Whilst the
PR spin of "spare capacity" might well be over egged some of us are at least pleased they are saying something, anything... although the telemetry once again seems somewhat adhoc with this reference appearing in The BusinessDesk but completely bypassing their usual 1st choice i.e. their good buddies at the business pages of the M E N (...at least thus far).
It illustrates the random adhoc nature of the output, hopefully something that Adam Jupp and Graeme Elliott will address. That said I cannot help thinking the latters appointment might have more to do with selling the image of our vibrantly ugly sister down in Essex as a London Airport, than promotion of the Manchester Airport within the Republic of Mancunia and its wider catchment. We shall see !
As far as I am concerned Manchester and Stansted are most definitely NOT bosom buddies although (and it chokes me to say this ), given the eye-watering cost of proposed new tarmac in the SE I can at least begrudgingly concede it was a not unreasonable buy.
Both however remain in very direct competition with each other, GT managed to cap STN expansion in the 80s fearing yet another London Airport would swallow up even more UK capacity. I share that view today.
Others may argue that both are different markets, maybe they are BUT airlines with spare aircraft will only allocate them once and personally I want that expansion here not in agricultural Essex.
Much to the chagrin I suspect of our mates in Wollongong all the long haul increases in route structure, capacity and frequency have in the last 2 years somewhat stubbornly manifested themselves at Manchester, this has been supported by a good mix of increase in short haul with a variety of airlines.
And therein lies the rub. STN dominated as it is by RYR would I'm sure have been the "preferred" choice" for the type of expansion that MAN is seeing however the significant recovery in pax number there is almost all based on the whim of one airline. A blessing but ultimately also a curse !
There is a danger that the capacity cap that GT imposed with now be breached. With MAG pushing for expansion, its more than possible that Graeme Elliott has been brought in to oversee the
PR push for that expansion rather than one with a Mancunian agenda.
If the
PR output does become more widespread and dare I say more consistent and professional it will be interesting to see how the differing messages that both airports offer are couched.
Ps .. that injection of professionalism cannot come quick enough. The recruitment agency must surely have had an inkling that the Concorde suite was far to small for 3000 jobs /applicants !
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....chaos-10729811