You say "most of the time" they shy away from a strong competitor, based on a sample of......*two*
How about LGW? Did they flee the mighty BA? Or is it the case the markets they are stepping back from are in countries where the economy is perhaps, um, how to put this, under-performing? Ryanair can make money where no one else can as they have a the lowest cost base of the locos. It's a surprise to me too but we haven't seen the books and like Ryanair, the numbers likely show the assets can be deployed elsewhere more profitably.