The airlines are not in denial: It is simply cheaper to accidentally kill a few hundred people a year, occasionally a few thousand, than it is improve or even maintain the very high pilot standards of experience, training and competence that customers believe still exist at airlines like ours. The companies have done the math and made their decisions.
Spot on Curtain, couldn't agree more.
I wonder how Cathay and the CAD will deal with it when we pull an AF447.
All the pieces are in place really, just a matter of when.
1 - Automation dependency - check
2 - Lack of diverse non-FWB experience - check
3 - Drop in standards to keep seats warm - check
4 - Non-existant regulatory oversight - check
5 - Stressed, fatigued, and distracted crew - check
