RE BA
I think the London market has grown so enormous relative to the rest of the UK they possibly feel the regions are becoming more and more irrelevant to them.
Going East all their former markets from MAN, GLA, EDI, NCL are now served at multiple frequency by QR, Etihad, EK, THY etc. That only leaves ABZ and LBA.
It's odd that the main plank of BackHeathrow and indeed the Airport Commission review was connectivity, Little Red have almost gone and BA retracting frequency does not exactly sell the case !