Really a case of water finding it's natural level.
The airline was started as a small regional carrier, with two B737s. The addition of its' first B757 a few years later was probably a prudent move at the time, in order to operate to a small number of more distant destinations.
However, notwithstanding the above, the most negative factor in the airline's ability to turn a profit has always been the country's policy of job creation and zero unemployment.
RBA has a total employee count of around 24,000. A ridiculous number when one considers the number of aircraft. For every secretary performing a task, there are another two women, backing the task with cardboard files.
The employee number is similar to SIA, who actually need this number to operate over 100 aircraft.
Don't believe the 'Flight International' world airline figure of 4,500 staff. If this was the true figure, the airline might have had a chance of standing on its' own two feet, albeit not too profitably due to the load and yield factors.
Last edited by 777boeings; 26th Jun 2011 at 11:16.
Reason: incorrect word