I am very well aware of the range of Long haul (to distant hub) and leisure routes available out of Ringway.
MAG has many successes (and failures) over the last 20-30 years, however this is for a differing thread.
Manchester is to a degree also just about sufficiently remote (ground travel time wise) to resist the blackhole .
You know I might reside in Middlesex and spent nine formative years in Oxford, but I am originally from Manchester !
I actually would like to see a more concerted approach to the economic requirements of the regions however as I say coercion may have the adverse effect of driving long haul growth to Mainland European centres.
Again in the case of Birmingham a comprehensive European and yes some leisure routes are necessary way before the prestige of long haul.
Skipness - I think BHX with an adequate runway would make for a healthy competitor to MAG owned EMA where boxes are concerned.
There are other box carriers beyond UPS and DHL (the primary EMA operators).
When the real economy starts to recover a number of the Far East pallet carriers may well want/need to return to the UK and Birmingham could be in the mix.