New York - Not Again
centrefix25 - yes your post may well be true up to a point. The problem is that unlike many other regional airports NCL Management do, at every conceivable opportunity, whether it be in the Newspapers, on the Radio and TV bang on about how important it is to secure a direct scheduled New York Route. Indeed last year I think I lost count at how many times it was mentioned in interviews by Mr Mason.
I have said and continue to do so, that this whole fixation with New York has to a certain degree and I must stress in my opinion resulted in senior managers missing out on possibly securing other important, while admittedly with less prestige, routes. Whilst New York would be important to NE businesses other routes which also would be important to the NE could possibly be achieved. Germany is the true economic and political power house of Europe now, however as a region we are very poorly served with routes to that particular country, Frankfurt springs immediately to mind.
I remember when I started working the the aviation sector in the 1980s my manager at the time said that the sign you had made it as a regional airport was when you got a scheduled route to New York. Newcastle still seems to be in this 80s mentality and unfortunately the world has moved on while the USA is important and still the worlds largest economy it is not as important as it once was, a global shift has been to the East in the last few years which is why the Emirates route with it onwards connections does well.
To sum up as long as the airport management, the local media and now politicians go on an on about how important a New York route is to the region then the topic will continue to be raise it heard on this thread.
Sorry to bang on