We're back to the 'chicken and egg' debate here. If you discourage and turn certain types of business away you can quickly reach the point where you can justify offloading support for that business because it has dropped in importance at the site!
spannerstcx post #199 gives much of the background as I understand it. Much of the previous MAN freight disappeared into the belly of pax a/c. The only flights that I can think of that might fall into your category are (ironically) the former LH flights. Can't remember why but seem to remember that availability of stands was mentioned as an issue.
Of course, I note that your postings often reflect the views of one closely aligned with the specific interests of EMA in particular, so your defence of a status quo which sees MAN's inherent cargo business redirected there is understandable.
Nope - no connection, born in Broadheath, worked at MAN briefly, had family working at MAN until recently for Caledonian, Thomas Cook, Easyjet that I can remember. No EMA connections! My dislike of the sort of comments below are immaterial of location - any evidence that the teams referred to are doing anything other than group policy?
Cargo is a very conspicuous exception - perhaps because it appears to be [mis]managed from a remote location within the group.
But it is surely time for 'special measures' for the embarrassingly inept cargo division
troubled sections which have clearly failed to meet the standards which a successful business should expect?
And now back to chickens and eggs.
Well, at an airport on the scale of MAN, I'd be prepared to spend enough to bring in two Hi-Lo's and ensure that sufficient staff are trained to operate them (delegating this to a third party handling agent if preferred). Given that MAN has a large cargo village on site already, costs need only be incurred at the margins. The fixed infrastructure is there. The competence has been there in the past. It's not like starting from scratch.
And where would you get the business from - wools post #189 lists those airports with the kit - I'd add in EDI for the UPS 767's. So outside MAG and LHR there are the EDI parcel flights, Air France and Cargolux at PIK (?), 1-3 fresh produce flights a week at DSA and what else - any ad hoc work that's floating around? Where's the business case for the money over and above other priorities, or is it all about prestige?