Pilots are highly-trained and ready to handle emergencies of all kinds, but when one happens, the only thing that matters is whether the job gets done.
In this case, the pilots and crew appear to have done an excellent and highly-professional job of getting this aircraft safely onto the ground in very difficult circumstances, and safely evacuating all the passengers with no reported serious injuries.
We will await the accident report, but this looks to have been a very well-managed emergency situation, and overall a good outcome, and we pay tribute to the pilots and crew for a job very well done.
Media reports include reference to passenger oxygen masks not deploying. Unlike pilot and cabin crew systems they are not designed to be used in smoke events as they mix the oxygen supply with the ambient air. Pax oxygen masks are for use during decompressions.
If the Government wants a functioning airline industry to survive and power our economic recovery we need to see action now. 6 things: #SaveAviation
1. A commitment to end the ban on leisure travel by 2 December.
2. Sector-specific financial compensation ring-fenced away from shareholders.
3. A 12-month waiver of Air Passenger Duty.
4. A moratorium on any further job losses to prevent long-lasting damage to the sector.
5. Roll out of airport Covid testing ready to go at the end of lockdown as an alternative to the ever-changing quarantine and lockdown restrictions which would give passengers confidence to book and travel.
BREAKING NEWS: easyJet pilots and management have achieved a breakthrough in negotiations meaning that no pilots will be made compulsorily redundant. (1/4)
In June easyJet’s estimate was that 727 pilots were at risk of redundancy. But there's been a *huge* community effort to do everything possible to reduce the need for CR which has resulted in 60 pilots leaving voluntarily and a further 1,500 opting for part time work. (2/4)
BALPA GS Brian Strutton: “This is a remarkable achievement which has only been possible because of three groups of people: the BALPA reps, easyJet management who have worked with us constructively during this process, but most of all the easyJet pilots themselves... (3/4)
1/4:Just under 250 BA pilots have now been formally notified they are at risk of redundancy. This is desperately sad news and anyone saying BALPA has done a good deal should remember, as our GS has said, that every redundancy is a tragedy.
2/4: BALPA is still in negotiations with BA and we expect the final number of compulsory redundancies to fall further as the mitigations we have negotiated continue to take effect.
3/4: To correct a misconception, nothing was offered to BALPA by BA, everything had to be proposed by BALPA and regrettably BA did not accept all our proposals to avoid all compulsory redundancies.
Brian Strutton, BALPA General Secretary said: "It is hugely disappointing that during our extensive negotiations British Airways would not accept the full package of mitigations we put forward which would have avoided any job losses at all, and at no cost to BA... (2/4)
“As a result there will be some compulsory redundancies amongst the pilot community and that is a matter of huge regret. Given BA's intransigence we have put together the best package we can to save as many jobs as possible.” (3/4)
easyJet has in the past rightly encouraged pilots to report in sick or fatigued if they are unfit to fly. Now to turn around and say that doing the right thing means you may lose your job could have a chilling effect on the safety culture in easyJet from now on.
Not only that, but the time frame easyJet intend to use includes the early Coronavirus period when some people were getting sick or having to shield themselves and their families. Should these people be punished by losing their jobs too?
easyJet paid £174m out to shareholders, got agreements to furlough staff to protect cash, got £600m from the Government, has boasted of having £2.4bn in liquidity, and ticket sales are going through the roof so fast they cannot get pilots back off furlough quickly enough. (2/4)
So this seems an excessive over-reaction. It doesn't add up. We are meeting easyJet today and we will be fighting to save every single job. (3/4)