Skipness … I do understand your point, but your comment amply demonstrates that your location is remote from Manchester Airport and the issues which affect the site.
If you were at Manchester Airport you would see the new Metrolink infrastructure which has now reached Manchester Airport Interchange. Services should commence by the end of 2014. Metrolink will be a godsend to a number of airport staff (notably shiftworkers), some of whom read PPRuNe. If you were at Manchester Airport you would see preparations for the fourth 'heavy rail' platform at the airport station. You would also see the new trains which now operate hourly between Manchester Airport Station and Scotland. These alternate between Glasgow and Edinburgh, then link Carlisle and points South to Manchester Airport. Carlisle to Manchester Airport now takes H2.11 with no changes required. All part of the 'Northern Hub' enhancements which also improve access between Manchester Airport and points east of the Pennines beyond Leeds. Hence we discuss trains. Lots of trains. Because the improvements to them directly impact the reach of air services using Manchester Airport. And they affect staff access. They're relevant. Although I do understand that such is difficult to discern from your vantage point in Babylon-on-Thames.
If your livelihood depended on Manchester Airport you would be concerned when a scheduled flight fails with few in the region ever having realised the service existed. Who knew about FlyNas? Where is the publicity for EgyptAir? Who knew we used to have a Ryanair scheduled service to Tours … perfectly located for visits to the beautiful Chateaux of the Loire Valley? Who told the NW public that Tours is the perfect point-of-entry for visits to the Loire Valley region? Nobody … that's who. Such failures constitute valid discussion points for those whose professional futures rely on the success of carriers serving Manchester Airport.
Manchester Airport's marketing used to be the best in the business many moons ago. Individuals including Paul Connellan and Tim Jeans did an outstanding job promoting the airport … they were visible, everybody knew they were the guys responsible for marketing. Do you remember how the airport encouraged Tal'at Mahmoud in leveraging his links with Asian carriers? I think he also assumed responsibility for domestic services as well (before the big downturn). Yes, Manchester did have a couple of marketing dumbbells as well (mentioning no names, but particularly the guy who was too grand to engage with no-frills carriers when it really mattered). At least back then the marketing guys were accountable. They were visible. We knew who they were.
Who does the marketing now? Is it all done in-house or not? Didn't they consolidate the role down at EMA at one point … a truly dumb move. I'm not sure MAN has ever recovered from that, but such scenarios could explain why the airport's
PR crew didn't know that Singapore Airlines operated here. A misunderstanding duly promulgated by misinformed parties including the Prime Minister and the 'Manchester Evening News'.
I like to think I know more than the average punter about Manchester Airport, but I don't know who the current marketing chief is. Why doesn't this person have a public profile like Connellan and Jeans used to have? Why are they invisible? Is MAG's marketing still consolidated off-site (at EMA???). Their profile is so low it is difficult to even know. And when we see poorly-researched press releases … EasyJet: Manchester's first scheduled service to Moscow? … Cathay Manchester's first direct service to the Far East (???!!!) with the PM and the MEN fully briefed with that message … well, I think that is a valid concern for discussion on the Manchester Airport thread.
Manchester Airport's hit-and-miss marketing strategy controlled by invisible and seemingly unaccountable personnel is a matter of legitimate concern to those who have a vested interest in the future success of Manchester Airport. It is a valid topic for discussion amongst the airport's staff and customers. We want to see enthusiastic, joined-up marketing driven by a visible leader in the tradition of Paul Connellan and Tim Jeans. We need that high-profile personality networking with the regional media from their onsite office at Manchester Airport getting the message out there!
The marketing efforts we see now are just a shadow of what they have the potential to be. And when some services are falling by the wayside due to lack of awareness … see the recent discussion with LN-KGL about the impression NAX now have of MAN … well, there is legitimate cause for concern. Yes, passenger numbers have grown in encouraging fashion of late. But we're STILL below 2006/7 levels. And don't even mention the collapse in air freight … who is marketing to that sector? There is no room for complacency yet.
And where is the correct venue to discuss marketing issues at Manchester Airport? For me it has to be the Manchester Airport thread. Where else? Do you genuinely believe that the mods would like to see seperate threads entitled 'Public Transport Access Improvements at Manchester Airport' or 'Marketing Strategy at Manchester Airport'? I'm guessing they might not be overly impressed!
Bottom line: the new developments improving [heavy / light] rail-access to Manchester Airport are of primary importance to the future success of the operation. The effectiveness of MAG's marketing strategy is critical to the future of Manchester Airport. Such issues are directly relevant to discussion here.
Of course, we all have preferred topics which engage us more than others. But it is easy to skip posts which don't interest us personally. Marketing, infrastucture developments and ground transport issues don't interest everybody but that does not mean they should be ignored. I tend to gloss over the posts discussing handling agents winning / losing contracts, but I recognise that they are essential reading to many staff at the airport … hence it is fitting that they are discussed on the thread. Those posts shouldn't be excluded because they bore me. It is incumbent upon the individual reader to decide which Manchester Airport topics interest them in particular … then read, skim or skip accordingly. By definition, postings in a well-frequented public forum cannot be tailor-made to suit the specific tastes of any one individual reader. We must each be our own 'editor'.
Let the lively discussion continue. All of it. Even the handling agent chatter which doesn't interest me personally! 'Manchester' is one of the best threads on PPRuNe with lots of well-informed contributors and intelligent discussion. Why discourage that? Why dumb down to appease those who don't appreciate the big picture overview?
I'm going to drink to continued lively debate on ALL issues pertinent to Manchester Airport's future progress. In fact, I'm off to fetch the Vimto right now!
Best Regards to all! SHED.