'GLA will see an A380 and or triple daily and Newcastle will see double daily, first class, all the bells and whistles before EDI starts, if EDI starts for EK. Or that is what would seem to make commercial sense.'
Wow, what a bold statement to make
It would make more commercial sense for them to start EDI, a capital city, than to throw everything at two other airports, one of which is 100 miles away. EK have a certain knack for making anything work - an EK flight to EDI would probably work due to how well known EK are over EY and QR.
Also, where is the demand coming from for a triple daily GLA, A380, double daily NCL, First Class etc.?
GLA could maybe sustain it. 3 daily, with first class, with 1 daily A380 is c.450,000 seats per year (2013 - 402,000 pax carried)
NCL double daily with first class would be c.263,000 seats a year (2013 - just under 200k pax carried)
On the face of it it may not seem a huge leap but 1) where are an extra c.50000 pax for GLA and c.63000 pax for NCL coming from and 2) what is to say the First Class demand is actually there?
Also have to bear in mind that particularly nowadays, EK's focus is not primarily on the UK. It is undoubtedly a major market for them, but look at their expansion in N. America and India for example.