If this goes ahead - and Branson clearly wants it to happen - I would have concerns for the future of all BD short haul routes from LHR; RB isn't interested in the A319/320/ERJ routes - he wants the slots.
Unless the UK govt does something (unlikely?), that would be a seriously bad development for JER. The best hope we would have is that by the time the 3 yr BD contract expires (2010), Mixed Mode would be in use at LHR which would hopefully protect some of the short haul slots.
New route from JER: Summer charter with VLM to Manston, Saturdays:
http://www.kentinternationalairport-...yRoute0804.asp
(Well, I had to avoid their tiny error in calling it a "New Jersey" route ...
)