From a limited perspective most of LAAJ’s comments are correct, but it is not the whole picture. With a BOD’s whose grasp of real world airline operations is, at best, tenuous, whose decisions [when they are made!] are completely subjected to arcane Bruneian politics, and whose only response to problems has been to chant “must cut costs, cut costs”, an expat CEO who has been emasculated, whatever bright ideas he may once have had, a domineering HR department whose only answer is ‘as above’, and a craven pilot leadership whose management style consists of threats backed up by an inexplicable random sacking, a poorly rewarded workforce whose pilot rosters are so bad as to star in the ‘world’s worst roster’ thread, and many other woes, it is a tribute to the remaining rank and file professionals that RBA continues to function at all. No wonder virtually all the experienced captains who can do so are desperately trying to leave. When a well-respected, mature TRE/IRE seeks a F/O post with another Asian carrier the writing is on the wall for those who wish to read it.
RBA are unlikely to “grow through their problems” without a radical policy shift, and what's the chances of that? They will probably just continue their decline, and that’s a shame for those of us with fond memories of better times.