Despite not posting on this forum, I've followed this thread on and off for several years and have recently felt more and more inclined to add my two-penneth.
I definitely second the comment about the airport doing fine before Peel coming along and despite the fact that the Teesside area has been and is struggling economically, doesn't this increase the urgency and need for big companies in the area to drive change rather than contribute to stagnancy and decline?
Regardless of the RGF fund, Peel is a rich company and despite adding a new terminal frontage, rearranging the road network and introducing an unwanted name, what have been the products of Peel's investments?
And more importantly, what are they doing to turn the current situation around?
I think it can be easy to subscribe to the argument about MME being in the shadow of NCL and to a lesser extent, LBA. Let's just forget about them for the minute and instead believe that the people of Teesside deserve to use and benefit from the facility of the international airport that is on our doorstep.
What I'm most curious about is the accountability of Peel to the local people. Not just in terms of number of destinations from MME, but in terms of providing jobs, investment and contributing to the economy.
I'm just putting ideas out there but surely there are opportunities to attract cargo airlines such as DHL who appear to be running at capacity at EMA.
Or maybe Peel could compete for airlines such as Thomson or Thomas Cook for holiday flights to proven destinations like Palma, Alicante, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
Is there a chance of having the Heathrow link reinstated with an airline like Virgin's Little Red.
If Peel:
Rename it Teesside Airport
Get rid of the PFF
Compete for new business
Wouldn't that prove that they are committed to the people of Teesside? And finally get things moving again?