Remember that map was published before the problems and the subsequent takeover so is probably no longer valid.

No way Heathrow is coming back unless there is a 3rd runway. Even then, there has to be enough demand from a combination of direct traffic to/from London (so against the train) and connecting traffic (against KLM to AMS).

For connecting traffic, I think the problem for FlyBe/Connect is that Virgin does not have anything like the route network out of LHR to feed that BA does. FlyBe do not seem to have made much a success of offering codeshares to mainline carriers and even if Virgin/Connect was to join SkyTeam, you couldn't really fly that many extra places via LHR that you couldn't via AMS today.

Domestic connectivity is being put forward as a major benefit of the third runway at LHR - there is a proposal to ring-fence slots for additional domestic services, I think with preference for unserved routes.

They operate to Malaga etc from Amsterdam. As far as I know they don't do anything from outside the Netherlands. Their 'low-cost' arm, Transavia, do more traditional 'holiday flights' from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and a few other places in the Netherlands. But likewise, nothing from other countries.

I do feel sorry for folk who had a decent airport, and slowly watched it being ruined by leisure airlines starting to want millions of pounds for services, before going bust anyway or consolidating to the bigger bases, but hey ho.

That said, interesting the Flybe booking engine is showing Guernsey, Paris and Southampton from MME, no dates available though so probably nothing?

You can book via KLM, flights to Alicante, Malaga, Palma, Ibiza etc with the Transavia or Air Europa flights having a KLM codeshare - friends fly to Alicante this way about 3 times a year.

The routes to Southampton and Guernsey etc are connecting flights via Jersey or Aberdeen in some cases!

Suppose it's cost vs time and convenience.

Second Balkan flight has gone tech this morning.

I think the other Balkan a/c dropped off an engineer and parts rather than being a replacement.

Was the Mayor on hand?

Second one brought in new crew via LBA. First one was ready to go when they arrived. Don't know how well the LBA pax took it. "By the way were just dropping this group off at DTVA on the way to Borgas".

Mayor was probably at the Take That concert.

So who fixed it?

Not the airports fault, they didn't ask it to break down

The second one brought in engineers not crew

Express Cafe remained open, vouchers were provided and at least one Tesco run was made to restock!!

Good for them , and on a weekend too.

Interesting comment from the Mayor here - don't think I've seen this stated before? Fair play in supporting local businesses, but I thought the business case for using taxpayers money to take the airport into public ownership was to improve the region connections with the world so as to support business, not make it easier for locals to export money out of the region?

Durham Tees Valley Airport commits to nearby firms over UK companies

Think its the case of some news is better than no news. The current situation is that loads of services were run from Doncaster, just the other day we had a discussion who is on the other end of the carpark barrier intercom and where are they. This is just an example of things that need to be brought back in house along with the businesses to run the services which the media is reporting on.

No idea when we are going to here some development news that we really want to here.

I'm more interested in the comment about the priority being to secure new holiday flights - good use of taxpayers money?