Attempting anything "out of the ordainary" and "not thinking outside the box" are a result of consolidating to a level the local market will support. If that market was a particularly strong one, they would not have needed cheaper contracts, smaller aircraft and a refocus from a different airfield. Truth is, much like the West of Scotland, NI knows what it likes and is to an extent, a creature of some habit. Airlines can only offer and lead so much, if the market won't follow in sufficient volumes or goes once and never returns, then problems arise. A valiant try, perhaps led more by heart and politics than head, but unless something major changes, a quiet Oct-17 withdrawal appears the plan. "We gave it one last try but sadly....."