Hi Going Loco,
I take on board what you say. However, there is a particular problem with this thread (review previous postings at your leisure). Whenever a discussion occurs regarding a potential service from MAN, the usual suspects appear saying that no such service is required because a flight exists to destination XXX from Liverpool. I do not see reciprocal comments of this nature posted on the Liverpool thread (and nor do I want to). The catchment areas of LPL and MAN have an element of overlap, but the airline executives to whom you refer need to be aware that the markets covered by the two are very different (and I suspect that they are well aware).
Of course I acknowledge that airport catchment areas overlap each other; I have made past postings alluding to this fact myself. But as I said yesterday, we could just as easily insert into every discussion a pat answer that no new service is required from MAN (or LPL) to destination XXX because there is an existing service from Heathrow. We could extend this debate and suggest that Northern England requires no air services at all because services exist from London, and we know of plenty of airline planners who consider London and England to be synonymous. Of course, most of us outside London know differently, so diverting every sensible discussion into this cul-de-sac would become tiresome. And that is exactly the problem with the nature of many postings by Liverpool "fans" on this thread. The catchment areas of LPL and MAN overlap, but they are far from identical. The two markets are simply not interchangeable.
Permit me to quote an example, since apparently there is a need to do so. I live in a suburb of Manchester. I decide to book a flight to an airport in Continental Europe. Flights from both airports depart at 07:00 (not an untypical scenario). Let us play Devil's Advocate here and suggest that the Liverpool flight is £30 cheaper. OK, so all the posters on here who regard Manchester and Liverpool as interchangeable will propose that I book the Liverpool departure. But unfortunately, they are not interchangeable are they?
You see, for the journey to Manchester Airport I am looking at a short bus journey (or a walk if luggage is not an issue). But - oh dear - the journey to Liverpool Airport cannot be done in time for an 05:00 check-in! The train to from my local station to Piccadilly, the tram from Piccadilly to Shudehill, the Terravision bus from Shudehill to Liverpool Airport ... just not an option. So a taxi then (£60?). Or I could stay in a hotel close to Liverpool Airport overnight (£60?) and buy an evening meal (£20?). And then I must consider the cost of getting home again when I return. In addition to this, it is important to ask yourself if you think your time is worthless. I happen to believe that my time has value, and if I waste it on unnecessary additional commuting there is a cost to that also (but don't worry ... I won't go into quantifying it here!). So clearly, in my case, the argument that there is no requirement for a service from MAN to XXX because an alternative service exists from LPL does not hold water. When a direct service from MAN is not available, the option of an en-route aircraft change at a hub is usually preferable on the grounds of both cost and overall journey time. If I am a "bigot", a "territorialist" or just "preposterous" for pointing out this inconvenient truth then so be it. I call it being practical.
The fact is that a service from Liverpool will NOT benefit from the same catchment area as a service from Manchester, and the reverse is also true. There are very large numbers of people who are conveniently placed for one of these airports but not the other. I believe it was MUFCfan who quite correctly pointed out that folks in Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside do not consider themselves to be well placed for Liverpool flights and the same is true of many other boroughs.
I have great respect for the role of airline planners and I do comprehend their role (quite well as it happens). They are quite justified in launching flights from Liverpool when their research shows that LIVERPOOL'S catchment area can support them (taking account of the overlap with Manchester). But if they were to believe that a service from Liverpool is going to tap in to the entire Manchester catchment area then they are naive. Fortunately, in reality, I believe that those airline executives do understand that the two markets are very different, and that is why RYR and EZY have recently recognised that if they really want the Manchester market they will have to come here and serve it. Because - I say it again (because apparently I have to) - Manchester and Liverpool are not the same place and their catchment areas (which do overlap) are far from identical.
This is why discussions about Manchester services belong in the Manchester thread, discussions about Liverpool services belong in the Liverpool thread, discussions about LHR/LGW/LBA/BHX/EMA services belong in their respective threads (and yes, I know their catchment areas overlap with Manchester too). Otherwise, we can just shelve all sensible discussion and invite "fans" to promote existing services from their particular favourite airport whenever a destination is under discussion.
All the best. SHED.