@BKSAirTransport: Your last point is rather blinkered in terms of overall market capacity.
Yorks/Humb have a drive time to Manchester in the region of 60-90 minutes. EK offer in the region of 1000 seats a day to the Middle/Far East and Australasia for rock-bottom fares - throw in Etihad and Qatar and you begin to hit 1500. IN addition, the US carriers offer up to 1000 seats a day westbound. It would be pointless for BA to compete with these carriers through LHR. The North East and Scotland have a lack of capacity to the Middle East/USA and therefore BA can attract transfer passengers through LHR on this basis. Hence the frequency you describe and and hence the lack of regional LHR service to the Yorks/Humb area.
In time, I have no doubt that BA will reduce MAN to 4 x flights a day following the same market trends.
Last edited by PAPAROMA; 29th June 2012 at 22:02.