Engine Costs
Do any beancounters read this forum? I am wondering about the effect of flying through an ash cloud that was sufficiently dispersed to not be an immediate danger to the particular flight but which would gravely shorten engine life. A poster has already said that it takes about ninety minutes to check an engine that may have been exposed to volcanic ash. This is after the ginger has finished his tea break, finished the must do job, and got his tools together. It would be risky to assume the aeroplane would be declared serviceable until the inspection was complete. Also, who is to judge, and on what data, that the aircraft was exposed to ash?
Can anyone shed any light on the costs involved? I am wondering if it was judged to be cheaper to ground everyone at least until the cost of not doing so was known and a method of forecasting the extent of the ash cloud had been developed.