"DND has no pressing need for a commercial airport at all, never mind one propped up from the taxpayer."
Well if the Scots taxpayer is willing/stupid enough to fork out..
but TBH there are a lot of airports that hang on when any logical review would kill them off....... Doncaster, Teesside, Dundee, Prestwick, E midlands for sure and maybe a whole lot of others - Southampton, Cardiff, Exeter, Southend, maybe Liverpool, Carlisle ... and don't think of mentioning Manston!