Pax numbers halved with the demise of SZ which meant the loss of a variety of destinations.
BE really went for the LGW route, but once SZ disappeared, frequency was slashed and prices rocketed, and no other routes out of NQY are particularly well served in terms of frequency or price.
If BE bale out now, it would be a pity for the airport, but would it make that much difference in terms of total numbers?
Having written off all that cash establishing themselves on the LGW route and killing off the local airline, it would be ironic if BE abandoned NQY just because a bigger and richer competitor showed some interest.