CAA would stick to her rules to keep her integrity. Her unique and unbiased integrity
Unfortunately the reality is that the CAA, for a number of reasons, no longer has any integrity; its people are - with some notable exceptions - only there because they are unemployable elsewhere in the industry, and they stick to the letter of the rules simply because they are too incompetent or lazy to do anything else.
They focus on the minutiae of process rather than results, because that's all they understand; they do not have the wit or will to apply common-sense.
They are far more interested in finding more revenue sources than they are in achieving real improvements in safety. Maybe this is forced on them, but that does not excuse it.
I'll believe in their integrity when I hear that they have told BA to get its house in order or stop flying, and mean it, when they stop using money they receive in fees to invest in commercial ventures, when cronyism ceases to be the primary recruitment method, when they stop openly and officially supporting businesses set up by ex-CAA staff, and most of all when they get back to being a highly competent, tough, fair regulator, no more and no less.
To lighten the mood.....
An RAF Tornado pilot was badly wounded in Iraq, and lost his scrotum. On being invalided out, he was offered a job in the CAA as an Aerodrome Inspector. He accepted and was given his Induction briefing to Aviation House.
"OK, we all start work at 08.30. At 10.30 we break for tea and biscuits. At 11.00 we start again and work really hard until 1230. Then we break for the subsidised lunch that the suckers pay for, and then we resume at 1.30 pm for another stretch of hard work until 3.00pm when we stop for tea. From 3.30 to 4.30 we tidy up and get ready to go home, which we do at 4.30, congratulating ourselves on putting in another long day.
However you, old boy, don't have to start until after the 10.30 tea break. Any questions?"
"Well, yes, why don't I start with everyone else?"
"Ah yes. The thing is, old chap, how can I put it, all we do from 08.30 to 10.30 is stand around and scratch our balls."