MANCHESTER 1

[Shed-on-a-Pole]

Very encouraging to see MAN taking an active role accepting additional traffic in a mass-diversion scenario. A commendable response by MAN to the weather problems in the SE. Very well done to all concerned.

[MANFOD]

I echo that Shed. To see 3 x A380s on the ground at the same time was memorable.

Have those stands at the NW end of T2 that were being used for car parking been restored to aircraft stands yet ?

5 in the NW corner were re-opened at the beginning of winter I think it was. If you mean the stands to the east of those (217-219 and several in the centre block (240/250s), then they were still car park this morning, although it's been reported they are expected to revert to a/c parking for the summer.

[Logohu]

Thanks MANFOD

By my count MAN took in 28 widebody arrivals before 11am this morning, including the 10 diverts, most of which were on the ground at the same time.
Anyone know if that's a record ?

[Betablockeruk]

Very encouraging to see MAN taking an active role accepting additional traffic in a mass-diversion scenario. A commendable response by MAN to the weather problems in the SE. Very well done to all concerned.

'Spottering' aside, this was the argument that raged whenever MAG issued the no div NOTAM, that is, MAG weren't doing their bit.

A very welcome change in policy this morning!

Think it was 1980 last time a taxiway was used for diversion parking!

[Ringwayman]

Anyone know if that's a record ?

8th February 1992 will be pushing it with 20 747s on the ground at the same time. I noted 29 widebodies: 20 747s, 6 767s, 2 Dc10s and 1 A310

[LAX_LHR]

Engine test bay also used to hold a BA B777 until it was towed over to T2 to disembark the passengers

[MANFOD]

A very welcome change in policy this morning!

Indeed. Long may it continue.

What helped was that there were a lot less of our own a/c cluttering up the west apron than there were a couple of weeks ago. With the onset of part of the summer schedules, and perhaps some extra flights over Easter, quite a few FR/EZY and Jet2 flights had departed by 07.00. Whether some of them had been parked remote I'm not sure but there were certainly more stands available which allowed the diversions to be accepted.

[Armodeen]

Congratulations to all at MAN today for the classy handling of the mass diversions.

[Charley B]

Sure the planes that diverted from Gatwick with the windshear and gusts that were here this morning were extremely grateful and glad to be on the ground.

[LAX_LHR]

There are plenty of grumbles from passengers, but, that's to be expected when they have to disembark the aircraft somewhere they didn't expect.

I've heard the situation wasn't that great for the Malaysian however. Out of respect I'll not say what happened until the full facts are known.

[Flightrider]

Still no sign of the TC MAN-SFO flights reappearing on their website. It doesn't normally take this long for new flights to work their way through the res systems so guess they must have hit a stumbling block or had second thoughts?

[Dobbo_Dobbo]

Originally Posted by Flightrider

Still no sign of the TC MAN-SFO flights reappearing on their website. It doesn't normally take this long for new flights to work their way through the res systems so guess they must have hit a stumbling block or had second thoughts?

Or it may have been a cunning ruse to cause VS to have second thoughts...

[Dobbo_Dobbo]

Originally Posted by LAX_LHR

There are plenty of grumbles from passengers, but, that's to be expected when they have to disembark the aircraft somewhere they didn't expect.

I've heard the situation wasn't that great for the Malaysian however. Out of respect I'll not say what happened until the full facts are known.

I've heard that too. MAS are having a terrible run. Would love to see them return on a more permanent basis however...

[Bagso]

MAS...someone needs to tell pax better to be safe on the ground than buffeting like a bronco in the LAM hold !!!!!

[750XL]

Always sad to hear about a death on board, but sadly it's one of those things.

Very unfortunate for everybody involved

[j636]

So lots of flights accepted and no horror handling stories. Anybody would think MAG have been reading here.

[sam1993]

Summer 2016

A summary of airline changes at Manchester for the summer season (taken from ACL report which can be viewed HERE)

Air X - Based 737-500 operating to various Greek destinations for peak summer months
Albastar / Evelop Airlines- operating to a couple of Spanish destinations for Thomson
Austrian / Iberia Express- continue VIE/MAD services which started towards the end of last year
Denim Air - will not operate this summer
Easyjet - add 2 aircraft to their based fleet, taking them to 11
Egypt Air - CAI flights cancelled
Enter Air - no base for Summer 16 after Cosmos ended all charter flights
Flybe - increase in the number of overnighting aircraft from 6 to 9
Germania - no based aircraft for Olympic Holidays this summer
Hainan Airlines - new 4x weekly Beijing service
Iraqi Airways - will not operate
Jet2 - increase in the number of based aircraft for the peak summer months
Cobalt Airlines - hold slots for 3x weekly LCA service (airline yet to start operations so looks doubtful for this summer at least!)
Norwegian / Vueling - New Spanish destinations for the summer.
Ryanair - add one to their based fleet, taking them to 8
Shaheen Air - new ISB flights (3 per week)
Small Planet - 2 based A320's for the summer (one added since last year)
Thomas Cook - add a couple of based aircraft (2 A320's will be leased from Avion Express and MAN based)
Virgin Atlantic - A330 replaces based A340 for peak summer months.

Increased frequencies on lots of flights and many new destinations too - looks set to be a good summer!

[Betablockeruk]

Also Manchester - Kuala Lumpur..... 29th March only. Nice to see the flight reinstated...

(Diverted A380 operating direct KUL - think it's empty though)

[MANFOD]

Thomas Cook S2017

Update as of 29MAR16: Thomas Cook Airlines UK Revises Manchester S17 Long-Haul Schedules :: Routesonline

Taken at face value, this doesn't make for encouraging reading, although it does say additional adjustments will be rolled out in the next few months. Has anyone got any more insight as to what is likely to happen? For example, is there any indication how bookings are looking for this summer on the US routes?

[roverman]

Summer 2016

The ACL report makes very encouraging reading. We have had about five years of continuous growth in terminating passengers since the low point of 17.7 million in 2010. Likely to be between 24.5 and 25 million this year. But 2016 will see too a significant growth in movements (ATMs). The past five years has grown pax strongly with little increase in ATMs, but this looks set to change as a programmed 13% increase in both seats and ATMs suggests.

And that's without the diversions!