Neile1
All is not lost. Of course a number senior SEN personnel's job specifications include the task of working to attract new business to SEN, whether that be scheduled or charter airlines, business aviation or ancillary activities. The reality though is that you cannot just snap your fingers and conjure up business. Lead times of up to three years can be involved in airline planning processes and patience is necessary as I know from personal experience.
I would agree that in the past couple of years SEN has not had the most dynamic or consistent leadership in various areas but this seems to have been rectified and will hopefully now produce results sooner rather than later.
As far as offers of positive suggestions being rebuffed are concerned I certainly have not found this to be the case at any time. Obviously the way you make such suggestions needs to be in the right way, but positive ideas/alternative thinking have always received a fair hearing at SEN in my experience right up to now. Perhaps your acquaintance should try again as there have been recent senior management changes for the better, in my view.