I rarely disagree with S.O.F. (previously S.O.E. - why the change?) but West bound 747 (etc) freighters would be take off weight restricted at GLA (and EDI).
Er...long story but all fixed now.
GLA/EDI aren't in that maindeck freighter market at all.
How much of the Cargolux operation is
Westbound and hence fuel heavy? Two flights per week max? So it's less than one handful of flights each week we're talking about here.
Also, Air France is
Eastbound only as far as CDG and so off like a rocket, and their main deck freighters are going away soon I understand.
I used to agree with the national asset and boon to the economy argument, but they've lost Lufthansa, Singapore, Atlas, Polar and Cargolux have downsized. Of course most freight travels in the holds of passenger flights nowadays, so PIK is very much an ad-hoc business, which can work, but not the way Stagecoach, Infratil and the current management approach it.
Do they get enough value for money in maintaining two runways for example? BAA sold off the cross runway once before, doing so again closes the airfield for days in winter to a lot of traffic but.....