Every time an airline tries to expand they are frowned upon if there is any overlap of routes. Its called competition and may the best airline win!!
Competition already exists!! Between each airline, between the airlines and the tour operators, and to a certain extent with Dublin also. Competition also exists between destinations, someone looking a cheap week in the sun, will be comparing Alicante with Malaga with Malta etc, to get the cheapest deal they can in many cases.
Too much competition can be just as damaging as a monopoly, with dilution of service. Remember airlines are struggling to keep their head above water in the recession, so a price war could be damaging to both the airline, and to operations from either airport. With such tight yields and profits per passenger, how on earth will EI, EZY and WW be able to profitably reduce fares further???
Do you desire an Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Lidl, Netto, M&S, Aldi, Waitrose etc all to open within the area where you live just to offer more choice. Competition should be responsible and sustainable. Responsible may be a personal opinion, sustainablility we shall all wait and see...
Will this benefit me living in South East Belfast? Not in the slightest!! Maybe those within a cheap taxi ride from BHD, but really on the grand scheme of things, will not make a button of difference to travelling public, in my opinion. But as a free market, I wish them well, but was it necessary, and will it be profitable, I'm thinking no to both.