Add the overall costs of the failure of the previous (low priced ?) bidder, the failure to provide the service required, and the need to re-tender, and the original decision is not so low cost any more. Bring on canny George Sas ?
Obviously the decision making has to be conducted by those with some knowledge of air operations, and the Hebridean success seems to have taken into account the fact that gut instinct and huge experience is a major factor in providing Island Services
The sheer weight of the paperwork, inefficient Government jobsworth administration and regulation probably adds most of the cost to running Islanders to the boondocks anyway