No, Manchester Airport is NOT full. And nor was it full back in the year to end of September 2019 when it handled 35,504 more flights and 3.6 million more passengers than in the 12 months to end of May 2023. Yes, there are some stands out of service. But the same applied back then too. Some stands have been lost since then, but at least 24 new ones have been opened as well.
Increased use of remote stands and towing does not mean that an airport is full. It means that servicing remote stands is a larger proposition than before. I can understand why handling agents dislike remote stands, but they're an integral part of most major airports nowadays. And you're going to have to learn to live with use of remotes even more than now. MAG's most recent
PR refers to the latest new pier as the "final" part of the TP, which suggests two piers in total rather than the originally envisaged four. So there will be remote stands on the footprint of the two piers not constructed, and according to plans announced, Piers B and C stands will need to be serviced as remotes from 2025 when T1 core closes. Fortunately, MAN already has an impressive fleet of cobi which can be seen grazing in their compound just to the North of Pier 1. They just need to ensure that there are plenty of drivers employed and appropriately rostered to operate them.
Increased incidence of towing on the apron reflects demand for contact stands. It is understandable that airlines wish to maximise use of these. But this does NOT indicate that all the remotes are simultaneously occupied. There ARE vacant remote stands, and these are what whole-plane cargo aircraft would be assigned to use on every conceivable occasion. There is ample space for that.