Whilst hopeful having someone to throw their weight behind the scheme like Lord Adonis, will help and agreeing with a number of the points put forward, including the ones mentioned here.
I can't see much of it coming off soon.

* Metro to regional towns without a connection - whatever option is put forward, relying on a mix of public and inevitably private funds will lead to long delays.

* Direct flight to USA - much like the route buses have gone down, partnerships and cartels in the industry along with 'interchange hubs', mean this is unlikely to take off (excuse the pun) soon. Unless there is a major demand for direct flights, regular/scheduled stuff from Newcastle will continue to feed into Schipol, CDG, Heathrow and Dubai.
Comparing it to buses - as much as a direct link between Bishop Auckland and Sunderland might benefit commuters and private enterprise, unless the operators see a massive demand or major profit, it isn't likely to happen soon. You can still make the journey with a change at Durham. The same can be said for flights between Newcastle and New York...

* Return of Ferry service to Norway - What was a vital service for oil workers and Norwegian tourists at Christmas, was stopped several years ago, not long after DFDS bought out the previous operator. Seeing it wasn't making enough money from their point of view, they axed it not long after axing the route to Sweden... Having used the service a number of times, both growing up and as an adult, I would love to see it come back.

* Improve A1, A19 and A194 - this goes without saying. The Tyne Tunnel 2 has made a major difference, but junction and traffic flow improvements need sorting sooner rather than later, including dualling sections beyond Morpeth.

* Create a Newcastle ring road. - see above. Not sure it would go down well with homeowners or environmentalists though.

* Set up a new agency which is like Nexus for the North East - as long as it wasn't a drain on taxpayers money, wasn't a talking shop for the 'old boys network', actually worked and made a difference, then I think it would help with public transport integration.