MANSTON -2
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Infratils motive in life!
I find it significant that Infratil are activley spinning and briefing against the London airports. If Infratil bought into Manston for the land and property then it would be reasonable to assume that they would keep tight lipped and let the airport fail. As this is not the case one can only assume that they actually went into the project with the idea of operating an airport. We then have to decide whether they know more about how to operate, promote and value the asset, or that some of the contributors to this board know more about airfield operations than Infratil? Are Infratil another Wiggins or are they a competent well established utilities operator? Once you answer this question to yourself then the airports future becomes a little clearer.
p.s Can anyone tell me why someone is building a hotel on the old prospect inn site? Is this another clueless incompetent businessman acting on a whim, or is there more to it!
p.s Can anyone tell me why someone is building a hotel on the old prospect inn site? Is this another clueless incompetent businessman acting on a whim, or is there more to it!
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Thanet
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MDIS-
This is old territory so I shall be brief.
I remember your comments of a few months ago, when you stated, and later withdrew an allegation that BAA airports had a "minimum" wait of 40 mins for baggage delivery. This is not true, and I disagreed with you.
Yes, there can be delays, but the wholesale attempt by some Manston promoters to portray LHR and LGW as unusable gridlocked hellholes is frankly cobblers, and needs to be refuted.
People who wish to emphasise their bad experiences at these airports are free to do so, but I have passed through LHR/LGW 80-odd times this past 12 months and the overwhelming majority of times it is absolutely fine.
This is old territory so I shall be brief.
I remember your comments of a few months ago, when you stated, and later withdrew an allegation that BAA airports had a "minimum" wait of 40 mins for baggage delivery. This is not true, and I disagreed with you.
Yes, there can be delays, but the wholesale attempt by some Manston promoters to portray LHR and LGW as unusable gridlocked hellholes is frankly cobblers, and needs to be refuted.
People who wish to emphasise their bad experiences at these airports are free to do so, but I have passed through LHR/LGW 80-odd times this past 12 months and the overwhelming majority of times it is absolutely fine.
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Prospect Inn
furmanek
The planning application was granted to Geminex Hotels who are the agents for Holiday Inn Express and Days Inn as well as others. Planning was granted for a 141 bed hotel.
Deedave
I did not describe LHR and LGW as "unusable gridlocked hellholes" unusable airports would not process as many pax as these two International Airports however, they are both full to bursting both in terms of passenger comfort and as Jes quite rightly mentions, aircraft movements. If the Chief Exec admits the following how can you possible say the comment has to be refuted.
"Heathrow's chief executive has admitted that the conditions
experienced by passengers in London's main airport are unacceptable, and that they are unlikely to improve significantly before the opening of Terminal Five in March next year.
Responding to a torrent of criticism from business - leaders about "Heathrow -hassle", Tony Douglas said he walked through the terminals almost every day and regularly
saw things that made him cringe.
There were no excuses to be offered for the airport's condition, he said, but it was a consequence of under-capacity at the world's busiest international airport, which was handling 50 per cent more passengers than it was designed for."
As I have said before MSE will never offer the same number of destinations as the big 2 but if MSE offered me a flight to say DUB EDI or MAN I would rather use it than go to LGW or LHR for the same reasons as fermanek stated yesterday.
BUT when flights do start, you keep on trekking to your old favourite, while locals leave home 2 hours later and return 2 hours earlier. I am sure they will all be disappointed not to have spent quality time on the M25
MDIS
The planning application was granted to Geminex Hotels who are the agents for Holiday Inn Express and Days Inn as well as others. Planning was granted for a 141 bed hotel.
Deedave
I did not describe LHR and LGW as "unusable gridlocked hellholes" unusable airports would not process as many pax as these two International Airports however, they are both full to bursting both in terms of passenger comfort and as Jes quite rightly mentions, aircraft movements. If the Chief Exec admits the following how can you possible say the comment has to be refuted.
"Heathrow's chief executive has admitted that the conditions
experienced by passengers in London's main airport are unacceptable, and that they are unlikely to improve significantly before the opening of Terminal Five in March next year.
Responding to a torrent of criticism from business - leaders about "Heathrow -hassle", Tony Douglas said he walked through the terminals almost every day and regularly
saw things that made him cringe.
There were no excuses to be offered for the airport's condition, he said, but it was a consequence of under-capacity at the world's busiest international airport, which was handling 50 per cent more passengers than it was designed for."
As I have said before MSE will never offer the same number of destinations as the big 2 but if MSE offered me a flight to say DUB EDI or MAN I would rather use it than go to LGW or LHR for the same reasons as fermanek stated yesterday.
BUT when flights do start, you keep on trekking to your old favourite, while locals leave home 2 hours later and return 2 hours earlier. I am sure they will all be disappointed not to have spent quality time on the M25
MDIS
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Thanet
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MDIS-
Yes, I will continue using London airports. Like so many biz travellers I go to a huge variety of destinations, and MSE cannot cater for my needs.
What MSE needs is around half a million deedaves to move to Thanet.
As it is, I am not personally acquainted with any other frequent fliers in the area.
Incidentally, Infratil's Prestwick report refers to a "softening" of the UK domestic market.
Not the best time to be running new routes......
Yes, I will continue using London airports. Like so many biz travellers I go to a huge variety of destinations, and MSE cannot cater for my needs.
What MSE needs is around half a million deedaves to move to Thanet.
As it is, I am not personally acquainted with any other frequent fliers in the area.
Incidentally, Infratil's Prestwick report refers to a "softening" of the UK domestic market.
Not the best time to be running new routes......
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Birchington, Kent, England
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Latest punctuality figures from the CAA for April 2007 seem to indicate that LHR may be a bit congested.
Up to 15 mins late 71% of flights.
Up to 30 mins late 15% of flights.
Up to 60 mins late 9% of flights.
Up to 180 mins late 3% of flights.
Up to 15 mins late 71% of flights.
Up to 30 mins late 15% of flights.
Up to 60 mins late 9% of flights.
Up to 180 mins late 3% of flights.
I think you need to accept that Heathrow vs Manston isn't a like for like comparison. Yes, it's overcrowded, getting there can be a pain, flights are subject to stacking - we know all that. But the simple truth is that passengers will put up with that because there is a range of destinations and frequency of flights available unmatched by any other airport in the UK.
Join Date: Oct 2006
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LHR vs MSE
Andy
You are of course correct, we all know that MSE will never compete with LHR in terms of routes and frequency, but that doesn't mean it doesnt have a future as a REGIONAL airport. All Deedave has to do is agree that he is not the only frequent flyer in Kent and that he may consider using MSE when scheduled flights commence.
Perhaps he would never use MSE, obviously the Costa Coffee outlet is too much of an attraction.
MDIS
You are of course correct, we all know that MSE will never compete with LHR in terms of routes and frequency, but that doesn't mean it doesnt have a future as a REGIONAL airport. All Deedave has to do is agree that he is not the only frequent flyer in Kent and that he may consider using MSE when scheduled flights commence.
Perhaps he would never use MSE, obviously the Costa Coffee outlet is too much of an attraction.
MDIS
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I guess it's only a matter of opinion, but those LHR punctuality figures look quite good, given that they presumably include long haul, and air travel is a rather inexact science.
Also, congestion is not the only factor.
MSE travellers have suffered some horrendous delays, and I doubt anyone would call it congested.......
Coffee......
NOW WE'RE GETTING TO THE SERIOUS STUFF!!
The coffee at Manston has gone completely down the pan since EUjet left. I suggest we all meet there tomorrow and insist they go out and get some decent Arabica beans. It just ain't good enough......
Also, congestion is not the only factor.
MSE travellers have suffered some horrendous delays, and I doubt anyone would call it congested.......
Coffee......
NOW WE'RE GETTING TO THE SERIOUS STUFF!!
The coffee at Manston has gone completely down the pan since EUjet left. I suggest we all meet there tomorrow and insist they go out and get some decent Arabica beans. It just ain't good enough......
we all know that MSE will never compete with LHR in terms of routes and frequency, but that doesn't mean it doesnt have a future as a REGIONAL airport
Manston's obvious market is a mixture of tour op's and possible budget airline business, serving, as you suggest, the region of East Kent. In that respect it will compete to a degree with Gatwick and Stansted, although given the range of flights available from these two, I suspect the competition may be a bit one sided. The question I would ask is how much of it's local market can Manston retain?
Join Date: Jan 2006
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As you all know Infratil purchased the airfield from the receivers hadnling the colapse of The Planestation Group. Prior to Infratils purchase another party was also interested in the airport (see the email below), i have posted this because I think it is relevant to show that several airport operators were keen to aquire Manston. All of these airport owners know the score and have plenty of statistics to work from. This email was sent to me on 25th August 2005.
We have made a bid for Manston Airport
As an airport operator, we would only be interested in growing the airport in the way in which we have successfully developed Norwich and Maastricht Airport in The Netherlands
We are not developers or land speculators, nor do we have unrealistic ideas about the airport.
We see Manston as sustaining a modest passenger base both inbound and outbound.
However we do see the potential of developing a freight facility serving the South of England and beyond.
Regards
John Baillie
Director
Omniport Holdings Ltd
We have made a bid for Manston Airport
As an airport operator, we would only be interested in growing the airport in the way in which we have successfully developed Norwich and Maastricht Airport in The Netherlands
We are not developers or land speculators, nor do we have unrealistic ideas about the airport.
We see Manston as sustaining a modest passenger base both inbound and outbound.
However we do see the potential of developing a freight facility serving the South of England and beyond.
Regards
John Baillie
Director
Omniport Holdings Ltd
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On the ADVFN planestation noticeboard I used to try and keep non-locals informed of how bad things were going with MSE/EUjet. From many, the response I got was "shut yer face deedave - Artemis and Goldman Sachs have just bought 10 squillion new shares. They must have looked at the data so everything must be OK"
It wasn't.
I still isn't.
It wasn't.
I still isn't.
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Yup, but by the time I had started taking an intelligent interest in my investment, it was too late to bother about.
Don't get dragged into believing something may be successful just because a few impressive-looking types seem to believe it.
A fool's errand mate.....
Don't get dragged into believing something may be successful just because a few impressive-looking types seem to believe it.
A fool's errand mate.....
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EGMH..a down, not yet out, formerly awesome airfield
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Drainage
Work begins on the runway drainage in the next few weeks. The work will cost £2 million and will be completed by the spring for the summer season 
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pointless joke
£2 million down the drain? Sorry couldn't resist it!
So are infratil throwing good money after bad in an attempt to save the situation, or do they have genuine reasons for the work?
So are infratil throwing good money after bad in an attempt to save the situation, or do they have genuine reasons for the work?
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Sittingbourne Kent and at Wimborne Dorset
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Work begins on the runway drainage in the next few weeks. The work will cost £2 million and will be completed by the spring for the summer season
any ideas on a date for the airline thats starting at MSE.
all the best
James