JetBlue hires Russ Chew as COO

[astroglider]

Read today Jet BLue hired FAA ATC guy Russ Chew as COO. Didn't they do any background check on this guy???

What a joke. Hiring Russ Chew to fix your company's operations problems is like hiring Don Carty, Fred Reid or Frank Lorenzo to fix your labor relations.

Ask anyone at the FAA or ATC they'll tell you this guy is an idiot. Total business school guy who staff's operations for "perfect world" only situations, not real-world. Wasn't this Jet Blue's problem to begin with? This guy isn't going to fix anything. Hiring him is just "eyewash" for the public!

Pushed out of Raleigh the other morning. One controller working clr delivery, ground, tower, approach and departure...I give her credit, she did the best she could but was overwhelmed by the workload. THIS is what Russ Chew did to ATC...minimal staffing and forcing controllers to work six-day weeks. Is that the future for Jet Blue?

Between Russ's manning cuts at the FAA and the FAA's ridiculously unsafe rest requirements set down in FAR 121.471 we see a perfect storm in the making for something bad to happen (eg. Lexington). I know, I know most "experts" say that particular accident could have been avoided by adding fancy bells and whistles to the cockpit. Those "experts" say that because they work for the very companies selling the equipment. The REAL reason for the Lexington crash was FATIGUE. The controller pulling back-to-back shifts and the flight-crew pulling a "stand-up" overnight. All the equipment in the world isn't going to save you if your too tired to notice or interpret the warning signals.

Aviation safety is pretty simple actually. Staff ATC appropriately...allow flight crews to get a decent amount of sleep between duty periods (eg eight hours behind the hotel room door). Unfortunately safety is deemed to be too expensive by those running the FAA, ATC and the airlines.

What a shame for an industy whose motto should be safety first!

 

[SLFLYHI]

Maybe you should run for FAA administrator.... you seem to have all the answers. Do you know Mr. Chew or is all your information based on speculation and rumors you've heard? I know more than one person who thinks he is just what B6 needs to keep growing. But then again, you seem to be the one with all the answers.....

T2S

 

[flyin4jsus]

Sounds like ATC in RDU isn't following the policy of having two on duty!

 

[clarkwgriswald]

The crew in KLEX was not on a Stand Up. The captain arrived the afternoon before and the FO was there before that even. They had an early report and may well have been tired, but they were not on any type of reduced rest or continuous duty.
The controller as you say was different story.

 

[astroglider]

What did I say in my post Time2Spare? Ask anyone at the FAA or ATC...have you done that? I heard groans from many over there...plus I've been following the guys career for years.

I'd be the first one to acknowledge "I" do not have all the answers. I do know the answer to fatigue though...and that is rest.

 

[astroglider]

Time2Spare said, " I know more than one person who thinks Mr. Chew is just what B6 needs to keep growing."

Yeah, that's the whole point Time2Spare. Mr. Chew's modus operandi is to staff for lean skeleton crew operations. Just like JetBlue... Mr. Chew is just what a low-cost carrier needs to keep fares low. Low fares = growth right?

The problem...you can only get away with running an operation like that for so long. Eventually someone is going to get hurt.

 

[gabbyzoel]

Russ Chew left the ATO originally to go to Hawianian Airlines then switched gears and went to Jet Blue from what I understand. Ask folks at American Airlines about Russ Chew. Apparently American changed the way they delt with their Unions and employees after Chew left. His policies were right out of Johnathan Ornteins play book.