and so your religious zeal that expanding the one hub we have can't benefit GLA, EDI, ABZ, LBA, BHD and MAN is to my eyes, palpably false.
Skip, I've yet to hear a convincing case that an expanded LHR would be of net benefit to MAN. And I would think the alleged benefit to those other airports is at least questionable.
8 shuttles a day with a reasonable spread of timings provide ample opportunity of connectivity at LHR if pax so wish. If there were even more long haul destinations from LHR, it is true that passengers from the North West would have another choice of hub to fly through instead of by the Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore or one of the European hubs, but why should they change?
Let's consider the potential harmful effects on MAN. There may not be a deluge of transfer pax on flybe's MAN routes from Newquay, Exeter, Isle of Man, but if those places were to get their own flights to Heathrow how is that going to help MAN? It may be the trickle of transfer pax that justifies the frequency or even the route itself.
Secondly, airlines not having an infinite number of aircraft and given the opportunity of additional slots at LHR could well put some existing long haul routes into MAN, and indeed other UK airports, in jeopardy. Irrespective of the financial arguments by the airlines of doing this, such an outcome to MAN could hardly be said to be beneficial. To LHR, yes; to MAN no.
I am surprised in some ways that airports such as NCL and LBA are supportive of expansion at LHR. I would have thought both those airports would be keen to get more direct services to European cities by national carriers and I don't see how getting a few extra shuttles to LHR is going to help if that is the objective. Rather, it may have an adverse effect. And given the proximity and frequent trains from Leeds to MAN, perhaps some endorsement of expansion of long haul flights from here might have been appropriate as well as, not instead of, support for LHR if they really believe the latter is in Leeds interest.
Of course, it would be inconceivable for the city of Liverpool or its airport to be seen in support of expansion at MAN, but fortunately many of the residents of Merseyside seem content to use our airport. To be fair, I can understand the prospect of a few flights a day to Heathrow being an attractive proposition in view of the lack of services by legacy carriers to Europe from LPL.
In summary, expansion of LHR would in my view be of benefit to some UK airports and some regions, but by no means all. And in MAN's case, I believe it could be detrimental to its potential growth.
Why MAN appeared to leave it so late to promote itself as the Northern Gateway, and whether it could have done more to rally support from other regional cities and airports is a separate issue. Maybe MAN would argue it has.
Edit: Basil, good point you make about the A319s at LHR and their capacity compared to the B757s that used to be prevalent.