I still don't understand the case for a runway extension, given what we know about long-haul from the UK regions. Most of the routes quoted by Gay Friendly above could be operated from the current runway at BHX by today's and especially tomorrow's big twins. It is not the runways, it is the way the market works which makes long-haul so marginal from the UK regions. This has been debated endlessly on PPRUNe. MAN has good runways but still craves more long-haul. MAN's network (other than perhaps the Gulf) is always at risk of erosion by new opportunites arising for airlines to place capacity elsewhere, or by global economics tipping the viability of these services the wrong side of profitable. I am personally in favour of some level of government intervention in traffic distribution (i.e. not allowing markets to dictate everything), however I can't see long-haul blossoming at BHX unless it is somehow at MAN's expense, and does that make sense for the country as a whole?