airmail, I am unsure what you are attempting to imply by your comment regarding you finding it ''interesting that the main posters are new to PPRune''
I have been registered for a couple of years but am a self confessed lurker. You will see that I registered in 2007 but have minimal posts.
I started the thread with an honest and concerned attempt to ascertain the numbers involved, if indeed true. There would appear to be some very heavy handed moderation of posts regarding certain topics and certain airlines on this forum and hence my reluctance to get involved.
I have noticed that there is normally little moderation when the big carriers are discussed or bashed (BA,CX, EK etc) but things can be very different when the smaller 'niche' popular arlines come in for interrogation.
I do hope that this thread is not magically deleted/moderated away, as it is important for the rest of us to ascertain the honest health of the airline industry out there.
There is nothing sinister in my starting of this post, no glee if the rumours are true, merely considerable concern about the current climate. I wish all concerned the very best.
I have aspirations to step up to the longhaul arena at some stage myself, and am merely attempting to plan ahead as best I can....
Kind Regards