That statement by Andrew Tinkler does raise eyebrows but I certainly don't agree with the assertion that "The original decision to bring a LCC to Southend was flawed ....".
Quite the opposite in fact; I think it was a real coup at the time and I don't think many on here thought otherwise at the time. It gave SEN instant credibility and certainly calmed the fears of Stobart shareholders; a very important consideration in view of the considerable capital investment that had been made up to that point.
I don't quite know which operators have been 'scared off' by easyJet but I certainly never heard of any during my association with SEN over the past three years. Perhaps there may have been a couple of IT routes opened up which are currently catered for through tour companies buying seats on EZY services but apart from that I cannot think of anything else.
It's certainly true that Stobart's lack of experience in running an airport has led to some poor strategic decisions and the revolving door of senior management appointments hasn't helped either.
There is no doubt in my mind that easyJet still see potential at SEN provided the economics make sense and that is, to some extent, still within Stobart's control.