MAN-MAD
Yes, I can't help feeling MAG management may have shot themselves in the foot on this one: with the BA/Iberia merger, the prospect of a MAN-MAD at 'proper' business schedules operates by Iberia or Air Nostrum under IB flight numbers (or even, perhaps, BA Cityflyer?) has got to be much closer than ever. Sure, it may take another 6-18 months for BA and Iberia to get their act in gear in this respect...but will the presence of Ryanair firmly close the door on this one?
Methinks this smacks a bit of MAG trying to bring in capacity at almost any cost (although I appreciate that, commercially, there will inevitably be a great deal more to it than that)...but for the sake of waiting a bit longer (when you're probably going to earn next to nothing from the FR operation anyway)...what would any of us really rather see: a once daily loco flight turning up at odd times or a decent nightstopper or double daily Iberia-marketed service with a raft of online connections possible?
Who is to say - it could all turn out very differently, of course, but there could be a fair amount of egg on face on the day that Iberia/BA announce 'feeder' services from EDI and/or BHX to MAD and Manchester is left out..