A 737 is hardly a large plane.
It's all relative, but FR's 189 seat configuration makes it one of the largest, if not the largest, jet used on regular domestic routes from NI. Slightly more difficult to fill than a 78 seat Dash, no?
As for the airport. Wonderful asset for the NW, but has been said on here, and Ive been saying for years, when it comes to FR and LDY a sentences containing the following, barrel over a, spring to mind.