It's all about control in this case & a vindictive attitude towards A scalers, I can't see it lasting. The company are just moving into a triple whammy era of 55 retirees, 65 retirees and C scale leavers who've done their 6 years. All at a time of limited training capacity and planned expansion.
I'm expecting a new CoS shortly with age 65 for all and most benefits just short of the failed TA, with encouragement to approve it from the AOA together with thinly veiled threats from the company of what may happen if we don't.