There is no doubt since 1998 and the arrival of easy to the Province there has been greater choice for passnegers in NI.
BA decided to pull out of NI after losing a shed load of money for years - reported at £8m per annum for at least 5 years. A tad careless if you ask me. BMI at the same time supposedly made a profit (pre 911) on the route. BA pulled off because of accounting practices, BM pulled out because they want to get back at TBI for allowing easy into NI. BCA wanted BM and guaranteed a new build terminal for them and a low cost landing and passenger charges.
Notwithstanding easyJet performance on the Stansted route, my sources tell me that eJ are pleased with the BFS business. If they weren't they wouldn't be building international routes. The one thing eJ aren't is altruistic.
The people of NI have an awful lot to be grateful for - they still have a LHR service, a reinvented Fly Be, easyJet, Jet 2 and a healthy charter business. They've even got FR out of CODA. But some one can always find one flight they can complain about.
So as the correspondent says "come back BA"... at £300 return to LHR ... yeah right!
AA