Hi pianokeys,
Yes, it certainly seemed as though it was a case of win at any cost and we'll get an aircraft if we need to. This sort of mentality is dangerous and detrimental to the profitability and viability of the airline.
Hi Topend,
You are right in seeing the RPT numbers drop, this is as a direct result of the economy and will get worse before getting better. The mining & resource sector is one of the many industries affected with layoffs and large cutbacks, this results in reduced pax numbers. This would be very evident in pax numbers to ports such as KTA.
RPT will always, however, provide a more stable platform over contract charter due to the support/pax numbers provided by a broader customer base. If you lose a contract (all eggs in one basket), you will end up having an aircraft sitting on the ground.
Take care