Words matter

Sure, he book-ended the comments with a statement that he respects the professionalism of pilots, but there was no concealing the words contained therein. He said. “If you sit in the cockpit of a plane flying four or five hundred miles an hour and landing in 40ft or 50ft of visibility, you have total respect. That doesn’t mean they don’t get very well paid for doing what is a very easy job. We are in an era now where the computer does most of the flying. They are very skilled professionals. But are they hard-worked? No.”

He supported his view with other references to the 1989 play-book, when he highlighted pilots’ flight time limitations and not their duty times. By quoting the hours that a pilot is physically in the seat, he referred to pilots working 18 hours each week and 900 hours each year. Alarmingly small numbers to the layman, but hollow to the informed individual who realises that this does not include pre-flight briefings, turnaround times, post-flight duties, study for simulator and route checks, etc, etc, etc.

To be honest, these are not new tactics to try and align public opinion against over-privileged pilots, but they can be explained away quite simply. As such, they don’t really ruffle the feathers of pilots much anymore and a few facts can quite quickly realign the public’s understanding. Furthermore, even the most uninformed can still appreciate that it is not quite as simple as the computer doing most of the flying. For all the name-calling and veiled insults, the real issue lies a little deeper – safety.

Any safety management system (SMS) starts at the top. It is a pivotal element of design that the CEO of a company sits at the SMS organisational pyramid. If you walk into the front office of most airlines, there will be a framed copy of the safety policy, signed off by the CEO. The culture of safety must begin at the highest level of management and flow down through the ranks in a classic case of leading by example. Safety is not a box-ticking course or a manual on the shelf gathering dust, it is about attitude and behaviour. Consequently, the more that a CEO can be seen to be supportive and involved, the greater chance a safety culture has of flourishing within an airline. Mr. O’Leary’s comments do not seem to align with this philosophy.

In the first instance, the “900 hours a year” reference is actually a legal limit, although some dispensations do exist. It is not a figure conjured by pilots to facilitate a holiday in the Maldives, it is determined by the regulator with reference to fatigue management. Additionally, even this figure is under scrutiny as airlines and regulators consider the best means to assess and manage fatigue in the modern world of aviation.

The perception from a CEO that, “We are in an era now where the computer does most of the flying,” is also a tad concerning. It is true that the manipulative nature of flying has undoubtedly changed over the decades and automation now plays a greater role. However, once again, informed individuals recognise that change always gives rise to new threats in other areas and flight deck automation is a classic example.

Some seriously clever minds and respected organisations are researching the human interface with the ever-changing aviation technology to find the safest means of moving forward. It is imperative that pilots not only understand and manage the automation soundly, but are fully competent to operate the aircraft in the case of all eventualities. Even when the computer does not do most of the flying.

The question whether pilots are “hard-worked” is extremely subjective and the greater majority of pilots recognise that there are many other folks out there doing it tougher for a lot less money. This does not diminish the fact that pilots still bear a great responsibility for a good many lives, sector after sector, day after day. The compensation for many executives is not only factored on their successful returns, but the responsibility of not making a decision that will severely impact upon the company’s bottom line in a negative sense. If that concept was applied to pilots’ remuneration, then their poor decision-making could quite possibly spell the end of an airline. But this is really not about the money.

The comments made by Mr. O’Leary about pilots is divisive to say the least. More importantly, they do not align with the principles of aviation safety management and show a worrying absence of understanding if the chosen words were sincere. There is no such thing as low-cost safety and in this business, there are certain components that are a non-negotiable expense. Notwithstanding, visible leadership by example is a matter of attitude and not an exorbitant cost on a balance sheet.

Safety is not about off-the-cuff soundbites, posturing or name-calling in the public domain. It is about the professionalism, care and respect of everyone involved in the transport of our loved ones through the sky. Regardless of the role we play in that complex chain, we all have a part to play where safety is concerned. Especially if we are the CEO.