On a one-to-one basis, it is indeed a given operating costs of a single flight will be higher when you lease a new plane over when you self-operate an old one in the similar class.
Most of the AVRO fleet were/are swapped for additional airbus planes, thus eliminating a complete operational structure from their organization as they move to a single (and bigger) platform, which is one of the characteristics of a low cost, like the one which is under discussion in this topic.
It saves airlines like ryanair tons of money on non-direct operating costs through a reduction of sparepart stock, back office, staff training, increased crew efficiency, simplified processes, leaner overhead etc.
A couple of thousand euro a week overspent on an opportunistic lease aren't suddenly going to wipe away what are likely millions in structural cost cuts for airlines who decide they could use a few smaller planes on selected routes too, I am sure, or you'd see such airlines take them on themselves rather than lease them operationally like they do, including also IAG's Aer Lingus, as was reported in another topic.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=42627&p=345426#p345388
As to going back to topic, please do.
I remember you taking offence at my carefully considered wording of 'ryanair stalling at BRU' last summer (when no real growth for BRU was announced by ryanair), so I am very eager to hear how we should call a 16% capacity cut according to you? So far you haven't commented OT at all in fact, you know?
In a world of 'post-truth evidence' and 'alternative facts', one can't be seen to get it wrong, can you?