''Due a big one' I would suggest Monarch was rather big. As regards government aid in your dreams son, rather more pressing matters at the moment. Transport minister couldn't run a bath! If Flybe goes (hope not) some routes will be picked up by other airlines but not all. Don't forget on domestic routes you pay two lots of APD.

If the political ethos of the UK was interventionist then perhaps the government would throw money at FlyBe were the worst to happen. However in the real world the only businesses that they are in the least bit interested in supporting are the banks as we learnt back in 2008.

If Exeter (airport) became a ghost town, would No.10 lose a moments sleep? I very much doubt it.

If FlyBe were a major player at LHR, they may give it a little more attention, then move on, let the market decide etc etc.

The UK government doesn't give a crap about airports like Cardiff and Exeter and Birmingham. As ATNotts point's out if they were the major airline at Heathrow then they would because that would effect London which is their priority.

If the UK Government were remotely interested in regional / domestic aviation they wouldn't be stinging them with one of the world's highest Airport Departure taxes, whilst subsidising profiteering rail franchise operators.

You mean like subsidising the NQY/LGW route when it should be and has been perfectly viable on its own over many years.

It probably won't happen but they do have a marketing deal with Qatar Airways so if they feel it's worth it they'll support a route/airline but Flybe needs an investor. Hopefully behind the scenes both the airport and the government will be lobbying potentional investors for Flybe.
It amases me why people think taking away Wales only airport with international connections and moving it too England would be good for Wales as a country? Cardiff may be small but it is in Wales which people seem to ignore is actually a country and not a region of England or a suburb of Bristol and Manchester. Guess it just shows how Wales and us Welsh are perceived by our neighbours.

Providing marketing support is a way to get around government aid payments. They aren't paying QR to be there, they are paying to advertise the route.
Behind the scenes the setup of blackbird at CWL is that some arm of CWL/WG is pretty much chartering the aircraft to run, with whatever else is included in the deal.
Do you really think the WG will invest in an Airline that's struggling that only operates what, 5% of its flights in Wales? There was uproar about buying CWL, it would be political suicide. Let's be realistic.

Airports are commercial entities, having CWL is political and patriotic, but in reality Filton is just as accessible as BRS and CWL and could've provided a much better airport for the southwest and Wales region which may have actually resulted in better links and a much busier airport. It's would still be accessible for people to fly from and work from. The tolls are going and it would be on major rail and road links. Easily accessible for Airport workers and crews.

The likelihood of WG increasing in Flybe is small and like you said it would cause a political backlash but like i said they might be able to lobby people who can invest in Flybe.
Yes airports are commercial entities but they are also part of a countries transport infrastructure and international access to that country. That access would be diminished without it especially for a country like Wales.

Actually that was a commercial decision, by the old Bristol Aeroplane Company, in the early 1950s when the old prewar Bristol airport at Whitchurch became outdated and too small for operations, there was Filton, with its huge runway extended for Brabazon production, but when it was put to them to build a civil terminal Bristol Aeroplane refused to have such a "disruptive" operation on Their Airfield. So their second best choice was the old RAF site at Lulsgate, always known as a poor location (and it still is)..

There was an element of politics, because if Filton had been within Bristol the city could have had more influence. The town is, but the airfield site was just over the border in Gloucestershire. The old Whitchurch airport had been owned and developed by the city, but had been taken over by the Ministry postwar, who despite being a considerable funder of Bristol Aeroplane, for the Brabazon, Britannia, and other types, did not force things through.

You posted about Flybe and BA Cityflyer merging a rumour of it. Where did you hear the rumour?

Please tell then!

Flybe managing to raise substantial cash sums on their own, it looks like they are hunkering down for the lean winter period and hopefully tweaking a few loss making routes. Good luck, they are a very much needed and I look forward to seeing their share price rising.

Just capturing this for future reference.

1. Yes 2. may be by being combined with an existing route, more suitable a/c type, less competition?