The passenger element of that statement is correct. For probably the first time in decades, most parts of the operation were a 'success'.
Majorca did very well throughout the season, averaging 152 pax per flight on a total of 4876. Jersey also did quite well, averaging 38 pax which although small is a LF of over 75%. The number of Newmarket flights increased on 2007, and total pax for 2008 should easily exceed 3,200. Their flights average around 150 pax.
The short Gran Canaria series didn't fare so well with an average of 97, though it should be pointed out that it wasn't put on sale until relatively late and there didn't appear to be a great deal of discounting. August was also the weakest month for Majorca.
While those numbers don't say anything about the sustainability of large-scale operations, they do at least prove that a small charter operation to bucket-and-spade destinations alongside the one-off Newmarket tours is viable. It is just a shame that there are probably no suitable operators now to pick them up.