LTNman
Perhaps Ryanair's post-Brexit sentiment has now been tempered with a dose of reality.
In May there were many things we didn't know: which way the vote would turn out, the effect on £ versus Euro, Marmite-gate!! :-) & probably key here, the launch of a Jet2 base at STN.
Now I am pretty sure that Ryanair are not completely daft. They will know that spare slots at London airports (especially I believe night slots) will be becoming scarce. So what would you do?? Stick to your original rhetoric or make what to them is a sensible commercial decision: try & protect future growth by jumping back in to the growth programme.
I find the decsion to grow at LBA more interesting. Is that a tit for tat expansion because Jet2 are setting up shop in STN? Or has the airport maybe sweetened the deal to encourage them to grow?
Of course, MAG may well have opted to do a similar thing.
Whatever the reason - 8 months is a long time in politics (& business.)
A comment about lack of growth may well have been a throw away line at the time. Post-Brexit however, it may have become a means to start a process to secure better commercial terms at airports in the UK. Maybe these deals are proof that it's working!