Surely the demand is there for CPT, after all fares on this route are usually much more than equivalent sector lengths.
What is the overall effect on operating costs of having such a long down period - after all the plane might not be earning money during this time, but it isn't burning fuel either?
I recall Flyglobespan had a pop at CPT from MAN, not sure if the route ever actually started? If it did, it was only for a short season. Downtime must have been one of the reasons why Oasis didn't last long.
VS only operate CPT seasonally - so will BA be taking advantage of the reduced competition, or is it just a chance to increase yields still further?