Legendary Captain

Chapter 311 High-Altitude Station

While there were previous regulations regarding the matching of crew strength, they were not as strict as they are now, neither in terms of the detail of the regulations nor in the enforcement.

Qin Zongyang was recently informed that he would be taking over the position of Vice President of Operations from Luo Qing. Thinking that he was about to become the highest leader of the company's flight system, he should make some practical achievements. Therefore, Qin Zongyang refined the regulations on the matching of crew strength and strengthened their implementation, which can be regarded as the first practical thing he did after taking over as Vice President of Operations.

It was, after all, the first thing a new official had to do upon taking office, so the Flight Department took it quite seriously and implemented it thoroughly. But that's how things ended up like this today.

At this moment, the only thing Qin Zongyang could be thankful for was that he could at least be sure that the guys in the flight department had indeed implemented his established policies very well, and had implemented them to his apprentices.

At this moment, in this situation, Qin Zongyang didn't know whether he should be happy or unhappy!

Good heavens, the master has kicked away his apprentice's rice bowl! What kind of nonsense is this?

"Master, did you do this?" Xu Xian looked at Qin Zongyang in surprise. "When did you start having the mind to do these things?"

In the past, Qin Zongyang was always preoccupied with power struggles and rarely did anything substantial. To be honest, this blunder created a somewhat awkward situation, but if handled well, it could indeed save the company a considerable amount of money. Moreover, Qin Zongyang came from the aircraft fleet and has good relationships with the current, somewhat difficult, veteran instructors, which greatly increases the likelihood of this policy being implemented.

For an airline, veteran instructors are undoubtedly a huge asset, possessing extensive flying experience and solid flying skills. However, some veteran instructors rely on their seniority, clinging to their experience and refusing to change. Worst of all, they tend to form cliques, what are commonly known as conservatives. They will refuse to implement any policies that are unfavorable to them.

Prior to this, there were no strict standards for crew skill pairings. As a result, some senior instructors relied on their experience and qualifications to raise the skill level of their co-pilots as much as possible.

For a captain, if the person in the right seat is highly skilled enough, the captain can save a lot of effort. Otherwise, if they are flying with a newly promoted third-level first officer, the pilot will have to expend more energy focusing on the flight, which will make the captain more tired.

If it weren't for the strict regulations on dual-captain operations, these veteran instructors would love to have a captain fly with them so they could sleep in while they were on duty.

However, having the captain fly with them was a bit too much; these veteran instructors wouldn't be so shameless. So, they opted for a less demanding arrangement, requiring that their co-pilots be at least a fourth-level first officer.

Those with a technical level of Level 4 First Officer or higher would certainly not be second First Officers, at least it would save them a lot of trouble. However, as instructors, in order to better fulfill their duties, they should fly with the Second First Officer or the second First Officer. After all, the primary responsibility of an instructor should be to train, and experienced instructors are more likely to train second officers or the second First Officer with weaker technical foundations.

However, despite holding the title of instructor, they were unwilling to take responsibility and used their seniority to coerce the pilots into assigning them high-ranking co-pilot positions.

Of course, pairing an instructor with a high-ranking co-pilot is not a violation of regulations, and there is no problem with the crew's skill level. However, this does not conform to the principle of maximizing economic efficiency.

However, even if someone knows about these things, they will turn a blind eye because of the power of the old teachers sticking together. After all, it is the company's money that is being lost, not theirs, so why should they offend those old teachers?

But Qin Zongyang is different. He is one of the most senior instructors in the company. With him at the center, the resistance encountered in deepening the reform of the unit's strength matching should be much smaller.

This is because the Flight Department saw the positive effect of Qin Zongyang's leadership and felt that this matter had great potential, so they proceeded with it with great seriousness, rather than simply trying to curry favor with the future Vice President of Maintenance.

It can only be said that the dispatching department's implementation of this policy is exemplary; even Xu Xian was treated the same as everyone else.

Qin Zongyang was slightly embarrassed: "I didn't expect the dispatcher to be so insensitive. Should I call him and talk to him?"

"No need!" Xu Xian stopped Qin Zongyang directly: "Whatever Master wants to do, I, as his disciple, should support him. If you call the dispatch center and ask me to keep flying, wouldn't that be contradicting myself? If I don't want to fly, I don't want to fly. I'll just take a break and go back to sleep."

Without a word, Xu Xian went straight back to the cockpit to pack his things. This time there were no overnight bags or anything, so packing was quick. When he left, the backup co-pilot kept apologizing to Xu Xian, saying he'd taken over Xu Xian's shift.

Xu Xian's current status is quite different, and the passenger in the front seat was still a little flustered.

However, Xu Xian naturally wouldn't dwell on such matters. After offering a few words of reassurance, he picked up his suitcase and hurried down the covered bridge, following the vehicle that was picking up Qin Zongyang as it left the venue.

Qin Zongyang had just relieved himself in the airplane toilet and felt better. Taking advantage of the break in the car, he decided to tell Xu Xian about what he planned to do as the vice president of operations.

This includes not only policies on matching crew strength, but also improvements to the treatment of first-pilots, and a strategy to organize a number of flights to return to first-class and business-class configurations.

Previously, due to Star Travel's strategy of operating as a low-cost carrier, it replaced almost all of its first-class and business-class cabins with economy class cabins.

This business strategy did indeed bring Star Airlines a significant increase in additional ticket revenue. However, the marketing strategy of a low-cost carrier can easily lead the public to develop a low-end perception of Star Airlines, making it difficult to transform its brand in the future.

Previously, Star Airlines' senior management felt that Star Airlines' potential was limited. They thought it wouldn't matter if they sacrificed Star Airlines' future brand prestige for extra ticket revenue, since Star Airlines wouldn't encounter such troubles anyway. In their expectations, Star Airlines should remain a second-tier airline for a long time.

For a second-tier airline, creating a premium brand is wishful thinking. Instead of worrying about the future of brand premiumization, which is unlikely to be considered in the future, it would be better to go all out and position itself as a mid-to-low-end brand to attract a wider market of ordinary consumers.

The marketing strategy itself wasn't problematic, but they hadn't anticipated the transformative impact Xu Xian's arrival would have on Xingyou Airlines. With performance over the past year reaching its highest point since its inception, it was only natural to set their sights on an even brighter future under such favorable circumstances.

Fortunately, Star Travel's low-cost flight strategy hasn't been in place for very long, so its established image shouldn't be too firmly established yet, and there's still a possibility of turning things around.

One of Qin Zongyang's major goals after becoming Vice President of Operations was to discuss cabin layout modifications with Li Chuan. This kind of matter wasn't just within the flight department's purview, but also fell under the marketing department's jurisdiction, requiring communication with Li Chuan, the head of the marketing department.

His plan is to modify half of the cabin layout of Star Travel Airlines' aircraft, which is a long and arduous task.

These were all Qin Zongyang's initial ideas, without much concrete detail or timeframe. He planned to finish discussing them when they arrived at the company's base.

Xu Xian originally planned to go to the preparation room to get some hot water to warm his stomach before going to the duty building to check into a room and sleep. However, when the two of them arrived at the preparation room, they unexpectedly ran into He Changyuan, who had been grounded.

He Changyuan was doing the job of issuing inspection forms before the flight, which was done part-time by the flight department staff. Instructor Lin Sheng often did this before, or rather, almost all the pilots who worked part-time in the flight department did this.

Pre-flight inspection forms are now basically just a formality, but they haven't been abolished yet because someone still has to do them. Having dedicated administrative staff do them would require extra overtime pay, so it's cheaper to hire part-time staff.

Later, the flight department came up with an even more brilliant idea. Part-time workers always need some form of compensation, and they still need to put in some effort. So why not just use grounded personnel? They get the work done without getting paid—how convenient!

"Hey Lao He, you're grounded and under investigation right now, don't act like some old man, where does all this temper come from?" Qin Zongyang complained furiously.

To be honest, He Changyuan was suspended from flying because he was caught smoking, which means he committed a crime and is currently in the punishment period. People like him should generally keep a low profile for a while.

But He Changyuan was different; he seemed to have an even bigger temper. When others distributed pre-flight inspection forms, although it had become a mere formality and they didn't actually go from group to group according to the items on the form, they would at least politely distribute the forms to the flight crew members in each group, let them fill them out themselves, and then collect them all together.

However, He Changyuan simply placed a stack of pre-flight inspection forms next to the data table, and occasionally shouted at the top of his lungs to make sure the flight crew took the pre-flight inspection forms along with their documents. After filling them out, he would put the completed inspection forms in the cardboard box next to him.

Upon seeing Qin Zongyang, He Changyuan was furious: "Those stingy bastards in the flight department are always thinking about how to save money. I'm already annoyed because I've been grounded, and now I have to be called here to distribute these forms. Just because I'm grounded, they think they can order me around without charging me? I just don't understand. The flight department is always thinking about how to save money. Even if they do save some, doesn't it all end up in the pockets of those higher up? What's the point of being so proactive all the time?"

Qin Zongyang shrugged: "The plan to maximize the efficiency of grounded personnel has already saved over 800,000 yuan in labor costs, and that's only been a little over a quarter! The money-saving effect is so obvious!"

"What the hell is that to you?" He Changyuan said disdainfully. He hated these kinds of brats who were always scheming to cause trouble for others, but they didn't get any benefit for themselves. They were just trying to make things better for the leaders. He couldn't understand how these people thought.

In He Changyuan's mind, Qin Zongyang was barely considered a high-ranking kid, not yet at the point where he could participate in the distribution of benefits. So when he saw Qin Zongyang, it was as if he had seen a comrade-in-arms who had betrayed the revolution, and his anger intensified.

"Who says I didn't get any benefits? I was also one of the people who helped formulate this plan for grounded personnel. This quarter, Lu Xinyu, Cao Jinwen, and I each received a bonus of 80,000 yuan as a reward for this plan. You could say 80,000 yuan is a benefit!" Qin Zongyang said with a smile.

Qin Zongyang, Lu Xinyu, and Cao Jinwen were the team that formulated the plan for the grounded personnel. In the past, grounded personnel were often essentially given a leave of absence. As long as the company could find them when needed, the company didn't care what the grounded personnel did during the rest of the time.

But things are different now. Grounded personnel need to take turns coming to work administrative shifts, assisting with the fleet, aircraft costs, flight standards, the recruitment office, and the quality center. Some even do odd jobs, like helping with supplies or setting up meeting venues. In short, the flight department is essentially using grounded personnel, who are mostly idle at home, as free labor.

Most of the grounded personnel had made mistakes, and many were quite guilty. When the company asked them to help with work, almost none of them objected. This saved a lot of labor costs.

It can only be said that capitalists are always looking to maximize their profits. In He Changyuan's eyes, Qin Zongyang, the one who made the decision, was a lackey and accomplice of capitalism, betraying his brother for a mere 80,000 yuan.

"Eighty thousand yuan, isn't that just half a month's salary for you? Is it really necessary to persecute your brother like this? I'm already so old, and you still make me come here to hand out flyers. I've completely lost face." He Changyuan vehemently accused Qin Zongyang of his evil deeds.

"What leaflet? This is called a pre-flight inspection form!" Qin Zongyang pulled He Changyuan to a quiet corner. "Can you be a little more discreet? You've had a hard day, I'll talk to the fleet later and have them find someone to cover for you, okay? Also, don't go around telling everyone about finding someone to cover for you, so people don't gossip!"

Upon hearing that Qin Zongyang was going to help him out privately, He Changyuan immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "Understood, understood. You're in the public announcement period for your appointment now, so it's best to be careful. Also, the crew strength matching plan you signed off on has caused quite a few complaints from the brothers, aren't you going to say something about it?"

"I've thought about this. I'll gather everyone together for a meal in a while and have a good talk. Without their cooperation, that case really won't go well," Qin Zongyang sighed.

The difficulty in finding a suitable team composition lies in persuading the senior instructors to cooperate in implementing the plan, and this task of lobbying will definitely fall on Qin Zongyang's shoulders.

"Let's not talk about that, those are minor issues." He Changyuan nudged Qin Zongyang. "I heard the company is going to open a base in Luoxie, a high-altitude base, and they say you'll have to stay there for half a year each time. Who can stand that?"

Lhasa is located on a plateau with an average altitude of nearly 4,000 meters, making it a high-altitude region unsuitable for people accustomed to living at lower altitudes. For example, Yunnan Province is also a plateau region, but its altitude is only 2,000 meters; Lhasa is almost twice the height of Yunnan Province.

People like Xu Xian, who grew up in the plains, felt somewhat unwell when they first arrived in Yunnan, let alone in Luoxie City at an altitude of 4,000 meters. The altitude sickness there would definitely be much more severe.

However, the routes involving Lhasa were so profitable that they consistently had extremely high load factors without ever offering discounts. Both the marketing and flight departments were eyeing the profits from these routes, so they considered establishing a branch base directly in Lhasa.

Since a branch base was to be built, there should at least be a stationed crew. However, when the flight department started recruiting crews willing to be stationed at the Luoxie base, very few people responded. Not to mention captains and instructors, even the young and capable co-pilots were unwilling to go.

The airport operating environment in high-altitude areas is complex, requiring captains to be experienced and technically proficient. Naturally, He Changyuan was also taken to a small room by the flight department for a talk. The gist of the conversation was that if He Changyuan was willing to be stationed at the Luoxie base, his downtime could be appropriately shortened.

However, He Changyuan was very reluctant to go to the Luoxie base and refused on the spot. However, he sensed that the flight department leaders who had pulled him aside for the talk were very determined and would likely use some tricks to force them to go later. Therefore, he thought he should take this opportunity to tell Qin Zongyang that if the flight department forced certain people to be stationed at the base, he shouldn't be chosen.

He's getting on in years and can't withstand the harsh conditions of high-altitude environments.

"Don't you want to go?" Qin Zongyang sighed. "If you don't want to go, does that mean someone else will? The flight department and the marketing department are very firm this time. If they can't find the right candidates for the plan, they'll have to hold a public lottery. Whoever gets the lottery number will be stationed at the Luoxie base."

"What public lottery? It's just talk! Why don't you just tell the flight department?" He Changyuan said dismissively.

Qin Zongyang's face was more serious than ever before: "This is no joke, it's truly fair and open, no one can escape it! Whoever is drawn will be stationed at the station, there's no escaping it."

"Anyone?" He Changyuan sneered, gesturing towards Xu Xian's location not far away: "If you drew him, would you send him to the Luoxie base? Would you? Would you dare?"

Qin Zongyang was speechless after being refuted, and could only helplessly say, "No one can force him to do anything. If he's drawn, whether he stays at the station or not is up to him!"

How come only two people have claimed the full subscription for "Light of the Gods" so far? There should be far more than just two people.

(End of this chapter)