Not an insider view - just an opinion
I firmly believe, as do all revenue partners at BLK, that whilst the FR announcement is a 'pain' it is also just a blip - the kind of blip that would go almost unnoticed in a larger airport. Blackpool's growth is still good and there is plenty of time and space for more experimentation on routes. The bread and butter pattern is already becoming clear - Jet2 sunshine routes do well as do FR's Dublin and Gerona. Sure it's hard to fill a 738/733 on a late night London ('ish) flight but a smart operator, with the right size of aircraft at the right time of day, will do well on this route. The punter's view of BLK is positive - the new facilities do a good job and more investment is being made to speed pax through the terminal. With the availability of all ground services, including airside based in-flight catering (sorry for the blatant plug), BLK is not only a good place to fly to and a great place to fly from - it's also a VERY good place to base aircraft! BLK ticks so many boxes - if I was an airline operator I'd see FR's decision as a a golden opportunity to get something based in the north-west - at an airport that, I suspect, will bend over backwards to accommodate them. I know that I would be only too happy to offer a based operator a substantial incentive (i.e. a great in-flight catering deal) and who knows what else could be available?
As I say - not an insider view, just an opinion!