So that we don't compare apples and pears, let's look at the differences between LHR's and MAN's scheduled terminal passenger numbers and to make a more complete picture let's also throw in LGW and STN. The latest month CAA has completed is December 2013, and from these reports it's very easy to find the average passenger per flight.
LHR = 159 passengers per flight
LGW = 133 passengers per flight
STN = 140 passengers per flight
MAN = 118 passengers per flight
If we translate this in to cabin factors in a BA Airbus A321 European versionwith 182 seats, these are the numbers we end up with.
LHR = 87.2%
LGW = 73.1%
STN = 76.9%
MAN = 64.7%
If we use Basilbush's average cabin factor, I have estimated the average aircraft to have around 214 seats - 25 seats more than in a Ryanair B738 and indentical to the number of seats in the brand new BA B788.
The highs and lows at MAN are much more season related than the three other airport we here looked at even though this was only for scheduled flights. Have we added the charter flights too in to the equation the difference had been even larger. With only scheduled flight the peak in August showed in 2013 the average flight at MAN to have 132 passengers (11% more than in December) while at LHR the average increased with 6% to 169 passengers per flight. If we use the Basilbush CF to eastimate the average sized aircraft at MAN we end up with an aircraft with 163 seats. Since we have LCCs at MAN and not at LHR I guess the average cabin factor at MAN will be higher than at LHR an hence the average aircraft will have less than 163 seats.
More to come later.