In answer to one question, I am a frequent flier from MME and have been for many years, regularly using the KLM flights to AMS to connect with the world.
The bad points; the airport is a dump, the experience isn't really an experience at all and the security and passport staff can be the most unfriendly.
But the good points outweigh. As a Teessider who flies regularly, I don't want an airport experience. I want to be in the building for as a little time as possible so I get more time at home. MME gives me that. Quick check in, dash through security and you're off. Same for home, first off the plane, hand luggage only and through my front door less than 30 mins after the wheels have touched down. I do have to use NCL from time to time and the better airport experience and lack of departure tax soon gets forgotten about because of the journey times to and from the airport, coupled with longer security etc...
Granted, when I flew regularly on charter flights into the Med, I would relish a couple of hours at the airport, watching the planes, getting a full English, perusing the duty free. If I was that passenger now, MME would be a disappointment but the fact is most of us aren't. Airports for most are a means to an end, and MME is about as functionally perfect as you can get for a business traveller wanting to get from A to B on KLM, a great airline in my opinion.
And whilst I respect there are many different types of travellers, some probably fitting into my charter description, then if there was enough of them in the area that could return the operators more money than they are getting now, then we'd still have them. Poor airport management, poor local economics and a thrift drive by the operators have combined to mean we'll have little short term chance of this returning.