Originally Posted by
shfo
Our company has planned us to arrive with the fuel gauges in the amber. That should make any pilot feel a little uneasy but the company says it is perfectly fine since they have determined that we still have 45 minutes of fuel remaining, but it is 45 minutes at cruise speed and burn at 370 not go around thrust at sea level.
All it takes is one or two crews to divert to an enroute alternate due to insufficient fuel for the company to rethink their strategy. If the company is dispatching with the bare minimum for perfect conditions, it means that crews SHOULD be diverting the instant that the flight gets delayed or the plan changes in a way that requires more fuel.
Or alternatively, if EVERY flight crew that felt the company was pressuring for unsafe fuel loads filed an ASAP/NASA report.
At the end of the day, the PIC has ultimate authority. There's no point in arguing fuel loads... if you're the captain, you've already won. Set the brake, get the fuel you need (within reason), and don't allow yourself to get pressured. Get 100% of the pilots to get onboard with the basic premise and things will change.
Like I said before, if you're waiting until the last minute to declare an emergency that requires immediate action, you've already painted yourself into a corner.