(i) The vibes I get from 'orange' chums is that it should have been a buy-out, it's been spun as a merger, and it is playing out to be a reverse take-over.
(ii) Flap 5 may be correct about the CP - but will (should) he have any say? He's a deliverer, not a policy-maker.
(iii) Flap 5 is wrong about the cargo holds. The NG hold is too high for manual loading without a belt-loader, just like the 'bus.
(iv) Take a look at the share prices over the last few months. (The LSE Share Monitoring Service is a good source). easyJet is sliding downwards a lot closer to BA than to Ryanair, whose price is as stable as one would expect.
(v) The 'Italian difficulty' is over and done with, and made fascinating reading in the Italian press as it unfolded. There's no problem there, and this has nothing to do with Stelios' departure.
(vi) The commercial and political advantages of operating the 'bus are significant. But will 'the management' see the wood for the trees?