Could the aeroplane shown be misleading? You are of course quite right there is no point trying to follow the trodden path littered with failures, it has to be something different.
iF you want niche look at Skybus and similar examples, I still believe there may be a place for under 20 seat aeroplanes to operate economically and profitably. In a few years they may be electric too!
For example and it is an unproven one, to drive from NQY to BRS takes hours, CWL even longer so why not look at a small aeroplane operating those sorts of distance without trying to be at easyJet prices. This is an example not a suggested money spinner.
No harm at all in evaluating the possibilities which seems to be what is happening here. I don't see the reason for mass negativity of someone investigating the market.
I nor anyone else can say what may or may not work without investigating first.