It also the job of Airports, who have business units devoted to cultivating, encouraging, and enticing airlines to commence, maintain, or increase services to their airport. They are not turning away new services, QF are. The Saffer pax will still come and go, just on SAA, as they do now. QF are just trying to scoop the cream off the top by only flying seasonally.
You are ignoring the fact that travel IS a seasonal industry. Seasonal services to meet seasonal demand are nothing new.
Qantas have flown seasonal services SYD-Vancouver during the ski season. Sydney airport doesn’t make their life difficult because they are not flying all year round or to protect Air Canada.
Equally, Air Canada fly seasonally MEL-Vancouver and Melbourne airport don’t make their operation more difficult to protect Qantas who bring them more business or because it’s not a year-round service.
You are are quite right that airports try to
entice airlines to operate into their port but this is a case of talking down a new operation and making it more difficult.