Don't see any drop in their pax figures in Spain, so hopefully the public can see all this for what it is
You must be looking at overall statistics, because for Girona there was a large drop last winter (75%) and with the cancelled flights for winter 12/13 will be the same again.
Girona is a pawn which can be discarded at will, with FR shifting flights to Barça. Trouble is once pax's have to go to Barça, instead of Girona where FR had a manopoly, they can look around and see much more comfortable loco's such as easyJet, or pay a smidgen more (if they are lucky or have luggage) and fly BA.
"The public" in this area - mainly British and Germans - can indeed see all this for what it is.