*IF* Peel can pull it off, what Mr Gill describes as the future direction of the airport in the Northern Echo article sounds fair enough, providing they can start bringing in the extra business.
At the end of the day, it's a business that isn't making money, they've identified the area that's not making money, and done something about it. It's not like they haven't tried to gain more holiday flights, but they're not forthcoming and that's not likely to change given the state the industry is in, so they've taken action. Sure Peel may have very deep pockets, but there is only so long you can justify sustaining a £2m annual loss.
As for the way it's been handled, a fiasco as P330 put it, well this forum could well be to blame for that, I've heard this news was to be announced as part of the masterplan but someone working at the airport leaked it on here, the press picked it up and Peel's hand was forced.
I know I'll get shot down for trying to defend Peel (believe me I often wonder why I bother) but the fact remains that 8 in every 10 posters on here are 'arm-chair CEOs' who think they know best but simply don't know the full facts of any given situation.