The main plank of any business plan would be that:
Luton is absolutely saturated and happens to be turning away 14+ pieces of metal a day. Next year they will be turning away 30 aircraft a day and without anymore ramp there is nothing anyone can do about it. They can just watch their traffic spill over the top off a full bucket.
Farnborough is doing a lovely job but is reaching the threshold in movements that its planning restrictions impose. Oh, and it is also hampered by pants operating hours. Weekend ops are a joke which is why some of their residents end up hopping into other airports.
London City, well this tiny little airport is maxed out. It is at the point where they would love to attract more schedules but don't have the ramp space. Also they will never attract
large scale operations of Gulfstreams, Challengers, Embraers, Global Express and suchlike.
Stansted is lapping up the traffic that Luton are sending their way for now, but it is a single runway airport with explosive airline growth. We all know that airport operators seek to distance themselves from business jet activity if it uses up runway slots and stops pax passing through the BAA shopping malls, oopps I mean terminal!
Biggin Hill is a handy bolt hole for some but hampered by limited operating hours and local restrictions and a bunch of local residents that don't want to see any development there.
Northolt is Northolt and although close to London is doing as much as it will do under MOD restrictions.
Southend, H24, cutsoms, immigration, tons of ramp space, development plots, cheap aircraft parking and operating environment. For many years has been too far from London but is now close enough to get a look in
It so happens that all of these circumstances coincide with absolute boom time for business aviation with record orders and deliveries into Europe.
After 30 years out in the cold Southend is about to come of age, the 2012 Olympics is just the icing on the cake and everyone knows I love cake!