IMO growth in Long haul will slow or be driven by leisure /discretionary travel demands.
I couldn't agree more. In my view BA did quite a good job on the LAX route back in the 90's. I'm surprised that no other carrier has 'dipped their toe' and tried it or even SFO. Since BA quit the regions there has always been the chance for route growth out of MAN and many have made a success of various routes. However the political world map is an ever changing place and as stated growth will be dictated by global events. We're now seeing the Turkish market in decline because of recent events, so much so that Tour Operators are scaling down that market in favour of Spain.
Spain holiday prices soar as Britons avoid Turkey following terrorist attacks | News & Advice | Travel | The Independent
We're also seeing more sabre rattling in the Middle East with Saudis building up their forces along with the Russians. Middle East carriers have invested heavily in the UK market over the last decade, lets hope that bubble doesn't burst as well.