If the emphasis was on continuity, investment in captial improvements, modernization of equipment, enhancing of training, and perhaps not just getting the cheapest rates some of this lack of progress could have been avoided.
SAS, whilst I fully agree with you that helicopter operators have been stretched by their customers, I can also remember back to days when contracted helicopter rates were much better for the operator, but some (perhaps most?) operators cut their own throats by not putting any of their income into future planning even when they were getting plenty of usable income as they were writing down the costs of their helicopters many times over.
Another situation where operators bring about their own demise is when they respond to a contract with a very low bid to "steal" the contract. After 6 months or so they then present a case to their customer that they are unable to maintain the level of service without more funds, relying on the probability that the customer will not pull out of the contract as there are few, if any, options available to replace the contracted operator.
Unless all parties are realistic and honest with each other, things wont change for the better.
Of course, on top of all this the regulators could be more prescriptive???