[I]t is almost impossible to pay the running costs from purely aviation related activities. No one can afford to run something at a loss for long (except the government, and thats what happened when they did, and that's why they got rid of them).
So why doesn't that logic apply to all hospitals, all schools, the defence force, the police forces, ambulance services...
The problem is that the value to the community of these things cannot be measured in the money it costs to run them.
As I said earlier in this thread, the inevitable consequence of not measuring and taking into account the value of an aerodrome to the community is that it must be turned into houses/factories/warehouses/DFOs/fast food outlets. The inevitable consequence. (Unless you can pull off the 40 year right of refusal trick they did in Sydney - milk the monopoly asset for billions and pay not a red cent in tax.)
I say turn 'em all into housing estates/factories/warehouses/DFOs/fast food outlets. Shut 'em all down. It's what the sick, fat, whinging mediocrity that Australia has become wants and therefore deserves.