But why did bmi start here?
Largely I believe because it strengthened their case for open skies ex-LHR if they could demonstrate they were actively operating transatlantic services. What political clout does a campaign for more liberated LHR-US services carry if it comes from a short-haul only airline?
you appear to be suffering the delusions that airlines will tap into "instant profits" with long-haul
Don't think so. What I implied was that LHR was an inherently more profitable base for long-haul ops than MAN and that the actions of bmi since the start of their long-haul services ex-MAN were entirely consistent with this assumption. A release from the press office saying that bookings for MAN-IAD were strong and that MAN-ORD had dipped doesn't tell us anything that contradicts this assumption, it just tells about the number of seats that have been sold - no more, no less.
Sorry, didn't understand your point with Virgin;s MCO route. As I understand it, the route is operated by a TF reg, 747 classic, with seats sold directly and through Virgin Holiday's tour operator. This is not their core business, which is, flying higher yield routes out of London I think you'll find.
Don't get so defensive. MAN's a great airport with a great network of routes serving its local catchment area, but all the evidence suggests that its market does not appear to suit the sorts of services that BA & Vrigin serve out of London (and that bmi would like to serve out of London).
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