So we have had Ema operating for 50 years, there has been nothing i have seen on the website no extra routes to commemorate it. We are lagging behind, when Mag took over it was stated then that we (Ema) would have transatlantic flights within 5 years it must be about 10 years since that statement, Bhx are flying to Usa again, and China, and what have we got and what do the public see us as a low cost scheduled airport, get your finger out Ema and get some worldwide routes, are we going to compete with Bhx? or just sit back and watch the world go by
I think that's a slightly pessimistic view. EMA is the busiest airport in the UK in terms of cargo flown on freighter aircraft, it has, and has had, scheduled transatlantic cargo services for many years (UPS were operating DC8s daily between Louisville KY and EMA more than 15 years ago), DHL are also operating nightly transatlantic and aside of those regular operation, EMA handles high profile business for the like of F1.
I wouldn't count that as some sort of failure, or sitting back and watching the world go by.
Passengers are a different story. EMA has been unsuccessful in offering a meaningful level of service (routes and frequency) to principal European destinations; principally because of it's big neighbour down the M42 which already has the main alliances operating multi daily services to many (though some at BHX would say still too few) destinations. The East Midlands as a region is probably too small to attract this level of business, especially when the surface infrastructure makes travel easy enough to BHX from much of the region. This has left EMA to find a niche as a major centre for leisure travel. EMA last year offered more seat to Malaga, for example, than were available from BHX!
Scheduled long haul passenger business is likely to remain a pipe dream, again because of BHX; and probably also because of the policies of EMA's owner, MAG, which concentrates on getting long haul passenger schedules to Manchester - which has already evolved into the UK's major gateway outside of London.
Usually in life (and business) we have to be realistic and live with what we have, and play to our strengths. EMA is no exception in that.