onevan - the bidders put pressure on the IPT to move the goal posts because they could not make any profit by meeting the actual ITT - the Bristows/Westlands group pulled out because they couldn't make a profit out of what was being asked for. Now the goalposts have been moved I would think they are V pi88ed off as trhey could possibly have stayed in the competition.
So instead of going back to the drawing board and having to issue a new ITT with a new budget, the original terms have been watered down to save money - the Falklands is not now included in the main bid and 3 flights are to go to 12 hour manning, not to give any increase in (or even match) current capability but simply to save cash.
Now we have 2 bidders left and a decision to be made by only a select few of the IPT (some of whom seem to have a distinct bias) - we will inevitably get the cheapest bidder
Someone brave should call a halt to this process before we condemn the British public to a profit-driven service that will not match what currently exists.