good safety record to go thru a period of complacency.... hence the CC's were arranged to prevent a major mishap by addressing the issue now. They acknowledged that EK got lucky in Melbourne and it should be a wake-up call to the pilot group. (not to management though) The CC would have been a hell of alot more effective if they took a good look in the mirror and acknowledged their role in recent events. Somehow, the Johanessburg accident has been selectively removed from the conscience of management (probably because it was not BIG NEWS, like the Melbourne accident.) Management did not address issues behind poor judgement, such as fatigue, continual erosion of T&C's and rostering practices because it points the finger directly at them.
Our management team has selected two explanations for recent events
1- a good safety record resulting in complacency and
2- a lack of professionalism on the part of some pilots.
There might be some truth to the above but rarely have I witnessed such blatant ass-covering, which was revealed by their refusal to even consider other possibilities, especially if it reflected poorly on them.
The CC should be the beginning of an introspective look at the operation, not just a momentary tool to reduce the occurence of more 'events' .
What needs to be fixed is the overall sustainable level of pilot performance. Our managers demand each pilot's daily standard to remain high but they are unwilling to provide the environment to achieve this goal. The 2 areas that the CC addressed were improvements in training and the professionalism that pilots exercise on a daily basis. The one area that was not addressed, even though it is the most concerning, is T&C's/Fatigue/Rostering because it affects every aspect of a pilots life and therefore it must have an effect on a person's professional life. Unfortunately-- and predictably-- this last area is not even being considered, which was made abundantly clear by the 4 managers declaring that these issues are not even a concern.
Our managers should be able to understand there are issues which preclude all pilots from sustaining a high level of professionalism on each and every flight. Unfortunately, they refuse to acknowledge the reality and it makes you wonder why? Have they honestly convinced themselves that the pilots just need is a good kick in the pants? Or are they under such intense pressure from above, that they are willing to roll the dice and make some short term changes for the better... but no long term changes to the areas of most concern? If you see AAR in action, you will understand how difficult things are for these guys. It still does not excuse them ignoring possible causal factors simply because their boss refuses to accept reality.
The hidden principle is to give the perception of positive changes but not to make any substantive change if it costs money.
EK's management is now at a cross-roads and they have unfortunately chosen the same path taken by most companies and the government of Dubai. Schmooze things over, place all of the blame on subordinates and most importantly, give the PERCEPTION that issues are being addressed. The truth is, nothing is being done to fix problems if it hints at responsibility being placed on management or it costs money. It is a thin veneer, when scratched will reveal the systemic and underlying problems.
As a pilot group we can accept full responsibility for recent events and hope for the best in the future, or we can accept partial responsibility and continue to voice our concerns to management. After the CC, it was obvious that no manager is willing to, or perhaps even capable of, hearing and then understanding any issue which might reflect poorly on them. The explanation of the 'max days off' policy was the perfect example of why every single concern expressed by pilots, will never be considered.
TCAS went to great lengths explaining the importance of our professionalism and leadership, but by the end of the 2 hours it was disheartening to listen to them blame everything on the pilot group. I bet each and every pilot who got fired, demoted or is now under 'investigation' for some indiscretion, believed they were immune to the effects of having management who have no regard for our well-being, but after the CC it is more likely that most of us now feel differently. Recent events should have enlightened us but the CC definitely proved we are all at risk. Our managers displayed a contempt for pilots, even though they did their best to hide that truth. No doubt this attitude originates from one individual. Contrary to managements belief, the only thing holding this operation together, IS the pilot group.
The theme of the CC was......... we need you pilots, you are vital to the operation, everything hinges on your professionalism........ but we will do nothing to help you in those endeavours. So stop bringing up issues relevant to your performance, get back to work and be thankful that Dubai and EK have been so gracious to accomodate you.
There was some good information passed on but overall it was extremely disappointing. At least now, we should all realize exactly where we stand.