Liverpool Airport's struggles to compete with a powerful Manchester neighbour; new airlines needed

Liverpool's port has made a comeback; its airport is yet to achieve the same recovery.

The port of Liverpool was once a mainstay of the British Empire, connecting the UK with ports in all corners of the world. From the 1960s it began to suffer from the effects of frequent industrial action and from a lack of vision in local municipalities that stood in contrast to the decisiveness of others.

In recent years the port has made a comeback under the patronage of a large private sector company - the same one that owns Liverpool Airport as it happens - and may even reacquire its former glories one day. It does not seem likely that the same could be said for Liverpool's airport, battered by stiff competition.