FP quoted on a recent webchat '' there certainly not be 12 aircraft leaving the fleet'' Apparently this is a rumour doing the rounds through engineers and has something to do with a 12 Airbus order for the group.......................???
Any contraction beyond the 3 A330's would be very small, they just need to justify the Pilot workforce for the winter. Also mentioned during the recent webchat was the success of sub-charters throughout the winter so that will support carrying pilots during these months.
There is certainly an issue being at the mercy of tour-ops perception of the industry. However, so far they have got things close to spot on for the Airline. It would just be nice to see them take a bit of a risk: ie expansion or new routes instead of constant consolidation and cost cutting.
As I said, I would not be suprised to see them whinging about a surplus come November. Equally I could see them recruiting in December.