I see that the airworthiness issues surrounding the ac have finally made today's Sunday Times. However, I am intrigued that MOD have now decided that (quote)'an alternative method of issuing a safety certificate has been devised!
So we lose one aircraft type (and the whole MR/R1 capability) that can't meet a new MAA system, buy a much older airframe just for the R1 that also can't meet the new airworthiness system, and immediately kick it all in to touch so that no one gets egg on their face (but presumably much scrambled egg on their hats).
After being involved in conversations in both the crewroom and Ops room conversations at Aldergrove the day before Mull of Kintyre regarding the HC2 Chinook when Boscombe effectively grounded theirs I had hoped I would not see yet another occurrence of the safety case being over-ridden. I'm sure the ac (RJ) is probably perfectly safe, but if we have an airworthiness system - no matter how flawed as Tuc has well argued - it should not be circumvented.