Jaunted

In a memo sent to all cockpit crew last week, the unit of Air France-KLM SA said a review of recent safety incidents showed that some of them occurred because pilots had disregarded basic procedures. The airline cited, for example, a case in which a pilot ignored an alarm during takeoff, but it offered no details... "The letter is unacceptable," said Erick Derivry, spokesman for SNPL, Air France's largest pilots union. "It highlights how pilots have lost confidence in management." The memo chastised pilots for what it described as deviating from industry-wide practices. "There is no need to fix procedures or create new ones," it says.

You have to appreciate the way this guy is keeping his eyes on the ball. Two-hundred and twenty-eight people have died. There's a bitter dispute over what got them dead. One side has made a specific claim about institutionalized disregard for safety regulations. But the significant issue is whether pilots are getting warm and fuzzy vibes about their management? Someone needs their priorities adjusted.

Free advice to the Air France pilots union: the correct line is "as long as management continues to avoid the real issues, tragedies like this are a constant risk." We understand that Mommy and Daddy raised you to think that your feelings are always the first concern in any situation, but back in reality you're responsible for people's lives. Let's have at least the illusion of seriousness.

[Photo: AP]

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· Air France Warns Pilots on Safety Procedures [WSJ]
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· Air France Coverage [Jaunted]