"Of course, in preparing cadet training programmes, the airlines would have known this and conducted a risk analysis and what with the money saved have found it is safe."
Perhaps what the airlines are implying is that modern jet airliners are so easy to fly that even a low hour pilot can do it?
I doubt that is the case but the airlines don't seem particularly worried about low hour pilots controlling the plane; maybe it really is safe? I wonder what the captains involved think about having low hour pilots as 2-I-C? I would have thought that GA experience would have been preferable and invaluable but it seems not???