BA is not an airline but a business whose sole aim is to maximise profit. At the moment it choses to do this through flying people and cargo from A to B. Whether it will continue to do this only time will tell.
I would suggest some excellent reading in any good library business section on the history of organisations. You may find that those with longevity have switched "core functions" (Yes I do speak fluent BA).
We shall see what we shall see, every BA employee is expendable. I do not have a crystal ball but by the same token I am aware of the precarious nature of commerce.
BA might be deemed safer for flight crew than other operations but that does not offer complete protection. RE's greatest regret of his tenure is that he was unable to merge BA with a larger organisation. I wonder what that would mean for the seniority list!
Harry, (MBA, Master of British Airways)