The demise of bmi is being felt by other *alliance partners.
With no *A connectivity between LHR and the regions, MAN included, regional bookings have fallen off a cliff for those carriers.
I believe that 2 carriers currently being courted are Air New Zealand once again, who may move the LHR - HKG - AKL to MAN, and China A/L with a MAN-BKK-TPE.
Whispers, chinese whispers, smoke and mirrrors, but there is certainly something afoot.