ALWAYS BEHIND?
Actually, its almost exactly 30 years since the new (crap) runway was finished. It was October or November '84 if memory serves me right. I say crap because its inadequate for widebodies. There were 4 per week the following summer, but soon this dwindled to zero as they found not only the runway but the brand new terminal was also totally inadequate! (Its been a chaotic building site since). Despite the aircraft industry building stacks of widebodies since, approximately nil venture into LBA. Twenty years earlier, in 1965 they had just finished building the new 15/33 and though the jet age had come to most other places, they gave us a runway fit for only Viscounts!
So there is a long history and tradition of failure, of always being behind. MAN and EMA have always had the distinct advantage of 1st mover status. However, I must point out that the clowns in charge in 1965 and 1985 belonged to the Council Circus. The present owners are suffering from earlier failings, but I'm sure they're much better to have in charge, as it is clearly in their best interests for the airport to do well. The previous Council owners and their management didn't know one end of an aeroplane from t'other and were often simply "working" for their handsome pensions!