Rutan16
As you may already know, none of the regional airports make money from the likes of Ryan Air , Easy Jet etc. It is all about Parking, Duty Free, Food franchises, the landing charges are minimal. Flights to the Canaries were, or maybe are still, the preferred destination for airports such as Liverpool, as apparently statically they show the biggest spend in the areas I mentioned. That information was accurate a few years ago as a family member was involved in the legal aspect of a number of regional UK airports, and I do not think much will have changed.
Cheers
Mr Mac