Bagso
The main remit of the Davies Commission was a review of UK Airport Capacity, and not UK Aviation Policy as such. It would be extremely difficult for them to conclude there is a shortage of airport capacity outside the SE corner - if anything in most of the UK there are probably too many airports competing for the same business, and losing large piles of money as a result. Just look at the sad state of airports like Teesside and Doncaster Sheffield, to name but two.
Even at MAN it would have been difficult for Davies to conclude there is a shortage of capacity, with Runway 2 still not required for large swathes of the day. Yes the terminals are a bit squeezy at certain times of the day, and the shortage of parking stands and taxiways has been well discussed on here, but these are things MAG could do something about themselves if they opened their eyes and got their collective finger out. It doesn't need some Government appointed quango to recommend they do it.
MAN should be very grateful for the foresight and determination shown in the eighties to get the second runway built, effectively setting themselves up with sufficient capacity for whatever the next 30-40 years throws at them.
I don't agree with some of what the Davies Commission has stated, but it has at least correctly identified that the area which has a shortage of Airport capacity is the SE corner, and recommended a few options to deal with it. Perhaps during their deliberations they have noticed how well MAN and some of the other regional airports have done in attracting new full service and low cost airlines over the last twenty years, looked at how much airport capacity is still available for the future, and concluded there is no pressing airport capacity problem here that needs fixing.
Personally I don't think MAN needs to be too concerned whether LHR gets 3 runways and 6 terminals, or 6 runways and 10 terminals. I have no issue with LHR gaining the additional capacity it needs. The days when everyone like me from "up north" had to traipse up and down the M1/M6, or take a risk that the infamous shuttle would actually connect, are now long gone. There are plenty of better options available now, and by the time the first bit of new concrete is available at LHR there will be a whole lot more options from the UK regions too. If I'm travelling the 9000 miles home to MAN, I really can't be arsed changing planes again just 180 miles short of where I actually want to go - no matter how good the LHR T5 experience is now supposed to be. The success of the MEB3 and others at MAN proves a lot of other people feel the same way.
I agree with you that the additional slots created by a third runway at LHR are unlikely to be consumed by multiple daily flights to Newquay and the like. The airlines themselves will find more profitable opportunities than that.
I do share your frustration at times with the apparent apathy of the UK Government towards encouraging the development of aviation across the UK as a whole. I also think airports like DUB and AMS are a far bigger threat to MAN's catchment area over the next twenty years than the threat of an expanded LHR.
I have my doubts about the ability or even appetite MAG themselves have to actively pursue and encourage airlines to try new routes at MAN. By anyones standard MAG run a very profitable operation, but you wouldn't think it when you look at some of the infrastructure at MAN. Having the second runway gives them a great asset for the future, but if they want to fill the runways with aircraft they need to start improving the terminals, taxiways and parking availability (and I mean for aircraft not just cars).
Yes the list of new routes for 2014 is quite impressive by any standard, but I just wonder how many of those were the result of MAG's marketing efforts, and how many have just fallen into MAN's lap as a result of the efforts of airlines and others ??