ATN -
It's not surprising, nor am I surprised.
My point is that MAG paid £1,500,000,000 for Stansted. It has to be assumed that, however they financed it, that £1.5bn has to be serviced - by way of interest payments or dividends depending on the structure of the deal. It's also likely that "operating profit" excludes any such payments. So, having spent their £1.5bn, the owners are receiving £31,500,000 towards their servicing costs in half a year. That amounts to a gross return on capital of 4.2%. Before tax, before any additional capital expenditure, and presumably before any corporate overheads.
I'm surprised that the taxpayers of Manchester are not up in arms about their council entering in to such a deal with their money.