Well Said A4. Stansted would still be a backwater if it wasn't for easyJet and Ryanair. Any presumption sthat Stansted would have "high-class" leagacy airlines operating nice long haul services instead would be misguided. One only has to see the failure of BA's dual hubbing concept at Heathrow and Gatwick, and who took up the slack at Gatwick using the slots released by BA? Was it Virgin Atlantic? Air France?, Lufthansa? Qantas? No, it was easyJet as know one else was interested.
Manchester's failure to attract significant new long-haul traffic has resulted in them going down the lo-cost route with Fly Be having snapped 28 slots a day using 78-seat Dash 8-Q400s. Manchester would be delighted now to have easyJet operate from there!