Agreed Hugh, on the Dash 8 100/200 there is only 1 FA - yet four exits for cabin evacuation. In the event of an emergency, it would basically be up to the ABP's to assess whether it is safe to open the exit, since the FA can only open one exit at a time!
As for the 300, carrying 50 passengers and currently two FA's (though in theory this could potentially reduce to one) same deal applies, four exits, two FA's... yet fifty passengers (plus up to five infants). I highly doubt that one FA could do it alone, especially if s/he is incapacitated.
In terms of service, if QF want to reduce crew numbers to a 1:50 ratio then that's all fine and dandy but they can't expect the same level of service to be presented to pax. No way in hell can one FA deliver 50 pax a meal (or "chuck a bun" as another PPruner so eloquently put it) as well as coffee/tea on a 30 minute CBR. Service levels will have to be reduced, and if management don't recognise this then they have their heads in the clouds.
I wonder whether they have ever considered 'variable crewing' where crew numbers are in direct proportion to numbers of pax. If there are only 20 pax on a Dash8-300 then sure fly around with only one FA, but as soon as it pax numbers reach 37 then another FA is required.
SG
