EI_BUD
Very sensible post EI-BUD. Manston has proved a limited demand exists, and whilst many live in hope of the airport becoming another Girona or Milan it will not happen until some sustainable services are shown to flourish (and even then we are more of a Norwich or Bourenmouth. (Norwich Airport owners did bid against infratil remember)). Airlines such as Eastern, Aran, FlyBE are all names that could operate a service and have at some point been in minimal discussions with Infratil, just whether any one of these will be brave enough to take their talks any further is just what this thread is all about. I wouldn't rule out Wizz either (Large Polish workforce in Kent and London, and the Poles will travel 2 hours by bus to pick up a cheap flight. In reality the journey from central London to Stansted as not much shorter than the same journey to Manston). Airlines do need natural growth, they cannot sit still on their current routes and they are continually trimming and adding new destinations to chase profit and margin. No single airline can sit on its existing routes and not look at expansion, they would not survive. The frantic repainting of ground markings is underway (I'm not sure why this suddenly became urgent?) but it is now very late in the day for anyone planning to operate any type of service before Easter 2008. I do think Infratil have been a little guilty of mismanaging their press office. they are a little like Gordon Brown and his recent election fiasco. He hinted at an election and then when the time came to make a decision he claimed that he was never interested in one! Infratil claim to say nothing until they have something to announce, but they also indicate that they have something in the pipeline by sending out emails and mentioning the talks that are ongoing. They like Gordon Brown have lost some credibility in their handling of their press releases and they now need to put up or shut up.