Find an existing and buy it out...... Costs time and money.
Create an ATO...... costs time and money.
So same difference.
It is big boys and established schools crowding out new operators, who by necessity will be small to start with.
It is why we have not started to offer light aircraft training.
A couple of years ago, I thought: should I spend £100 quid registering as a RTF. Then I thought, we'll not be introducing light aircraft training for a few years, so we'll let this ATO stuff settle first.
Now we are in a position to do NPPL M to SSEA or LAPL conversions, but - since I failed to spend that £100 - have been priced (and paperworked) out of the market.
Sue the CAA? Ha! I have better things to do with time and money - and that cash will now, more than likely, get invested outside aviation.