So, in my view Stobart pulling out of airline involvement presents the SEN management opportunity to attract new services to SEN to plug that EIDW demand.
If the Dublin route was a great success it would not have been dropped as good passenger loads don't always mean profits. The route would only attract locals to SEN as any rail passenger would head for Ryanair at Stansted.
Could you see Cityjet plant a flag in SEN. What about FR could they get 800 series in and out (don't know the STOL performance perhaps B737 drivers on here could comment?)
Ryanair using SEN has already been discussed to death here. The runway is too short so end of story.
As for Cityjet ? I can't now see any airline now setting up a base at Southend. Any airline route planner following what has happened to Southend over the last 18 months is going to be thinking that Southend will not give them anything apart from a loss.
I can't help but remember what Easyjet did at East Midlands Airport after being there for years but this time there is no Ryanair to step into their shoes.