I disagree and I guess you are saying this based on the assumption that LBA would inevitably be one of the airports that survived rationalisation. Air traffic will continue to grow, either quickly or slowly. Rationalize to say eight to ten airports and it'll be the bigger ones with either the surroundings to expand or the clout to expand that'll be the survivors. And whether you like it or not the airports that went to wall would still, in total probably add up to millions of pax all having to take to the motorways mostly to make extra road journeys to fly. People only think airports. They don't see the strain 'rationalisation' will put on the rest of the transport infrastructure. Not to mention the damage that will be done by the 'extra' runways that will then be even more urgently needed. Let's face it our road networks are already creaking under the strain and rail??? 50 years ago we 'rationalised' the railways. 50 years on we are reaping the harvest. We have to work out a way to keep as many airports as we can, because in 20 or 30 years they may be the only thing that stops Heathrow and Gatwick demolishing every village in London and the South East .... Like you said ... tiny island ....