LoCo's are given silly prices for the first year at BHX, with access to all the facilities.
Yes, but that is still just the first year - MOL has stormed off before when he couldn't get an extension on this, and he is more interested in using BHX for parking these days than he is in adding more routes.
BHX make the money from the passengers using the shops, bars and car parks. CVT has nothing to make money from other than aviation charges.
Well last time I checked, the closest CVT had to a station was the rusting old wrecks that make up the electric railway museum, the other side of the runway.
CVT must surely make more from parking that BHX as BHX will still be amortising its huge multi storey parking structures, which will also cost more to operate.
I agree about shops & bars - CVT can do the portakabin version, but that won't yield the same results.
On balance, could CVT offer the right airline a workable deal? I'd still like to believe it can, but time is running out to prove that - it is not exactly as if this thread is full of comments along the lines of "so and so from Air XYZ was spotted at the airport today".
No smoke without fire.