Us Brits are also nurtured on movies with happy endings, which we all know do not reflect real life.
I don't think anyone wants to see people lose their jobs. HUY though needs to make the right noises and pretty soon at that. I am marked about what 'could have been' at HUY. In 1997 plans were afoot to see extensive expansion and marketing, not just the airport but the immediate and Humber area. The airport had already seen redevelopments (in about 1995 or 96?), so it shows how high optimism was at the time. Hull seems to have lived up to the blueprint, the airport apparently not. I can only assume the airport having Manchester Airport Group as its major shareholder, curtailed the plans.
Manchester International Airport has seen substantial investment running into the £100s of millions since 1999 when they took control of HUY. From what I have seen there is little change at HUY since 1997, certainly no expansion, so clearly HUY are not being spoilt by the MAG’s millions. If the present day powers foresaw any potential at HUY, then surely it would have happened before now. For three years duration, during the declaration of DSA and the announcement of airlines at DSA, did HUY and the Manchester Airport Group have the opportunity to court low-cost and other airlines through incentives, but nothing much materialised. Why all of a sudden are Airlines going to see HUY as an attractive proposition?
The world seems to be passing HUY by whilst other similar sized airports with similar sized catchments areas are attracting both lo-co and other airlines. I admire your passion for HUY, but serious questions have to be asked. I can get to HUY in about 35 minutes of uncongested road and I would love to see someone like Flybe, BMIbaby, or Easyjet open at HUY, but I really can’t see it. DSA is my first choice, and I tend to disagree with AndyHUY who suggests Thomson’s have pretty much stitched up DSA, but then we are all entitled to our opinion, only some lead to circular arguments like the future of HUY.
In a nutshell, from a person who held high expectation for HUY in the late 1990’s, when competition was not as fierce and great plans were afoot, I fear by the lack of progress made since clearly demonstrates that HUY is not at the forefront of plans by its owners for any kind of expansion or marketing strategy, and they are content on running the airport as it is now.