I have to say i am amazed about the amount of shock and surprise in the statement that ASW are pulling out of NQY. Where have some of these people been for the last couple of years. The business model for ASW was to pick up 20 at PLH and pick up another 20 at NQY and you have a nice loading. Even at ASW's peak 80% of the routes involved a PLH/NQY combination. You will not find anyone at PLH or associated with ASW surprised at all, it was expected.
When it was first announced that PLH would be closing, the vibes coming from the NQY management was one of smugness and the belief that the ASW operation would just move down to NQY. What a mistake that was.
The truth be known PLH and NQY's futures were interlinked.
NQY= big runway little population catchment
PLH = Little runway big population catchment(in south west terms)
NQY will survive but it will be a tough couple of years. Good luck to them.
I think it could have been so different had Cornwall Council and Plymouth City council had come to some sort of arrangement(which was explored but thrown out by Cornwall) for the greater good and to the benefit of both regarding the airports. They also had the opportunity to protect the regions airlinks to London but got greedy and could only see Flybe flashing the cash.
The real losers in all of this are the people of Cornwall and South West Devon.