A few days ago was in STN and got talking to one on the ground handlers and was told the FR profits on route from LPA,TFS,ACE and FUE have taken a hit
I would expect a baggage handler to be an excellent source of info on load factors, but I'm not sure how much he would really know on yields.
As it happens though, he may well be right, it is a simple question of distance. Most passengers might not be accountants, but they can do a simple cost benefit equation - if they can reach a sunny destination on the Spanish costas for £50, but the Canaries are £100, they won't go.
Now the sun may be better in the Canaries in the winter, but I think people still have certain expectations of the kind of cheap fares they think locos, and particularly Ryanair should deliver.
Ditto for Cyprus, slightly less so for Greece.