fl dutchman:
in passenger numbers MME was 1000 down and NCL about 2300 up. So NCL,s gain was only partly from MME
Well, to be accurate, there's no evidence that ANY of Newcastle's gain was down to MME's loss - and my original post was not meant to imply that. Realistically, how many people in Middlesborough or Darlington, knowing that KLM flies from DTVA, would book a flight to Amsterdam from Newcastle? The point, it seems to me, is that Newcastle's numbers suggest there's no dip in demand for services to Amsterdam (and beyond) from NE England in general; just from Tees-side in particular.
As regards Peter Nears seeming obsession with London, this is surely entirely deluded. Even if it was true in terms of demand, the only airline that can deliver the slots and the rationale in terms of global connections to rival Amsterdam, is BA. And they would have to achieve a massive grab of market share from KLM, which would presumably lead to the disappearance of KLM. Frying pans and fires?
NS