Nothing would please me more than having Manston as a thriving airport but i don't live there and suspect that your favourite people, the NIMBY's, would have something to say about it.
I see no way that Manston will ever become another airport serving London as some have optimistically postulated. The KLM feeder service is to Schiphol which markets itself as London's fourth airport. Time to bite the bullet and construct one of the Thames Estuary airports, my favourite is the floating job.
Link to details of the KLM Fokker 70 Cityhopper service:
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-klm-sidelines-heathrow-with-manston-feeder-service-379013/