737 700 can do them all of which there are two remaining in the fleet. Welshpool likes to fly the A320's as much as possible on charter work, maybe they get the A320 leases for free, might have read that somewhere
VARA cancellations ex ADL / MEL when the A320 ventured east on weekends proved just how unreliable an operation it was. The loss of good will on the Indian ocean routes and Broome is unacceptable. Why would a ruthless corporate overlord gift mainline trunk routes like KGI KTA, ZNE, PHE, BME, DRW, ADL Plus subsidised Indian ocean work to another operator in the form of a VARA sale.
That's another Borghetti own goal, like TT following mainline on the same east coast sectors.