1500 passengers in the immigration queue. You know as well as I do you can count on one hand the amount of times that has happened!
Yes, border queues can get long, just as they do at LHR, LGW, BHX, USA airports, even DSA and LPL have experienced long queues at one time or other. Show me one single airport in the UK handling over 1mil pax that hasn't experienced a border queue at various times and then I will aknowledge MAN has a particular problem.
Look, as we have gone over it time and again, is MAN perfect? No. I too could list many 'trivial' problems with the site, it's clearly old, it's aesthetically crap and in dire need of the renovations it's getting.
But is MAN unique in having issues? No, not by a long shot. Has the renovation started too late, yes, one could easily argue they are late, but the point is, things are now being addressed.
MAN is trying to sort out some remedial problems too.
-They have created more space in T3 security by moving the police interview/watch rooms and the managers podium. I believe they are also making lane 2 into the new dedicated fast track line, but that is a bit slower coming as I also believe they have to add a new biometric gate to access the extra lane. This new dedicated fast track lane will also free up lane 5 to be more available to passengers.
-T3 itself is obviously very space constrained. They are adding more walkways to reach the further stands, they have added a new lounge to try and appease the higher end passenger and added a new fast food option, which fits in with some of the Ryanair crowds. There's not a huge amount more they can do in T3 so I suppose any more work has to wait until T3 gets its turn for a full refurb. I suppose the only other thing they could do is expand the floor with the lounges to create more of a food court and then leave downstairs for seating (or vice versa), but, that's just my suggestion and not an indication of what will happen.
-I don't suppose T1 could have much done to it given in the next few years some elements will start to be knocked down.
I have also heard more consultations are taking place with Border control about staffing, but an issue in both T1/T3 is not so much staffing, but space to expand so it's going to be a work in progress and therefore a like it or lump it situation for now, you can't just click your fingers and magic up more space, it needs to be planned and agreed.