Can anyone tell me how long MECIR and MCC been a prerequisite for airline applicants? I assume this wasn't a factor in days gone by.
For those that don't get given either of these through an employer I can see why people would be deterred. An extra $25-30k on top of the initial CPL for no real promise of a job. Offshore helicopter operators seem to be going down the same road too, except the IR is double the cost. Not worth the trouble really.