1.8 miles? Well that's only like walking to Ryanair's last gate at Stansted or Pier D in Dublin!
Maybe they should relocate the terminal instead - have a check-in desk at the rail station and bus people directly to the aircraft steps.
FWIW, I think Manston still has potential (much more than Lydd) but is in the same mindset as so many other regional airfields, trying desperately to talk itself up and offer the same miserable travel experience as the "serious" airports. These smaller, quieter facilities could provide a radically different aviation experience if they showed some imagination, and the CEOs disparaging comments re Lydd might come back to haunt him.