When the penny drops, maybe MA plc will concentrate on speeding people thro check in & thro security, have walkways, lifts & escalators working, have taxyways open, reduced airfield bottlenecks then maybe the punters will not be put off as the higher yield pax most definetly are.
My mate with a family of 5 has just departed from Liverpool as a matter of choice, he lives 3 miles from MAN. He claims even with the journey to LPL, it was a "breeze" compared to flying from MAN. I have just been down to London today, but with a Virgin train-travel time 2 hours, unhassled, in comfort, no queues, another breeze compared to negotiating a shopping centre with an airport as a side line & an unknown journey time.
It is nice to have a choice these days.