Excuse the naivety, but why doesn't easyJet fit the profile for MME yet Ryanair does?
Again, perhaps an inexperienced comment, but let's say for arguements sake that easyJet did move their entire operation to MME from NCL. I would have though easyJet would still be able to draw passengers from the Tyne and Wear (and perhaps some from Northumberland) whilst being in a better position geographically to have a go at North Yorkshire and the like?
Is MME's problem that there are low cost operators to the north and west and there isn't an obvious airline (other than FR in my opinion) to fill the gap?