Other threads are discussing why it is so important that Heathrow becomes a larger hub airport, presumably with lower usage at the other airports. However, these other airports need to have the capacity to cope with Heathrow diversions. Do the the passengers from these smaller airports have to pay for the excess capability? Is the alternative solution to reduce the dependency on one particular airport so that there flexibility across the UK? If not, then this situation will happen.
A National Solution is required, I agree. Britiain has one hub airport. There is no mechanism for another airport to compliment a hub, it defies the meaning of the word. Daft ideas like "Heathwick" or using an airport over the horizon at Northolt in some way. The market would segment as putting it simply, people need to get from A to B (connecting via C) with as little hassle as possible.
Airports already do have the capabilty to cope with diversions from LHR, they were much more common in days past, what airports choose to do now is deny them on the ground of hassle. It's not about "dependency" or "flexibility" as any attempt to restrain LHR just bleeds traffic away to AMS/FRA/CDG et al. We already have too many regional airports. Belfast loses to Dublin as it lacks an airport with critical capacity and profitability. Teesside is dying, Plymouth has gone, Newquay is in freefall, Prestwick and Cardiff were nationalised to prevent closure. Manchester ceased to be the strategic gateway for the region when LBA and LPL exploded on the back of the loco bubble and we can all see the lack of infrastructure investment as a result. (* cough Gate 12 for an A380????)
So yeah we need a national strategy, competition and the free market create bubbles that burst and if you don't keep an eye on things the country gets damaged. Just understand that it's not about a fair divvying up of passenger traffic amongst the regions of the UK, in market terms it's about maintaining competitiveness of our national hub at LHR, allowing UK domestic connectivity in there with runway three and giving people an excuse to support UK jobs rather than continental ones. ( #notinukiphonest)
The reason MAN can't cope is becasue all the staff that used to deal with this had their terms and conditions eroded year on year to the point that they pay peanuts and so people will not go the extra mile for no reward for Servisair, Swissport or Menzies in the same way they once did for BMI, BA or anyone else who had in house people ready to help.