Thanks for that insight. And there was me thinking they blocked off certain rows for the craic.
Not really sure what you are getting at there, but it was pointed out that there are various reasons why they block off rows, not just because the flights are weight restricted by runway length. If you already know all this, then why did you calculate your loads for Faro on a max of 177 seats based on something your sister saw that can often be seen on Ryanair flights from any airport?
By train Edinburgh is 2-2.5 hours from Prestwick, so see no reason why a LDY-EDI would not work.
I don't think it would work based on what I see living in this part of the world because people here will happily travel those distances to avail of Ryanair prices before they will pay twice as much to fly BE. Same reason they are struggling on MAN-LDY. For those that do not drive (80-90 mins) the half price train adds to the sense of getting a good deal. That said, if flybe think otherwise, I'm sure they'll give it a lash and then we will know either way.
Furthermore, the CAA stats are called "Provisional" for a reason.....
The finalised stats are no better.