Spin To Make You Dizzy
Folks,
Have a look at Albo's press release: AA346/2010 of 20 May, and in particular the "numbers", as part of the announcement of fire services (RFFS) for the Sunshine Coast airport
And I quote: For 2009 year standing alone, 8,181 calls for assistance, 515 emergencies, and 23 lives saved ---- all in the small number of airports that actually have RFFS services provided by AA.
Almost enough to scare you off flying, except for one thing, and that is that no more than a handful actually involved operation of aircraft directly, and I would guess that they would almost be all calls to standby.
As for the "23 lives saved" ???? Probably somebody collapsed in a terminal and revived. What wonderful spin.
Everybody should re-read the (then) BTRE analysis of the "cost of safety regulation" some years ago, which showed that on-airport RFFS was classic economic waste, and this resulted (with several anomalies) in the removal of all RFFS, except for the capital city primary airports, because of the ICAO requirements for "international" airports.
It's very heavily gilding the lilly to suggests that being "first responders" to events that are normally handled by Ambulance or other paramedics justifies full RFFS services. It is just costing airlines, and therefor airline passengers, a significant "per ticket" cost, particularly at smaller airports. With the obvious flow-on for employment
This is the sort of thing that is eating away at the viability of air services, particularly in the regions.
The BTRE report is as relevant today, as it was when it was first presented, and the cost impost for unjustified services weighs even more heavily on the industry today, than it did then.
Tootle pip!!