This additional Ryanair capacity is great news. To put it in perspective, the new SNN service alone will bring far more new passengers through MAN's doors than the loss of FlyNas will deduct. Indeed, whilst it is always extremely disappointing to see a scheduled service fail, it always seemed a big ask for MAN-JED to support two 3x weekly widebody operations. Those relatively few customers who booked with FlyNas can easily be absorbed by the Saudia operation. Disappointing for FlyNas and the aviation enthusiasts amongst us, but at airport level those passengers will still be coming through the doors at MAN.
Air transport has always been a cut-throat business. Failures and setbacks are part of the landscape, but if new business exceeds the capacity withdrawn then we're on the right track. The new Ryanair to SNN will put pressure on the existing Aer Lingus Regional schedule on the same route. The additional Barcelona runs with Ryanair and Vueling will impact incumbent players on that route. It would be nice (but probably naive) to hope that business is sufficiently robust to allow all carriers to prosper. In reality, there will be more like FlyNas and the industry must take such setbacks in its stride.
Bagso is of course entirely correct in his assertion that MAG should ensure that all MAN's airline customers are given the best possible support in terms of publicity. Give them the best chance we can. MAG needs to actively promote awareness of services available, but in a manner which does not appear to favour one carrier over another. There can be no repeat of the Cathay - SIA
PR disaster. But that all comes down to sound knowledge of the airport's full portfolio of services, something which one hopes that MAG will henceforth be paying very close attention to. It is incumbent upon them to support all its loyal operators equally, not just the 'flavour of the day' newcomer.
Right now it looks like 'business as usual'. Extra Ryanair routes, Vueling, Cathay on the launch-pad; FlyNas (gone), FlyBe - Waterford, Libyan - Tripoli, EgyptAir - Cairo giving cause for concern. Expansion by Thomas Cook and Condor, Etihad's upgrades to B77W's, possibly extra Qatars and Icelandairs. Potential capacity reductions from Monarch and Jet2? There will always be winners and losers.
Personally, I'm hoping that MAG will endeavour to hone its
PR efforts along the lines that Bagso has called for. They need a joined-up plan to promote awareness of the full portfolio of services offered by carriers operating through MAN. Their initiative must be driven by an in-house team with inherent knowledge of MAN's existing portfolio. A sub-contracted
PR-type tasked with a narrow brief to promote a product they don't understand will not suffice. Does MAG contract out its
PR? I don't know, but I wonder whether an internal
PR chief would have been unaware that SIA operated (daily!) to MAN? That fiasco MUST serve as a wake-up call to MAG. There can be no return to
PR blunders of such magnitude. Incorrectly briefing the Prime Minister for a high-profile speech on links to the Far East has to mark the lowpoint of
PR failure. Line in the sand moment. No repeat, please!
Manchester Airport does present quite a tough challenge from a
PR point-of-view. This is because the airport has an unusually broad portfolio of carriers rather than one overwhelmingly dominant player. MAG must tread a careful path between promoting 'XYZ Airways' to Barcelona as opposed to ALL carriers serving Manchester - Barcelona. So perhaps MAG needs to focus on destination-marketing as opposed to identifying too closely with one named carrier. It is good to note recent moves in this direction because inaction is not an option. 10% off car parking and breakfast vouchers is all fine, but let's see real effort directed towards promoting things to do around Shannon, Eindhoven, Barcelona, Reykjavik, Miami and the rest. THEN tell 'em how to get there! When services do fail (and some will), let us not lament in hindsight that "its because nobody knew Manchester had flights going there!"