JKKneWhy would a low cost bother? Ryanair could probably walk into slots at NCL, it certainly has at Leeds and both are in much stronger strategic positions
"Some say" that the name change was carried out in attempt to set up a relationship with RYR, & when RYR's request for "Newcastle South" was
justifiably thrown out, then the next best thing was to look to a way to incorporate Durham. This may have made the city of Durham happy?, but clearly not RYR whose presence at DTV is minimal.
In all seriousness guy's, the absolute fact is that the area is not large enough for two airports striving for the traffic the region creates. It never has been!, we have had all the "bumpf" as to catchment area debates on this thread over the years but the fact is that NCL & DTV are too close to each other. Outside Southern England then needs can be catered by Airports c. 100 miles apart, EDI to the North, NCL & LBA to the South. DTV is surplus to requirements in such a scenario.
Given the state of the country then Govt. funded major expenditure on regional airports is unlikely & presumably in DTV's case nil as there are other regional projects that can demonstrate a greater need. If & when the Government ever looks into the transport infrastracture of N.E. England & Southern Scotland then it would seem sensible to address communications between these areas by spending on much needed road improvements, thereby providing easier access accross the whole region from the borders & beyond in the North, accross to Carlisle & Cumbria in the West and all points into South Yorkshire. One would require a very strong industrial base to justify a higher concentration of Airports serving a particular part of the region, and as the NE in general has suffrered a steady decline over the past 30 years then so has the "special" case for two separate airports at NCL & DTV.