Ryanair
EI-Bud - agree with you that the appropriate sweatner may not be available from NCL to encourage FR but the airports committment to EZY would not stop them getting FR in look for a further example look how hard they worked to get LS in.
As things stand I would be suprised to see FR come to any NE base whether it be NCL, MME or LBA, for a while at least anyway. However of these 3, although my loyalty lies with NCL, I would have thought that MME would be the favourite. LBA, in my opinion is a non starter, as they wont want to upset LS as the airport are given LS long hauls ambitions from LBA.