I'm struggling as to why this has turned into an "anti Manchester" sentiment where followers of other airports seem to think that Mancunians feel they have entitlement ?
I certainly don't.
If airline A wishes to fly from airport X good luck to them, it's a commercial decision. BUT has Merseyside suddenly been identified as a brand new catchment area containing 000s of potential new travellers who have never flown before, doubtful ?
When one of your largest customers and one the of biggest airlines at Manchester creates a new base (just 21 miles away as the crow flies ), you have to look at the economic justification. I personally happen to believe that it's not market driven based on growth within Merseyside but slot availability and in turn that is down to stand capacity, at MAN ,the trouble is with no end in sight in terms of the work in progress one wonders if this is the thin edge of the wedge ? It's been said that the Manchester market is primarily old skool bucket and spade beach destinations, it's certainly a significant slug of the business so what happens if RYR, EZY, or TUI who primarily serve such markets want to expand at Manchester but feel constricted, is Liverpool now the default position ?
Another respondee suggested "where do you expect to build the stand capacity" and I agree. Manchester is now totally boxed in but who had overarching management of the masterplan ?
The same CEO has been here 10+ years. Could they not have built the transit sheds on the far side of the A538 and demolished the area known as the World freight village. Average throughput is down to 200te a day, ok its not an exact science but in context it equates to the equivalent of 4 HGVs a day.
Rutan mentioned SIA and AA, carriers that were championed by Sir Gil Thompson, he was someone who had a vision as to what Manchester could become and was not afraid to invest to make Manchester a major gateway. Of course the £1bn spend on the terminal is welcome but my point remains you have to have the supporting infrastructure to support the terminals throughput and its only my view but I feel there has been no provision to compensate for that failing whilst the work takes place.
(btw MANFAN If you are going to enter into meaningful debate with the grown ups, please ensure you get your facts right first).
Last edited by AlwaysWatching1; 19th May 2023 at 10:51.