LTNman
Some wise words there especially the fallacy of relying on a lack of capacity at the other LON airports; somehow capacity always seems to stretch to accommodate demand. Maybe some day it will happen but I wouldn't bet on it happening soon.
It won't surprise you to know that I have some insight into part of what is happening in the background at SEN. It would certainly be unfair to suggest either that they don't put enough effort into attracting additional airlines, nor to suggest that there isn't genuine interest from a number of substantial operators. I did have high hopes that for 2018 some of this would come to fruition but the back peddling in the Stobart Trading Statement now makes me doubt that somewhat.
asdf1234
I wouldn't necessarily agree that routes being run and underwritten by Stobart are "an absolute folly in terms of commercial sense". After all they are being marketed under the Flybe brand and potential travellers will think of them as being like any other Flybe routes. There is absolutely no reason why these routes cannot succeed in that fashion any less than do the easyJet routes. They are not a vanity project and the chosen destinations, in the main, make commercial sense. I accept that it's an unusual model but it does have synergy benefits by virtue of all ancillary revenues going to Stobart themselves. Your criticism "putting pax numbers over profitable operations" should perhaps take account of those ancillary revenues.
I also don't agree that capturing easyJet from day one was a poisoned chalice as it immediately gave SEN credibility and the opportunity to prove that it was a viable proposition for a market leading airline. The alternative would have surely been to have had just a few minor routes operated by secondary airlines in the hope that someone bigger would eventually notice SEN.