That's a big advantage over Bristol, which is a PAIN to get to from anywhere.
I live nine miles from BRS and it certainly isn't a pain for me to get there.
I have studied the monthly CAA stats since Flybe started 'competing' on some of the low cost routes from EXT that easyJet flies from BRS. Almost without exception the BRS loads each month were higher on all the routes compared to the previous year, and they were at least good, usually very good to excellent even then.
The EXT loads too have been largely in this category.
Before anyone chides me I realise that yields are the really important thing but loads do show whether there are people who will travel if the product is the right one.
All this suggests to me that there is a discrete market for EXT that doesn't appear to need to syphon pax from BRS to not only survive but be tenable.
EXT like BRS does have a good proportion of well-off people willing and able to travel. It is also a rising business centre, although will always be a comparative tiddler in this respect to Greater Bristol which provides 25% of the GDP of the entire South West government region.
Anyway, the bottom line appears to be underlining the good news that the far Southwest can support a decent portfolio of services and EXT is obviously the only real player in that game.