Jabal...perhaps you should do a little more research. SQ/CX both VERY profitable...QF also, KA?-licence to print money.
Yeah a few US airlines suffering...more at the hands of their own govt security debacles than from the efforts of a handfull of Islamic Terrorists but there you go.
Even the average dimwitted Beancounter is/will be/ being dragged, innexorably, towards some of life's little inescapable facts.
1/. Insufficient pilots = aircraft parked instantly.
2/. Insufficient beancounters =....well, bliss really...certainly an instant + to the company bottom line....never been known to cause the instant immobilization of assets worth 100's of millions $ in capital costs and god knows what in cashflow!!
3/. SARS/**** (The War Against Terrorism) merely delayed the effects of MASSIVE retirements of baby boomers.
4/. Beancounters may have convinced themselves that modern aircraft don't need experienced crew but the reality is they do...still a few hull loses will fix that little mistake when pax vote with their feet.
5/. Experienced pilots are like any other commodity...they go to the hghest bidder!!
CX/KA have some of the highest paid pilots around and they are still highly profitable. Could it be that their (even more) highly paid beancounters are a little smarter than the average beany?
Chuck.