Reduced Cabin Crew so Passengers Left Behind

[wiggy]

I don't think a pilot can operate as cabin crew without some sort of extra training. Their SEP training is abbreviated and refreshed infrequently

Given the airline specific context of this thread (BA) can please stop that rumour in it's tracks, for BA at least?

BA Flight Crew I believe do SEP renewal: e.g. door operation ( manual and automatic etc,) slides, lifejackets, etc etc etc much the same as the Cabin Crew and just like the cabin crew it's normally done annually. No idea how other companies handle it.

OTOH BA Flight Crew don't do the annual medical training/refresher the BA Cabin crew do, but they do some annual Flight Crew specialist stuff the cabin Crew don't do.

easyflyer

Forgive me if I'm wrong,

Granted.................................

[Chesty Morgan]

Originally Posted by easyflyer83

If the crew compliment was three (I don't think any BA mainline flight has 3 crew) then you cannot reduce to 2 crew. 3 on a A319/320 is the absolute minimum. Any less, you aren't going anywhere.

That's the whole point of the alleviation, to operate with less than minimum crew. At least at my previous and present company.

[easyflyer83]

Chesty Morgan. At the airlines I've worked for, operating the A319/320 with just two crew members would not be permitted. Minimum crew has been four with an alleviation to lower that to three in order to get back to base.

Wiggy, I think you might have needlessly got your boxers in a twist over my comments. I said forgive me if I'm wrong because I wasn't 100% sure. But if BA pilots know the cabin/passenger emergency drills and shout commands (the most cabin crew specific SEP training) then genuine kudos to BA for training their pilots to that level. I don't recollect that being the case at my former BA franchise carrier mind.

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by easyflyer83

Wiggy, I think you might have needlessly got your boxers in a twist over my comment

I've got nothing in a twist at all but TBF you yourself did say you weren't sure about SEP for pilots but then nevertheless went on to make a definitive statement re. pilots, i.e. "Their SEP training is abbreviated and refreshed infrequently". I was merely pointing out that certainly in the context of BA (subject of this thread) that statement was inaccurate.

But if BA pilots know the cabin/passenger emergency drills and shout commands (the most cabin crew specific SEP training) then genuine kudos to BA for training their pilots to that level

FWIW they do, commands covered/checked/shouted in the annual check on door drills and also in some of the CRM exercises done jointly with the cabin crew during SEP checking/revalidation.

That said I have no idea of the FCOM/Ops manual requirement for Minimum crew on BA's Airbuses, so back to the thread.........

[rog747]

in UK at BMA it was always for narrow bodied a/c 50 pax per one CC

[smith]

If you look at all the small commuter propellor aeroplanes like the jetstream 31, bandierante, twin otter, saab fairchild metro liner, beach kingair, etc etc, They were all configured to carry 19 pax as it meant they were not required have cabin crew, if they had 20 seats they would have required a flight attendant and would have cut in to operating profits.

[rog747]

yup Brymon days in their otter from LGW to BHX was one pilot one hostie and up to 19 pax

[starbag]

Originally Posted by easyflyer83

Chesty Morgan. At the airlines I've worked for, operating the A319/320 with just two crew members would not be permitted. Minimum crew has been four with an alleviation to lower that to three in order to get back to base.

Wiggy, I think you might have needlessly got your boxers in a twist over my comments. I said forgive me if I'm wrong because I wasn't 100% sure. But if BA pilots know the cabin/passenger emergency drills and shout commands (the most cabin crew specific SEP training) then genuine kudos to BA for training their pilots to that level. I don't recollect that being the case at my former BA franchise carrier mind.

Standard crew complement at BA for the A319 is 3. This can be reduced to 2 with the corresponding reduction in passengers. If the Club cabin goes over certain numbers (this varies depending on the length of flight), an additional crew member is carried. BA A319s have either 143 seats (legacy BA) or 144 seats (legacy bmi).