I suspect you will find this statment less convincing with time in terms of the credit you give. Many others - notably passengers, rescue crew and new york's unskilled volunteers are laying claim to this same credit.

As more and more eyewitness accounts are given it appears not as clockwork as this suggests. The truth is few passenger accounts mention contributions from the FA and many seem to suggest they themselves (pax) took control of their situation. Even frightening accounts suggesting there was some form of prioritization in exiting the plane - women, children disabled etc. Some pax describe physically assisting other pax out of the plane. Some describe waiting till others have disembarked. Actions that clearly would not have been led or sanctioned by the FAs as could delay timely evacuation.

As regards cockpit experience of course I rather a captain with 20 years experience, but that experience will die with him if he does not have young understudies. However, FA is one job where I would expect greter turnover with more incorporation of younger crew. An airline with an averge crew age of 55 - indeed any professional team with an average age of 55 - has a big problem somewhere and is in dire need of saving itself from itself or wait 10 years and there is no future.