Whether rego's were any better or not is irrelevant. It's not going to change back. It's not about whether pilot's make the mistake or controllers. I've done it and had it done to me. I try and warn similar callsigns when they are both on freq, but it isn't always apparant until after it happens.
The point is that the airlines have the power to do this properly and they don't. With 3 digits following the company name, it allows for 1000 different combinations. Surley someone from each company can do a little homework and mix it up a bit better.
