I'm fully supportive of the main thrust of the argument put forward by Navpi in claiming that the management at MAG needs to start to think about the business being lost to Doncaster as a competitor in the freight world. Yes frightening may not be as profitable as passengers (self loading freight) but it is all part of the overall airline business.
It has been said by another poster that the airport is not responsible for the provision of handing equipment and that this is down to the airline's appointed handling agents. Should the airport not be looking at the contracts for the facilities that these agents are offering and ensure that they provide the correct equipment for the modern day freighters? Could the agents not decide to pool equipment in order to minimise costs - I accept that these loaders do not come cheaply.
I appreciate that there are those who post on here and believe that their word or way of thinking is "the true light" however there are others who, reading their posts also seem to have done a lot of research into the subject being discussed - no matter what that subject might be - and who are able to articulate their posts in such a way as to make for worthy reading. Please let the discussion continue as I'm sure that none of those posts are by " spotters" eager to see a Lufthansa freighter in the ground but rather by members, who are true supporters of the airport itself, and who hate to see the opportunity of business being lost to another airport.
Manchester is the UK's largest airport outside of the London area and serves as the northwest's gateway to the world not just for passengers but also, with the right effort, for freight.