I was using Stockholm as a potential example of the likes of services to Lisbon (tried) , Prague (tried) and Vienna (tried). OK some of these are a time ago - I was a regular on the ORD' both as end point and onward (San Jose & IND) . Other activities different prospects.
As I said the facility has a positive role and future, but the Economic geography of the UK is well against BHX - Squeezed
Stockholm is a route that the current carrier could make a go of, but with the constant fiddling and around and changing of the schedule it's being treated as a leisure service, rather than a business one. A daily CR7 / E75, at the same time every day, operating 11 months of the year, and connecting with the domestic network would be much more likely to succeed. As for the rest, PRG was operated "properly" by CSA and was successful, but the carrier's policy changed, and all UK regional routes dropped. LIS was never a goer as business service operated by Baby, and VIE was flows by a commercial disaster - namely Duo.
LIS could work, daily as a triangular operation incorporating OPO - this was done some years ago at Manchester. VIE ought to be given a go by Austrian, or even BMIR. PRG, no, no chance businesswise, and the "p*ssheads" have moved their stag do's to the like of Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius.
I think that ORD was killed off by the events of September 2001 - and the problems of operating effectively off the short runway - fingers crossed, it could be a prime candidate for a return - if the US politicians stop trying to crucify their economy with constant brinkmanship.
As for UK economic geography, agree, but that won't preclude growth, as our (Midlands) economy turns around.
I still believe the glass is "half full" at BHX - not as if often portrayed, "half empty"