Over the past five or six years the projected CAX-SEN route must have attracted more repetitive comments than other topic in this section, and all for a route that is still a year away from operation. Yet all the recent posts and for that matter most of the huge volume over past years fail to take account of the core issue.
That core issue is not about SEN, because the CAX route will have only a minimal effect on SEN's fortunes, but about Stobart's distribution centre at CAX. An essential part of the planning application was that Stobart would redevelop the airport, maintain it as an operating airport and bring in scheduled services. The SEN route was always central to Stobart's case, though later joined by DUB and now BHD. Clearly no other airline would be interested in a CAX operation, so Stobart could provide the credibility to the planning authority by operating themselves. By using SEN they could ensure more of the operating costs were kept in house and there might be some marginal benefits for SEN.
Now they finally have their planning consent for their distribution centre they will have to deliver on their commitment. I don't doubt that Stobart are fully aware they will in effect be subsidising the routes themselves for a long time, and they will have to view this as all part of the bigger plan. But to consider CAX-SEN as just another arbitrary aspirational route is missing the point