Aer Lingus Fleet/ Routes Discussion Pt 2 (ALL possible routes included)

From what I've heard it was an instruction, not a clarification. In fact the manual actually says the opposite of what the manager instructed: positioning crew are required to stay in the cabin they were assigned and not move to another one during the flight.

Another point: If all the crew had sat in business class, who is keeping an eye on things down the back should, God forbid, a fire break out in the rear galley? Wonder if there's a requirement for someone to be back there just in case?

The “manual” doesn’t require the crew to stay anywhere. The actual sop for a ferry flight has no specification for where crew sit for departure (A321N excluded), additionally cabin crew are entitled to a business seat if one is available. Simply put, trim is not an issue on an A330

Regarding issues down the back, there is a requirement for regular checks, which is a written sop and would have been performed.

Without knowing what exactly was said and how it was phrased it’s very hard to come to any conclusion but safety was never in jeopardy.

The Pilot and the Union come across very poorly from that article.

Apparently MAN based crew do not have a collective working conditions agreement with the company. ROI based crew may well have entitlement to position in Business but that would be irrelevant here.

So far they seem to have confidence to continue flying.

As you would expect from authorities. All are entitled to file such a report even if the motives for doing so might be questionable.

The union should have allowed it conclude before throwing the toys out of the pram!

Well I'm only going on what I was told but it was that it's in the operations manual that crew should not move from their assigned cabin.

I think where some confusion is arising here is whether the crew were positioning or operating? I read that they were listed as operating crew on the load sheet, in which case they wouldn't be entitled to any passenger seat because they are not positioning. Granted, there are no passengers, so it's a strange situation. But it should be clear whether or not the crew were positioning or operating.

The point was made earlier that they didn't check in or have boarding cards. In that case it seems to suggest they were operating crew, not positioning, and thus it's entirely up to the captain whether they could, in fact, sit in business class.

Finally, it's not for you or me to say whether safety was ever in jeopardy. We weren't there. All the media reports say that the captain filed a safety report after the flight, so those who are qualified to make that determination, will.

if 8 people sitting in business rather than economy can cause balance issues, would you not need to know the weight of all passengers on a regular flight? Can’t see how 8*75kg would cause an issue on an A330, but would welcome any pilot views on if it would. Have seen some comments say “if in the captains view, it was needed for safety, then that’s what’s needed”. Trying to see if all captains would see it that way - that it is an issue.