Originally Posted by
vikingivesterled
The ballpark numbers of set of crews per aircraft just becomes more difficult to operate when you run fewer aircraft in winter season than in summer, then increase the summer season. In addition you increase the fleet in batches, but at different numbers from year to year. Besides even 5.2 sets of crews per aircraft sounds massive for an airline that started out with 4. And unnervingly close to the then short-haul industry standard of 6.
There is no need for such ballpark figures when you have an automated system that can give you "real" cover, and targets for recruiting, far into the future. No exec will ignore a forecast of weekly numbers put in front of him/her, telling that at such and such time the schedule won't work. Many of them are after all accountants and used to exact numbers and balances or at least weigthed guideances, rather than statistical approximates and rules of thumb.
But if, as an average, they can only operate some 17.5 block hours weekly then that is only perhaps three days flying duties so fly them four days per week in the summer and only two days per week in the winter whilst scheduling any ground training classroom duties for the winter, RYR will still be getting their 900 hours per 12 months out of the poor souls.
RYR's accumalative year was April till March but were given two years notice to change it to January till December, now to move three months in one move would have been a significant headache to continuously check and cross-check that crews weren't busting 900 hours.
What I would have done would be ask the authority if during year one we can move to March until February, then the next year move to February to January and by the time year three came along we could move just one month again to the required January until December and I'm confident that any reasonable authority would have agreed to that.
It appears RYR management sat with their fingers up their butts when they would have had every opportunity to use any initiative they may have!