Originally Posted by
OzzyOzBorn
Given the nature of present discussions on here, this may surprise some. But we need to acknowledge the T2 TP as a job well done to date, given the tight budget and the challenges faced. Not one passenger was disrupted during that whole huge construction process ... most T2 customers were barely aware that work-in-progress was an ongoing issue. The new section of terminal and Pier 1 are a major asset to the campus and will remains so for years to come. We can debate matters of aesthetics and whether the terminal should have been pitched to a more business-orientated clientele, but IMHO they got it right. MAN's bread and butter is leisure travel, with a welcome proportion of business travel backing that up. But keep in mind that most passengers who fly via MAN on the prestige long-haul carriers do so in economy seats, having paid the lowest fare they can source. No-frills carriers' customers are not the only budget travellers. The smaller cohort of business customers will have lounge options available once everything is fully reopened following the covid nightmare.
'Out of sight, out of mind' also means that the gamechanging programme to realign and double-up much of MAN's taxiway network passes largely unacknowledged. It should be acknowledged. It will prove hugely beneficial when traffic levels return to something resembling the old normal. Kudos for that too. And several new remote stands were constructed as part of the programme.
Going forward, we know that covid struck before the TP reached its end-stage. The design calls for more piers to be constructed, and for legacy T2 to be revamped. Let's hope all that can be put back on track, but time will tell. On the negative side, most here would acknowledge that the T1/T3 complex is in dire need of some TLC, as they will host millions more customers yet. And we certainly need a solution to the defunct travellator issues in the Skylink ... the current debacle cannot be left to fester. Elderly customers simply cannot be expected to traipse those kind of distances with heavy luggage.
So, big plaudits where they are due, and strategic prods where they are not. There is still plenty of work to be done. But in the short term, much of that relates to building up staff resilience across several frontline departments, and reintroducing the long-lost 'CAN DO' culture which was a routine hallmark of using MAN just afew years ago. That may mean paying workers more. So be it ... it is not a bad thing to remunerate staff beyond the absolute minimum. I approve! It will cost money, but you've got to invest to accumulate. Well-managed businesses will commit to that.
Er, sorry, but it's already falling apart. Brand new airbridges with bits hanging off. The ground electrical power fails on a regular basis.
It was built on the cheap and it shows.