At Last - A Voice of Reason

[Roller Merlin]

Jabiman

Main differences between European and Australian operations that make cadets in the RHS of a LCC jet more risky in Oz:

Lack of Radar and ATC coverage in areas of operation (eg: Tassie, Ballina, Sunshine Coast ...etc)
Lack of ILS and approach procedures except major airports
Operations to short and thin runways
Poor regulations covering the issue

Cadet systems can obviously be made to work when operations use smaller regional turboprops that slow up quickly and need little energy management, or in Europe where there is full ATC/radar and using ILS everytime. But on more complex jets operating into smaller strips on visual approaches and NPAs a cadet program would need to be funded and supported with costly levels of high supervision and observing in higher risk Australian operations. Myself and most others I speak with believe that these risk mitigation measures will be viewed as expensive and many will ultimately fall by the wayside for JQ as a cost-cutting-focused LCC. Also Manila-based crewing is likely to eventually pair up crews regardless to make the schedule. Yet again the overloaded PIC will be left as the final defense in the accident chain. These are the the main points of concern.