Of course that was the point - much of the discussion has concerned the utilization of aircraft, which is why it's absurd to try to compare Newcastle to Tokyo and Taipei. Not everybody has to take a selfish, me-above-all-others approach to analyze UA's operations. People can reasonably argue that some routes represent better utilization than others without having any vested interest or do so objectively without bias from any potential self-interest.

I find Newcastle to be a charming city, but I have reservations about the route for many of the same reasons ShadowCaptain mentioned earlier in this thread. There is also absolutely no question in my mind that the route is subsidized.