Baileys,
I agree with your point that stats can be used to prove anything (the use of maternity leave to 'prove' TFN's claim ATC's took too much sick leave last EBA negotiations was a perfect case) but your simple model fails because it fails to take account of the fact that if CX put on one more HK-ML flight, which adds one to the movement total, it passes through about 8 sectors from FIR entry to touchdown. That it then conflicts with the latest airline adding to the SY-SG route or the latest BN-PH aircraft, etc., etc., etc., is not recorded in that picture either.
The clever bods at AsA have a device which measures how many aircraft an open console is controlling. Management then use that data to see if sectors could have combined when they were split, which could lead to a reduction in staff required. What this fails to take account of is the complexity in dealing with the traffic that's there. For example, I have been busier with 3 aircraft on frequency than when I have had 12 but when this data is collected, no questions are asked of the controllers involved about what was happening. The data is then used by people in Canberra who are responsible for cutting controller numbers as much as possible (sorry, resourcing each group appropriately), it is not used by controllers or even ex-controllers. This is just one of the ways that AsA uses its statistics selectively or even in an entirely arse-about way and why I trust numbers from coal-face workers more than management.
Not sure who wrote it, but are they really not going to have TAAATS ready for the 2012 flight plan change-over in Nov??? Wow, don't want to be a flight data...