Originally Posted by
roverman
Gavin,
Most of the public domain fly-throughs and artwork are out of date as soon as released. It's the nature of this type of project - the design and even the concept to some extent are continually refining at least up to the point where a construction contract is signed. The graphics provide an indication of where the design is going at this stage, nothing more.
Current plan is for the terminal building to start this Autumn, together with Pier 1 (opens 2018) and then Pier 4/C (2019). Dedicated bussing gates on Pier 4 Northern side , not on Pier 1, although in theory any gate could be used to bus from if no aircraft on it. Bussing arrangements still under review so may change! TP eventually swings the contact/remote stand ratio firmly in favour of contact, assuming all four piers are built.
If the terminal and first pier are to start construction Autumn 2016, then where are the finalised/staged plans? First thing is normally foundation work, but to do this you need to have things in place.
At present it seems to me that MAN is near capacity at peak times. Does anybody have an idea on the following:
a) Present number of Parking positions and how many used for based/NS?
b) How many will be available when phase one starts (pier one and terminal)?
c) ditto for the rest of the phases?
d) In 2025 what will be the total stand count bridge, bus or walk, compared with today?
e) When will the plans for T3 be known and start?
f) Can they construct a LCC terminal south of the runways when the North runs out of space?
If MAN grows at an average of 3.5% and 4 based a/c per year, then by 2025 the pax numbers will be over 32m and additional stands required for 36 a/c. But we need to remember this growth is when there is construction going on and stand growth will be impossible. I hope they have good plans that can take the growth and get the airport standards back where they used to be, still nervous that this is too late, too little and very much too slow.