Thanks for that. There are problems in trying to achieve CC and Ramp cuts. Ramp has for some time been short staffed and subsequent on-line recruitment has failed to obtain the numbers of new contract ramp staff, due in the main to the pay levels offered which are now lower than Aviance / OCS.
Ideally the unit would be best outsourced but I could not see a company large enough or with the experience to take on BA ramp activities. As regard to MT I think you will find there that also it is under resourced and they have failed in the past to recruit staff as the new contract rates are less than many LHR based coaching groups.
One other issue is that even with the ground service package outsourced BA will be required to provide the equipment and logistics and some cases of previous outsourcing the end result has been worst service and greater costs. For example I am reliably informed that our motor vehicle service contract costs a minimum of £1000 per annum plus actual costs per service / repair and this charge is on a Ford Fiesta and the sum rises with the vehicle type.
CC are recruiting 750 staff at present with a basic of £9800 plus allowances which means if they end up on shorthaul there will not be a great deal of those.
I would tend to agree with you that we may be seen to franchise more Euro routes and concentrate on Eastern block and the newer former soviet states that offer good returns for the immediate future.