About a decade ago, ONE North East's strategy document suggested that MME's future as a passenger airport should come to an end, and resources and investment concentrated at NCL. Of course, the equivalent of WW3 broke out in the N.E., but one can't help but feel that had this strategy been followed, the region would be better served for Pax air transport than it is now, especially given the history of route failure that the region has created in the interim, because of demand split (and therefore weakened) by having two airports.
Too many airports? I wonder how LBA has been been affected by DSA which must have also damaged Humberside which in turn damaged LBA also as a relatively new airport.
Together they must have cost LBA quite a few pax. DSA in particular seems to have been allowed to open only because of 2 notoriously voiciferous politicians and not because it was required.
LBA was also damaged because of consecutive anti airport Leeds city councils which has continued until this day.