I believe that long-haul flights from MAN will recover along with an economic recovery, i agree that MAN is losing its critical mass to airports like LPL and LBA but these airports have little chance of expanding into long-haul, at least not to the extent that MAN can.
Usind Doncaster airport as an example, i dont believe management have been able to find a niche upon which to build a stable sustainable pax business there, Peel seem intent on driving large amounts of people through the terminal for revenue, same at MME and LPL. Only LPL seems to be having the desired effect.
Perhaps Peel should have stuck with SZD and found some niche business routes which would have helped the South Yorkshire economy rather than building DSA which only appeals to the leisure pax therefore saturating that market for most of Yorkshire...