Do you think that it is profitable for a LO/CO to have a back-up a/c for any eventuality?
Who said anything about having a "backup aircraft for any eventuality" ? There are many positive ways of handling such a situation without this.
It's obviously still a learning curve, innit.
Well if that's the approach then the CAA should have been told ops were still learning the job when the AOC application was made. There are many, many professionals on this board who would know how to handle such an event more appropriately.
Now on the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3516622.stm