BA and the South East
The article makes the point that BA is only interested in serving the SE. I would qualify that to, only interested in serving LHR.
My prefered airport is Gatwick. I travel to a lot of European destinations, but mainly Geneva, Paris and Frankfurt. The service BA provides to these cities from Gatwick is either non existant or atrocious. Flights to Paris and Frankfurt were normally at least 70% full, but BA has pulled off both these routes, citing competition from Eurostar. Now that the Eurostar terminal has moved to St Pancras and the number of stopping services at Ashford has been cut, this arguement no longer holds water.
It is impossible to plan on using Gatwick to go to Geneva, as the service varies between nil per day to three per day, at wildly fluctuating times. It is little wonder that that passengers shun the service. It is the classic ploy, used by Government as well, when they wish to cut some service or other. Make it so difficult to use the service that people go elsewere and then cut the service citing lack of demand. BA at the moment schedules what services it does offer out of Gatwick round A/C availability and avoiding crews overnighting, not passenger convenience.
The Government lets BA get away with this, despite their avowed wish to cut carbon emissions. There must be many, like myself, in the SE, who drive past Gatwick, faced with another 40 miles to LHR. The cost in carbon, wasted time and conjestion on the M25 doesn't bare thinking about.
I would welcome a new owner at Gatwick, especially one who persuaded or forced the airlines to offer services that passengers wanted, at a time passengers wanted.