The guys up at NCL are vehemently against devolved APD to Scotland, and rightly so. It would be a huge blow. and not just because of the families opting to take the drive to EDI to keep a wad in their back pockets, but when airlines like EZY inevitably give up the ghost on NCL because it's more profitable to move their 3 A/C up the A1.
EDI and GLA will be rolling in it. MAN probably won't be that bothered because they have critical mass. It'll be us that lose out the most. LBA and MME might feel it... Although MME might be small/business oriented enough to just about get away with it. Devolution will probably scupper Stobart's ambitions at CAX though.
R.e. the London routes, things are different now. EZY offers connections at LGW, FR would offer bargain fares to STN to get the ball rolling, as well as connections when they get round to rolling them out.
My argument for LCY is that 20/30 minute check in could feasibly be offered at both ends. So if we presume there are big wigs living in Jesmond, they could leave home at 06:15 for a 07:00 flight to LCY, arrive shortly before 8am, and be sitting in their office in the City well before 9am, having had time to stop for a Starbucks and a quick skim of the Financial Times. Meanwhile their colleagues are still stewing on the Underground, having stood for 3 hours in the draughty vestibule of the Monday morning peak train to Kings Cross...
Doesn't sound too bad to me
plus I like planes.