Ryanair CEO questions the need for the co-pilot - wants to replace them with flight attendants

Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.

Can we please get some factual reporting, rather than just reporting on this guy's publicity stunt.

The fact is that O'Leary's plans can't be done, won't be done, and aren't likely to happen in any sane universe.

Credit to the Worldmate Travelog for pointing this out - it can't happen thanks to JAR-OPS Subpart N, 1.940(A)(1) & 1.940(A)(2), set by the The Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA).

JAA is a multi-national organisation that oversees safety and regulatory standards for more than 40 European countries.

JAR-OPS 1.940 Composition of Flight Crew states;

(a) An operator shall ensure that:

(1) The composition of the flight and the number of the flight crewmembers at designated crew stations are both compliance with, and no less than the minimum specified in, the Aeroplane Flight Manual (AFM)

(2) The flight crew includes additional flight crew members when required by the type of operation, and is not reduced below the number specified in the Operations Manual.

And if one reads the AFM for the Boeing 737-800, it states the aircraft requires a crew of two pilots in the cockpit to operate this type.

So - stop being part of the O'leary media machine, and start being the catalyst for stopping his idiocy. The more outlets which report on this rubbish and don't call O'leary out for trying this on - the more value Ryanair gets, and they'll keep pulling this crap.

9-07-2010 @ 10:51AM

John said...

This discussion sounds SO familiar...like the one when the dastardly airlines proposed to eliminate Flight Engineers. Based on 'pilot error' statistics, I sometimes think a new butt in the right seat would be a good thing. In addition, the next generation ATC will dramatically reduce pilot workload. By the way it is factually incorrect to refer to all flight attendants as 'her'.

This proposal may sound extreme but is very reasonable, unless one happens to be a pilot. Another idea would to give ticket discounts on single-pilot flights to licensed or even retired pilots; military, commercial, or private, to have even more potential substitute drivers.

9-07-2010 @ 1:05PM

Ladydobermann said...

Very easy fix. Hello Boeing? If I um.. donate.. um.. a couple million to the um.. CEO bank and trust, think we can do something about that silly line in the manual? This is not a publicity stunt. The airlines and railroads have been trying to underman crews for many years now. In fact, railroads are pushing for NO ONE behind the wheel. To the public, we view this as unsafe, and unsound. A CEO views it money out for someone to just "sit" there. In the pilots view, he now has a full array of issues he must deal with alone. God forbid they drop dead before they can notify someone as it has happened with railroads. Fatigue is ever present in these jobs. This is an issue the UTU (United Transportation Union) has been fighting for years. Keep an eye on this one. We MUST not allow this one to pass.

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