Manchester - 3
Lady Lexxington
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: The Manor House
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The security queues in T3 are dreadful in the morning, once check in begins for the 0600 departures it all goes mad and the queues have ended up back past the Donkey Stone!!!!
The queue usually eases around 10am ish.
It is an utter, utter disgrace and besides being embarrassing it is downright dangerous, if there were to be a fire then the crush of passengers and staff trying to leave would kill more than any fire.
The queue usually eases around 10am ish.
It is an utter, utter disgrace and besides being embarrassing it is downright dangerous, if there were to be a fire then the crush of passengers and staff trying to leave would kill more than any fire.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: UK EAST COAST
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If it is as regular as this then i hope someone is working on a solution.MAN has been my airport of choice for long haul but may have a rethink if it persists.
Incidentally Oz daughter missed her connection from LHR to MAN when she arrived at the end of August, due to security queues at LHR.Two hours in the queue which she put down to the higher security state, she was well pi$$ed off when she arrived at security to find four x ray machines but only one being used..
Incidentally Oz daughter missed her connection from LHR to MAN when she arrived at the end of August, due to security queues at LHR.Two hours in the queue which she put down to the higher security state, she was well pi$$ed off when she arrived at security to find four x ray machines but only one being used..
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Manchester
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Terminal outbound security is being enhanced by the addition of extra searh facilities currently being built where one the VLM ticket desk was. I understand this will be use for international and domestic passengers, and can even be used for T1 passengers, who can then access T1 via the southern front.
Join Date: Aug 1999
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Days or nights?
757Op
First, the good news. No more runway closures until after Christmas
Second, the bad news. 140 days of single runway ops next year
Third, the really bad news. Runway 24R will be resurfaced in 2008
As ATC, we "discuss" runway closures, and try to minimise any disruption, but at the end of the day, it's MA's airport.
Looking on the bright side. In the past, when any runway work was done on the "Single Runway" as was, the Airlines either rescheduled or diverted. Now there is runway 24L/06R. As an aside, if the forecast is not very good, work on 24R is either postponed, or kept to a minimum, so that a "fully equipped" [ILS] runway is available.
Hope this helps
watp,iktch
First, the good news. No more runway closures until after Christmas
Second, the bad news. 140 days of single runway ops next year
Third, the really bad news. Runway 24R will be resurfaced in 2008
As ATC, we "discuss" runway closures, and try to minimise any disruption, but at the end of the day, it's MA's airport.
Looking on the bright side. In the past, when any runway work was done on the "Single Runway" as was, the Airlines either rescheduled or diverted. Now there is runway 24L/06R. As an aside, if the forecast is not very good, work on 24R is either postponed, or kept to a minimum, so that a "fully equipped" [ILS] runway is available.
Hope this helps
watp,iktch
Can you clarify one small point from your informative posting. Do you mean 140 days closure in 2007, or 140 nights of closure. and are you talking of 24R closures - It would make a big differnce if it was days on single runway operations!!!!!
Scottie Dog
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: England
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It's good to see the pickup areas are being tightened up. The "10 mins free at T1" thing is a throwback to before the arrivals car park was built, as a sort of grandfather right.
The forecourts need managing to reduce congestion. How do fire engines and ambulances get in in an emergency if there's picker-uppers parked randomly all over the place?
Also, aren't the DfT a bit touchy about cars so close to the fronts of the buildings?
At least MA have reduced the 30 min charge to ease the pain a bit. It's about time they regularised it. Aren't Luton and others doing the same thing?
Seems like a sensible decision by MA for once.
The forecourts need managing to reduce congestion. How do fire engines and ambulances get in in an emergency if there's picker-uppers parked randomly all over the place?
Also, aren't the DfT a bit touchy about cars so close to the fronts of the buildings?
At least MA have reduced the 30 min charge to ease the pain a bit. It's about time they regularised it. Aren't Luton and others doing the same thing?
Seems like a sensible decision by MA for once.
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: DUNGEON
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If anybody has any sense, they will go to front of Olympic House to be picked up!!
They won award for best airport at Northern Travel Trade Ball - farcical
There is a lift in T3 Short stay car park (1 of 2 ) that has been out of service 'due to essential maintenance' (as opposed to unessential?!) since March of this year
Inter terminal travelators are still hit and miss
T 3 Security lines were long on Thursday am as well - why not open the Jersey/Northern Ireland queue to UK Domestic pax as well?
They won award for best airport at Northern Travel Trade Ball - farcical
There is a lift in T3 Short stay car park (1 of 2 ) that has been out of service 'due to essential maintenance' (as opposed to unessential?!) since March of this year
Inter terminal travelators are still hit and miss
T 3 Security lines were long on Thursday am as well - why not open the Jersey/Northern Ireland queue to UK Domestic pax as well?
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Ufgboy
Security at manchester, like other airports is a mess, not because of the regulations but because of the egoes of those operating and managing security. I travel through manchester to Belfast and I am made to go through the belfast/Eire/IoM etc channel even though Belfast is a domestic destination like London, Edinburgh etc. I am forced to go through this channel, even though as soon as I pass the desk that checks that you have a boarding pass, I then join all the other pax. I have asked why Belfast pax are not treated like other domestic pax and I can't get a reasonable answer. I flew through 4 domestic airports last week and at Bhx, all pax were forced to remove all footwear. This only happened at Bhx and when I asked why only Bhx, I was told that it was local management who insisted that this be done. There is no consistancy on these rules and then the powers wonder why pax get angry!!!
True Blue
True Blue
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Liverpool
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I regularly travel through both Manchester and Liverpool. The other morning I was travelling standby from Manchester to Gatwick on the first flight of the morning with BA. The security queue was back to the car park bridge and myself and some BA cabin staff only had 30 minutes to get through security and on to the aircraft.
We noticed that nobody was queuing at the Channel Islands/Northern Ireland entrance to security and that there was a security person sat there. We explained we only had 30 minutes to get the flight and he said this is for CI/NI passengers only (surely he has a role in the Nationwide TV adverts) and that we had to join the main queue. This despite the fact that there was no Belfast flight due out for another 90 minutes and that there was no Channel Islands flight on the board. Why can't this gate be used for sole use at busy times?
A week later I travelled from Liverpool to Paris CdG and once again the security search area was very busy but the staff here were re-dirceting passengers to the staff/domestic departures security screening area to reduce the queue. Common sense in use! Take note Manchester
We noticed that nobody was queuing at the Channel Islands/Northern Ireland entrance to security and that there was a security person sat there. We explained we only had 30 minutes to get the flight and he said this is for CI/NI passengers only (surely he has a role in the Nationwide TV adverts) and that we had to join the main queue. This despite the fact that there was no Belfast flight due out for another 90 minutes and that there was no Channel Islands flight on the board. Why can't this gate be used for sole use at busy times?
A week later I travelled from Liverpool to Paris CdG and once again the security search area was very busy but the staff here were re-dirceting passengers to the staff/domestic departures security screening area to reduce the queue. Common sense in use! Take note Manchester
Join Date: Jan 2004
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True Blue: Assuming you mean T1, you have to go to the right of the desk to go past the Police video camera or inspection point if there's a copper actually there. Then you rejoin the main queue. Belfast is also domestic so they should take your picture first, for matching at the gate.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Momentary Lapse
I think it's what they call T3, as I use mainly Baby. My gripe is, we are not treated as domestic. I understand that all domestic have a photo taken as they are also mixing with international, but we are not allowed to pass down the same route as London Glasgow etc. When you are travelling to Belfast through most of the mainland airports, you are treated very much as a third class citizen. I flew into Man on the 6th Oct. We were put on a bus and driven around in a circle, past at least 4 entry doors before being offloaded not far from the aircraft that we had arrived in. This door was almost as far away as you could get. Bhx and Ncl are the same and after a period of time, this treatment gets very trying. I also believe that most at UK airports do not understand that Belfast is a domestic destination.
True Blue
True Blue
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Manchester
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Have heard a rumopur that WW want to move back to T1, but don;t know how true that is.
Are the airport not working on a masterplan to transform T3 in to a far bigger terminal with more gates and expansion of the check-in and security areas? Let's face it, is the only terminal this could be done relatively cheaply...how much is corrugated iron these days?
Are the airport not working on a masterplan to transform T3 in to a far bigger terminal with more gates and expansion of the check-in and security areas? Let's face it, is the only terminal this could be done relatively cheaply...how much is corrugated iron these days?
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Scotland
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Manchester Airport were feeble in the extreme in their handling of traffic today. Granted LVP's, but traffic flow was simply staggering in its slowness. Not knocking ATC, but why has 24L not got a Cat 3 ILS, and why does single runway operation persist when vis is at worst murky? Most professional big airports can handle double the traffic flow in these type of conditions.
Along with the Staff Security debacle, this is a continuing saga of useless management and a poorly run airport. I am voicing the opinion of many MAN-based colleagues as well as my own.
Along with the Staff Security debacle, this is a continuing saga of useless management and a poorly run airport. I am voicing the opinion of many MAN-based colleagues as well as my own.
How would 24L ILS help in LVPs?
Join Date: Apr 2001
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True Blue..
For a change it is NOT MA [PLCs] fault. NI/IOM etc are still covered by "Special Branch". Hence you "depart" from a "security" gate [Normally G3] and then [on arrival] get "bussed" to another [secure] gate
Hope this helps
watp,iktch
For a change it is NOT MA [PLCs] fault. NI/IOM etc are still covered by "Special Branch". Hence you "depart" from a "security" gate [Normally G3] and then [on arrival] get "bussed" to another [secure] gate
Hope this helps
watp,iktch
Join Date: Dec 2005
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For a change it is NOT MA [PLCs] fault. NI/IOM etc are still covered by "Special Branch". Hence you "depart" from a "security" gate [Normally G3] and then [on arrival] get "bussed" to another [secure] gate
Why does still happen at Manchester. It doesn't happen at Liverpool (which has a lot more passengers travelling to Isle of Man, Belfast and Londonderry than Manchester), Glasgow, Luton or Stansted.
Why does still happen at Manchester. It doesn't happen at Liverpool (which has a lot more passengers travelling to Isle of Man, Belfast and Londonderry than Manchester), Glasgow, Luton or Stansted.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Must agree totally with the last post. Ir seems to me that if the explanation is true, then "Special Branch" seem to be on some sort of ego trip. The threat of terrorism is everywhere now, in Northern ireland it is at the lowest level for many years. So why are we still subjected to being taken to the back door and then to be "looked over" by special branch who stop the occassional pax and ask useless questions? And why especially does IOM get this treatment? This is just another example of a few on a power trip, hide behind prevention of terrorism laws. The worst offenders are man, Bhx and Ncl.
True Blue
True Blue
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Special Branch is surely much better than it was, now the SB desk is at security not in the old Causeway Lounge. At least the NI pax can have time to get to the shops now, security queues permitting 
They still seem to want to check all NI passengers under terrorism legislation. There are a few other departures they might perhaps be examining more closely.....
They still seem to want to check all NI passengers under terrorism legislation. There are a few other departures they might perhaps be examining more closely.....
Join Date: Jul 2006
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I would have thought that there are lots of other departures that they should be looking at. But there is one important point, Belfast pax are an easy target, wouldn't want to have to work too hard to earn your pay, would you? And isn't it great, having the prevention of terrorism Act to hide behind.
True Blue
True Blue