I agree with you daz211...yes STN & MAN should be regarded as partners within the MAG business overall...apart from obvious synergies it also grants MAG the absolute right to claim they are the UK`s largest airport operator with the obvious weight attached.
However I couch my sentiments above partly as from Day 1 or even before I have never seen any recognition of the benefits of MAG acquiring STN from any MAN poster (several having been banned anyway with their boring political anti London views I am sorry to say).
I hope always to state facts or if not try to explain at least the reasoning.Putting that forward & it being "countered" is not in itself "childish"..
Airport league tables are important & depending perhaps how readers care to interpret the figures & anyhows are reputational with a certain amount of prestige & kudos if only to the very workers who produce all the effort.