...but they could have gone via LHR with BA, or MAN if BA had not stupidly given up there. If fail to see how millions that could have flown BA but not is irrelevant !
The leakage from the regions is more than sizable and all lost passengers as far as BA goes. There is no reason all those years ago BA could not have built up a hub at MAN instead of destroying it, they are now reaping the reward of that choice !