Leeds/Bradford might also be an option.
I'd have to agree I always thought Leeds, Southampton and Cardiff for that matter have to be definite and viable options, the latter being dropped due to the unavailability of an aircraft. I wonder would demand still materialise for a Newquay/Exeter route and possibly the other routes mentioned above?
however LGW has never performed as well as I would have expected for EI
Very good point, I don't think its a far off possibility either could definitely see Aer Lingus Regional serving Gatwick with 2 daily services. Just to add to this in the Summer of 2010 the same dilemma if you could call it that was in the air with both BHX/MAN unbookable at the time while the rest of the winter schedule had been released. That July AerArann then announced they would operate the route but something which bugs me is they cut other routes or reduced other routes to implement the new services an example, Edinburgh which was cut from 11 weekly to daily, its now 11 weekly again - the demand is there.
Who knows though with the rumours lately of a BHD move for Aer Lingus and speculation of Aer Lingus Regional creating operations at BHD also this could mean the unavailability of aircraft for expansion at Cork.