Starting in the second half of this year????
•No A320 Fleet manager, training/check crew or line pilots within their ranks (advert appeared just today - normally 3 month notice period for currently employed folk. I can just hear Max at MATFO now "you want who to be your fleet manager - I don't think so?" Just as they did with the original Tiger CP. Experience is a CASA requirement for new type operations. They will need to find someone good!)
•If they can find crew how do direct entry captains sit with the union?
•No AOC with A320 on it yet, let alone CofA for the machine itself(CASA's service delivery standard for new type on AOC is 130 days I believe - working days that is = 5.9 months)
•Has CASA even provided an estimate yet and have XR paid the 50% up front.
•No manuals written to even allow the start of CASA's process (still under construction at Altara I hear and I've never heard of CASA accepting the "first cut" of any manual they have assessed)
•No MEL or SOM for the engineering side of the house (I understand the talk in the XR hangar is "we have no chance of getting ready")
•Any spares on order to keep a 17 year old aircraft with 22 previous owners running.
•Speaking of 22 owners - how is the back-to-birth tracing of the maintenance files tracking (can't get an CofA from CASA without that)
•XR CAR 30 has no A320 on their approval (and JHAS are booked solid)
•And that's all before a partial evac demo is even booked in with CASA who have a total of 1 Cabin Safety Inspector (other on maturnity leave I understand)
Always love to see our industry expand, but operations in the second half of the year are just a dream I think. A nicely painted machine means little sadly. I have a nice tattoo but that doesn't get me into the Gypsy Jokers. Don't polish your wings just yet lads.
I guess ol' evilc is quietly sitting in his corner having a good chew on his Akubra!
Good on ya Skywest, looking forward to seeing the next three online.