LM dropping NQY sends a clear message to the other regional airports it supports. For EXT and SOU dont forget that those are LM, GR and SI hubs where they work together. Kick one they all limp?
If you follow anyone from LM on Linkedin you'll end up seeing a lot of LM content, you'll also have then seen that they've been busy on the south coast sending their sales managers around, supposedly working with the Sales managers from both GR and SI also. They even ventured to the IOW. Either prepping for a fight or most likely... putting the leg work in to build a sustainable business. It comes across to me that Flybe just expected all their old pax to come back without putting in much effort to get them back.