Since around May/June (I think) T3 arrivals have re-started with BA using stands 42/43 and passengers then collect their luggage from T3 domestic arrivals and exit via T3. I believe Loganair, Eastern and Blue Islands domestic/CTA arrivals did this during the lockdowns anyway.
I have seen some first wave Ryanair departures using T3 stands and passengers bussed from T1 gate 20 to the aircraft...which certainly works fine.
I had heard a few months ago ref an integration of T1/T3 as one terminal. For how long...who knows. The Ryanair and BA check in areas in T3 are sure better in my opinion than the current T1 cramped check in area!
If the T3 security area could be extended and staffed adequately, the overall departures experience wouldn't be as bad...as for the arrivals, the immigration area is way to small to handle multiple Ryanair arrivals! If there is a way of extending this area...it needs to be done for the long term.
Q: Is the current way of getting from the T1 departure lounge to T3 gates only via the corridor you go through now, so once passing the T1 lounges entrance, you proceed down the corridor...you then walk past what are now the reassigned Gates 35/36/37 & 38 on the southern front?
These gates have now been reassigned to be part of T1 assets.
So T1 has Departures B for Ryanair only, but at the moment the current staffing levels for security seems to suggest Security B is not always open and if it is, only 1/2 lanes are available. Departures A Security doesn't seem to fair much better despite many more lanes available, but on my recent 2/3 visits since August, there were about 4/5 lanes open and around 15 min wait.
I assume this particular issue ref the staffing levels is one of the reasons MAG might not re-open T3 for departures...
My question would be though...for arrivals, are passengers going to be bussed to the international arrivals and domestic/CTA arrivals in T1 from the many Ryanair flights that will arrive on T3 stands or will they be processed by immigration and collect their baggage from within T3...although I appreciate these type of questions can't be answered right now...I'm sure management are discussing the way forward for next summer and beyond, of course depending on how things pan out over the winter.
Interesting times ahead...