Please tell me that you're not connected to MAG?
No Im not.
Buying a business for £17m and then selling for £2m is not my idea of a shrewd move. Then again, my company can't just fall back on the taxpayer to pick up the tab.
They didn't buy the airport for £17m. They sold the airport for the £2.3m with the £6.6m pension deficit being taken on by ERYC, with the debts having been serviced and the airport having returned a profit for much of the time under their ownership. Unfortunately, with DSA having opened not far away, the lost revenue from leisure passengers has meant the airport is now operating at a (small) loss. The local authorities of Manchester have no interest in owning a majority stake in a loss making operation. They
voted in favour of a sale at that price, to Eastern Airways who arguably also got an excellent deal. Must be remembered that Manchester got their second runway....
Anyway, will leave you to keep asking your hypothetical questions.