To be fair it was a rushed and was a tendered opportunity - maybe if they had done it as a route development type approach and looked for interested tenders the EU would have approved it.
Instead it was agreed to give to the incumbent carrier which could be perceived as a back hander.
I do not blame the EU on this. It has rules and regulations and in this case it wasn't adhered to. Putting it to Tender properly will get round this perceived denial by the EU.
To be fair I fly mainly through Heathrow as the United Flights are normally not cost effective for Business flights. The flight does make money from what I have heard however the reality is they could best serve the aircraft more profitably flying other sectors. Its a business decision.