But in stark contrast to the rival theories about who was responsible for the 2004 bombings, this time, a single would-be culprit is emerging - at least in the eyes of the Spanish media. Spanair and its business troubles are being put under the microscope - from the $81bn losses in the first sixth months of 2008, to the axing of routes, and the proposal to cut up to 1,200 jobs. Just hours before the crash, Spanair representatives of the pilots' union, Sepla, had issued a statement, denouncing "organisation chaos" at Spain's second biggest carrier. Threatening strike action, the pilots alleged that company bosses were forcing cockpit and maintenance staff to work abusively long hours, in order to compensate for "endemic problems" of organisation and structure. Those claims are denied by Spanair executives, together with the suggestion that economic woes were a direct cause of Wednesday's crash.
But in stark contrast to the rival theories about who was responsible for the 2004 bombings, this time, a single would-be culprit is emerging - at least in the eyes of the Spanish media.
Spanair and its business troubles are being put under the microscope - from the $81bn losses in the first sixth months of 2008, to the axing of routes, and the proposal to cut up to 1,200 jobs.
Just hours before the crash, Spanair representatives of the pilots' union, Sepla, had issued a statement, denouncing "organisation chaos" at Spain's second biggest carrier.
Threatening strike action, the pilots alleged that company bosses were forcing cockpit and maintenance staff to work abusively long hours, in order to compensate for "endemic problems" of organisation and structure.
Those claims are denied by Spanair executives, together with the suggestion that economic woes were a direct cause of Wednesday's crash.
INTERVIEW: Air Disaster in Madrid - The investigation - JOSÉ MARÍA VÁZQUEZ President of SEPLA [airline pilots' union] and Spanair pilot "To attribute the accident to the firm's situation is barbaric" by LARA OTERO - Madrid - 22/08/2008 José María Vázquez has been at the helm of the pilots' union SEPLA for 9 months and in Spanair for 20. He has seen the company be born and grow. He is critical of the airline's management but defends its actions on maintenance and safety. He was one of the pilots who flew the relatives of the victims from Las Palmas to Madrid on Wednesday night. He can't (and won't) help getting emotional recalling the personal dramas he was told of during that two-hour flight
"To attribute the accident to the firm's situation is barbaric" by LARA OTERO - Madrid - 22/08/2008
José María Vázquez has been at the helm of the pilots' union SEPLA for 9 months and in Spanair for 20. He has seen the company be born and grow. He is critical of the airline's management but defends its actions on maintenance and safety. He was one of the pilots who flew the relatives of the victims from Las Palmas to Madrid on Wednesday night. He can't (and won't) help getting emotional recalling the personal dramas he was told of during that two-hour flight
