Just wondering about the logistics of catching a flight from Lydd (sorry London Ashford International) if you were centsral London destined or originated. There's a nice, fast train from St.Pancras to Ashford International - 38 mins, but if that's the Eurostar(?), does that not mean you've got to give yourself another 30+ mins for check-in/screening at St.Pancras, possibly more? Then on top of that, you've got a 17 mile trip between the station and the airport - in a taxi 25 mins plus waiting time? The train might cost around £33 one way, but that taxi's going to cost you another £25 on top. Allowing for dwell times, from arriving at St.Pancras to standing at the airport check-in desk is going to take at least one hour 40 mins, plus your time from home/office to St Pancras in the first place.
Doesn't really stack up as a 'London' airport in quite the same way say Southend does now, does it?
With Gatwick up the road and Manston to the north, they'd be mad to compete on any similar routes with a catchment just a few miles up the road crossing over with theirs.
What's the business model there, what routes, airline types?