... because of Cents per Available Seat Mile. Greek to Brits.
From all the foregoing, bad business decisions killed the British a/c industry. The British Empire was built on Victorian engineering legacy (albeit a bit over engineered at times). Today engineering has been relegated to third place turning this country to the so called 'service' industries i.e. read insurance and banking. So it turned away from what it was good at to what is was bad at. Paradox?
Did I hear banks? Well just read the papers ...should the UK turn back to engineering? Of course not engineering is for dirty developing countries whose workforces can be paid a pittance while City fat rats drink champain and get ever fatter. We need to invent a better rat trap and get back to basics.