Much of the point has been missed again during the depressingly familiar clash of egos that has become an unfortunate 'feature' of this forum of late.
Remember, and this is basic stuff, that the success and prosperity of any capitalist economy relies for the greater part on CONFIDENCE. Confidence is something generated when perception of any given circumstance is one of positivist, growth and expansion.
This industry like any other relies on a tangible level of confidence both from investors and consumers alike, and particularly from consumers in our case. No one here disputes the implications of the current climate, but you people do us all a great dis-service by entering into protracted debate based on so much opinion.
What any industry, nation, or political party needs at time of distress is to show a united and POSITIVE face during times of uncertainty. I say 'political party', and use the phrase advisedly because this is all about politics. The airline industry, whether it likes it or not has got an image problem within the public domain at the moment, and until public confidence is restored, there will be no upturn. Forget the infighting - if you want to turn on anyone, turn on the press. As is so often the case in this backward country of ours the media have been allowed to create a storm out of thin air. All of a sudden the globe associates air travel with terror and death. Air travel has been an unfortunate victim of global events, but as the professional face of this industry we need to embark on a delicate political recovery operation.
We all know that the media poke around in this forum looking for scandal and intrigue, so let's not shoot ourselves in the foot here.
Regarding FIs working for nothing, anyone should think very carefully about the implications of doing anything for nothing. Not only does this put the employee in an impossibly weak position, but it f**ks up the balance of power for everyone else. Are the FTOs getting any less from their students for the same training they always get? I don't think so. We are all desperate for hours and experience, but I think we once again need to show a united front here and put an end to this nonsense. Don't work for free, in fact paying for work is what you're doing in these circumstances.
N