MANCHESTER - 9

[Bagso]

Some very interesting points

Do you think MAN should be set up as the U.K. #2 airport and become LHR's main domestic competitor BAGSO? i'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you btw, just genuinely curious.


No I think that ship has long since sailed.... I doubt it was ever an option anyway, and without a national airline it is non existent.

BUT I am interested in maximising opportunities and debating how best that can be achieved.

If LHR doesn't get runway #3, the UK as a whole will lose out financially, there is already a huge bleed of PAX to AMS from the UK regions heading east.


Is this not a contradiction and precisely part of the argument that Davies should have fully examined ?

If there is already a feed to Eg AMS would it necessarily revive based on another runway ?

And as has been pointed out who will put the planes on ?

LBA down from 4 to 3, MAN losing last Shuttle, Virgin Red reducing as well.

QR are heading to EDI in Summer will that effect EDI - LHR.

TK expanding as well !

EK etc are ramping up DUB that has severely reduced DUB-LHR services already !

OK its a mute point are they cutting in order to use the slots more productively OR is there simply not the demand anymore ?

If its the latter that surely undermines a highly substantial part of the argument about UK domestic connectivity.

Are they basing decisions on the wrong evidence, it would seem so if they keep talking about UK connectivity!

AND is UK Plc actually suffering because of lack of flights from the regions to LHR, I don't buy it !

BTW If Davies was not going to include MAN in the debate was it not somewhat pompous to conclude that "long haul flights from the regions were environmentally damaging because the chances of filling these flights was lower than from LHR". Is that a comment on capacity OR is it straying into aviation policy ?

I just think the report was flaky to say the least leaving many questions unanswered, "industry experts" seem to be focusing on the bit they like without addressing the bits they don't !

And yes Logohu I agree 100%, I think some of the backslapping in respect of these routes is more down to our natural location and the airlines than an epiphany in MAG marketing !