Interesting proposals from the FT today in terms of destinations that might be dooable for the summer.
If we do have another summer write off i cannot see how the industry can survive, airlines, airports don't have inexhaustible reserves and i suspect most calculations were based on being back to a level of normality by now.
Hopefully Manchester will capitalise on A TO A destinations where countries at either end are all vaccinated, the US springs to mind if that country reaches a certain critical level.
Dubai is at 74% so may also be reasonable.
Israel as well although it doesn't have the mass market infrastructure.
Singapore also offers hope.
Hopefully MAN are not just sat there "hoping for the best" but are actively scrutinizing these figures, putting forward proposals and talking to Whitehall and the airlines that could potentially fill the gaps in terms of direct service ....and DIRECT service is key.
It will be interesting to see what strategy the government employs and what the board at Manchester is actually doing to ensure it fits into that jigsaw.
Manchester currently has no US service so who are they talking to in terms of rebuilding what was one of the largest markets in Europe after LHR, CDG, FRA and AMS.
Aer Lingus is a good start, the Virgin/Delta axis is another.
Fundamental change is coming, clearly it has to be point to point what we absolutely cannot have is passengers punting onto "cross contaminating shuttles", if airlines "think" they can tap into the mass market of the North by simply bussing passengers by shuttle to Heathrow , " think again" that model is dead.
Hopefully MAN are also thinking along the same lines.
Last edited by Navpi; 23rd Mar 2021 at 08:06.