The case and appetite for regional connectivity Ex LHR is so truly overwhelming BA used all the slots it inherited from BMI, (how many was it 56 slot pairs), to fully re-establish connectivity to quite a significant number of regional cities
oh hang on, they didn't did they ! Only Leeds comes to mind !
You can't argue with the cost benefit analysis on that one, a thrice daily Inverness versus three more slots on profitable routes crying for more capacity is a no brainer. The key point is that a three runway Heathrow would allow enough spare capacity to change the equation in that argument as additional long haul capacity requires additional feed and would allow hitherto unlikely routes to make a comeback if managed properly. I think the Highlands should be connected to the UK's main hub airport as a LHR-INV offers way more options for the consumer.
£20M for a slot pair , I don't doubt the valuation, but which route exactly could realistically generate that kind of return and over what timeframe?
So your point is that Continental, Delta and American should have stayed at Gatwick as the LHR price wasn't worth paying? Clearly the commercial departments of the relative airlines disagree with you bagso as I have yet to hear of anyone clamouring to sell up and shift back round the M25 to get their money back.
Main point, there is not one thing stopping anyone taking advantage of MAN's existing excellent connectivity but there is a constraint on additional capacity at LHR. I think you place too much emphasis on big, bad London doing down MAN, it's the airlines by and large who make the decisions, not the governments nowadays. All the connections MAN has cannot and will not be maximised without a hub operation by a based carrier, and I mean something well beyond flybe, or a proper focus city by one of the alliances Neither of which is likely, so the domestic connectivity will do what it has always done well, point to point business and leisure with some oddball connections. Beyond that, there's little scope even if you get George Osbourne to move Heaven and Earth to try.