Fairdealfrank
I agree with the tone and expectations of regional airports in your post.
BLK will never be a threat to MAN..to be honest as the North Wests premier airport - I wish Manchester to prosper.
But choice is a great thing in any business - I like to travel from BLK because the ease of use suites me...If I can't travel from BLK because they don't fly my route, then I happily use Manchester of Liverpool..(The latter it seems are suffering at the moment with FR pulling/or cutting frequency on certain routes).
Further west is EXT, which was near PLH (about 45 mi.) but, regretably, PLH did not survive.
Again, these have smallish catchment areas, but enough to sustain a small regional airport (just like BLK).
Yes a shame about PLH - Shows maybe to much regional airport competition in that neck of the woods.
Small airports like BLK are niche airports to a degree - Many uses of BLK own second homes on the Costas, Jet2 holidays in the future may alter the balance.
Small regional airports can work well, but they do need selling, both to potential carriers and to potential pax.
Probably the most important point - While jet2 have sold their airline and holidays, there has been a deafening silence from BLK..Rather than selling the point that Jet2, Aer Lingus and Manx2 are here and well at Blackpool.
The future of BLK and airports like SEN are safe, subject to the goodwill of their owners in wanting them to survive as airports.