As always the truth is somewhere in the middle - Peel probably don't see aviation as the main money spinner at MME, but it is useful in getting development funding (airports are sexy) and attracts a certain type of business, giving the business park a unique selling point over yer average industrial development, so if they can keep the airport open without spending too much they probably will (and imagine the grief they'll get if they do decide to close). However, if they are losing money heavily on the aviation side and have to close they still get some nice property with infrastructure on the cheap.
The problem is in attracting new customers/operators - while GSM are to be welcomed they have only really replaced baby, bmi have quite clearly been holding on to LHR for the slots (evidence - the downsizing from Airbus to Embraer, lack of advertising, messing about with timings, everything I've ever read on 'OpenSkies'...), Wizz and Ryanair screwing the best deal out of NCL,LBA,DSA,MME. All other operators just bobbing along with no significant development.
What we don't know and probably never will is how hard Peel have gone out to attract new business - have they really tried and got no where or are they just happy to keep things ticking over and use the lack of new customers as a lever to get new planning permission and other infrastructure development out of the local authorities (who will be desperate to keep the airport open)?
To me there is one little pointer as to how serious they really are - the road signs. How long is it now?
Last edited by SWBKCB; 2nd Jun 2007 at 13:33.