EI-BUD, it is less populated than West Yorkshire and East Midlands region, barring some significant strategic shift it just isn’t going to happen. Sorry. Jet2 haven’t grown to be the strong business they are through duplicating costs. Quite the opposite in fact. The examples you have given are of different airlines and entirely different locations which have their own idiosyncrasies.
I maintain that the best best bet for growth in that sector would be from easyJet given that they have no coverage throughout central and Eastern England between NCL and LTN/STN. So if they show no interest, what makes you think that Jet2 -with large bases at LBA, EMA and MAN - would fare any better? Sorry to labour the point, but we were told 15 years ago that airlines would vote with their feet. They have.
With respect Easyjet left at a totally different time at DSA, it was located in the back of beyond , hard to get to .and this certainly stifled it's potential.
There was very little freight and it seemed a lack of interest from management.
Now it is well connected directly to several motorways ( via M18 ), EG , M1 , A1(M) , M62 etc.
Cargo is going through the roof , this change with Flybe had NOTHING to do with a bad airport , it was EVERY airport , an Airline consolidating back to its core and best known business -short - medium sectors on Dash8 aircraft.
And IS continuing , further investment is being made by the airport team and will be going ahead shortly with , a major refresh and fair sized Terminal expansion , also into previously an unused ( mothballed) part of the Terminal .
During one debate here or elsewhere some link to an alleged comment by a potential Airline , stating these changes were expected if expansion was to occur .
TUI pulled from both EMA and LBA' , and even on this forum , was an EMA post about DSA ' poaching custom now, and are up to , Three based 737, ( TUI ) , plus one visiting weekly longhaul 787 this year , and much more next year as Cancun , has been added .
To sum up the airport is a very different prospect now, since ' easyJet ( 9 years ago !! ) , The airport year on year wins awards as best airport .
So you cannot compare, and equate why easyJet are not coming
Nobody knows for sure, also on these very pages people said , exactly the same of Flybe " won't ever open a base , it will dilute surrounding airports" .
And that was proven wrong .
Noone knows the future, you cannot say for sure who will open routes .
But eventually they will come .
Who and when , you'll just have to wait and see!.