Sorry Shed - you are way off beam with that comment.
Hi Suzeman - Thankyou for clarifying the subsequent management structure in cargo at MAN. However, Gordon Griffiths ("cargo division boss" according to contemporary reports) was one of nine senior executives suddenly dismissed from MAN in July 2001, two weeks after the arrival of MAN's then new Managing Director. In my opinion, his dismissal (and that of others) was in no way justified by his professional track record at MAN. Cargo thrived during his tenure and he built up good relationships with carriers in the industry. GG actually did fine - he went on to become a senior director for IATA with responsibility for airport development in the Asia-Pacific region. The loss of his expertise and contacts (and that of his colleagues) was a blow which set Manchester Airport back. I'm sure some of his successors were fine executives too, but that vacancy should never have arisen.
For flown freight maybe. But what about the the throughput of the freight sheds at the Cargo Centre?
I have always acknowledged the positive contribution of trucked freight. However, flown freight is also a pretty important consideration at a major airport. 165000 Tonnes in 2007 to around 103000 Tonnes eight years later spells P-R-O-B-L-E-M to me. I am in agreement with all your comments concerning increased use of ships etc, but dedicated freighter traffic to the Far East has not become completely extinct at other major European airports ... it has at MAN. The flown cargo sector has been neglected at MAN with marketing now done remotely by an executive who also represents STN and EMA. This is akin to Sainsbury's, Tesco and ASDA sharing the same marketing boss. I expressed the wish that MAG would show some TLC to the (flown) cargo sector at MAN in 2016, and I hope they do. A one-third drop in flown cargo during a period which has seen rival airports thrive suggests to me that there is a compelling case for this sector to receive some positive attention from management. Particularly in the light of MAN's vital role in the evolving 'Northern Powerhouse' initiative.