warringtonian
I have to agree with just about all of your comments re: Manchester airport.
People in the North of England are frankly fed up with being told that they must fly from Manchester everytime. This is why passengers are choosing to fly from their local airports on mass. No matter what politicians and local government boffins want, people vote with their feet. This is why airports such as LPL and LBA are starting to 'hold their own'. The proactive loco industry has capitalised on this at the regional airports. In the same period the long haul services from Manchester have collapsed and the charter market from Manchester has eroded.
The future of Manchester airport as a major regional hub or gateway will continue to look grim. When the economy picks up, the regional airports will continue to expand further reducing Manchester's airports role. Airports such as LPL and LBA will continue to expand and gain services to places like Dubai and onward from there which will in turn further reduce the need for long haul services from Manchester. On top of all this, improved rail links to London from the Manchester area will give another heavy blow to Manchester airport as London traffic is stripped from the airport over the next couple of years. The airport looks set to see more heavy reductions in passenger numbers.