MANCHESTER 1

[LAX_LHR]

The hainan PDF timetable is on the Hainan website, its almost like the old timetable books airlines used to print.

The hub routes twitter has posted a screenshot of the email regarding Manchester. The email has certainly come from a Hainan Airline account, but, we have to wonder why the info is totally wrong?

I do believe Hainan have an intent to launch MAN, but when that will be, who knows?

[MANFOD]

Richard Maslen ✈ @TheHUBRoutes · 2m 2 minutes ago
Further to our reports yesterday on Hainan Airlines' plans to introduce PEK - MAN. I am now advised this will NOT be launching in 2015.

I think that settles that then.

[Mr A Tis]

Maybe there is something lost in translation. Certainly MAN-PEK is bookable with Hainan, but via BRU in co-op with Brussels Airlines.
Today, they have launched special offer flights MAN-PEK (via BRU) with special fares for travel in December. With that in mind, the chance of a non stop this year is Nil.

My money is still on Air China being first to launch, but when is another matter altogether.

[sarah19981]

hainan

Hainan replied to me last nights apologising they had a mix up with the Birmingham service and manchester service.
The said the manchester service will start once the A330 crewing is resolved. (Airline routes can confirm this as they just spoken to there representative from the airline and forwarded it into my inbox on facebook) saying the route will launch one the airbus a330 crewing is complete.

So for now I'm sticking with hainan! :-)

Also thanks Lax-LHR for confirming the airline got it wrong before I even said it and checked my 'this morning emails'

[Skipness One Echo]

My money is still on Air China being first to launch, but when is another matter altogether.

This! Given they're hand in glove with Cathay, albeit in a different alliance, they must be able to see the opportunity on a plate here. (Cathay is in Oneworld although you'd never really know..... )

[LAX_LHR]

I think we can safely say Hainan will not be launching MAN in 2015.


Given MAN were just '3 months away' from announcing flight, to the point MAN even went as far to say flights would be '5 weekly' (quite unusual for an airport to say things like that before an announcement), Hainan stating that MAN would be launched in 2015 back when they launched Paris, Hainan signing up handling/transport/hotels etc, I would be keen to know what went so badly wrong, as, the bulk of the hard work was evidently done, it should have been pretty much a done deal.


I suppose you win some and loose some, but, its not often you get so close to a service, then for it not to happen is a bit of a wierd one (I know rumours happen all the time, but, this time, the parties involved were giving out the bulk of the info).


--------------------------------------------


In terms of the quote from O'Toole 'most of europe is covered', I kind of see where he is coming from.


In terms of large gaps, only Bucharest, a mid-German airport and Bordeaux stand out as 'largish' unserved gaps, and focus should now be on building up flights.


Ideally, Madrid, Vienna, Oslo and Athens need to be at least daily (Ryanair look to be making MAD daily this winter and Austrian hotly tipped to be aiming for a daily MAN-VIE in September).


Lyon needs to be more than 1 weekly, and year round. Scope for Palma to be better served in winter, Barcelona is one that could do with a better winter offering too. To think that on the germanwings aircraft that crashed there were 7 passengers heading to MAN, as well as countless other BCN-XXX-MAN vv routings due to no direct flights that day, indicates a market is possibly there for daily winter flights.


Just my 2 cents.

[MANFOD]

In terms of the quote from O'Toole 'most of europe is covered', I kind of see where he is coming from.

But the quote attributed to Ken O'Toole was even more all embracing. He doesn't just refer to major cities but any destination where there is demand. If there is no demand from the region, fair enough. But what if existing services from our catchment area do exist and show there is demand? Does MAN simply sit back or should it be actively trying to win some of those routes either with or from competitor airports. Some destinations in France and Poland come to mind, along of course with Bucharest.

Mr O’Toole added: “We believe there is not a destination in Europe for which there is demand that we do not have an existing service to.

That said, I do accept there are opportunities for increasing frequencies, and just with the locos.

[BHX5DME]

Hainan replied to me last nights apologising they had a mix up with the Birmingham service and manchester service.

I can confirm BHX was added as a direct route in the Hainan booking engine and PDF timetable yesterday.

[viscount702]

I can confirm BHX was added as a direct route in the Hainan booking engine and PDF timetable yesterday.

So it would seem that BHX is the first to get the flights. The fact that they are in their booking engine leads me to the view that its a bit more than a charter. How does this square with the Bi lateral if of course there is a new one in place.

[LGWAlan]

now also appearing in Amadeus

Monday/Friday 3/7/15 to 28/8/15
HU7949 PEK-BHX 0250-0800 767
HU7950 BHX-PEK 0930-0335+1 767

[MAN2SIN2BKK2FRA]

Those timings are awful both ways, not generally inline with business requirements

[Bagso]

Surely these are just the charters ?

Twice a week for 8 weeks !

[MANFOD]

I agree Bagso, but if the flights are in the booking engine could it imply that the major travel agent/tour operator is not selling all the seats and some tickets can be bought independently, or would that not be possible?

Mind you, the way Hainan seems to communicate, I'm beginning to think Air China might be a better option for MAN.

If there is a positive to all this, it's that it gives Cathay plenty of time to really bed in and hopefully demonstrate high load factors and yield throughout the year, with transfer options to mainland China. This would surely increase the chances of their upgrading the route to a daily service.

[MClayton]

Time to walk between T1 and T2

Does anyone know how long it takes to walk between T1 and T2 using the sky tunnels (don't know their names apologies)

[Bagso]

International Trade**/**Airport pledges 'exciting year' amid new record THEBUSINESSDESK.COM

Yet another one suggests MAN targeting China, LA, Boston, San Francisco. ......oh AND India !

India ?

[EI-A330-300]

Record Year

Just curious, going by wiki (not 100%) but it states that 2006 saw over 22.4 million in a 12 month period so how has 22.3 million broken the record?

[PAXfips]

Originally Posted by MClayton

Does anyone know how long it takes to walk between T1 and T2 using the sky tunnels (don't know their names apologies)

It's called Skylink and the displays read "10-15min", given there are travelators you might do it in 8 if really in a hurry/tailwinds -- never did the whole run, since I need T1 to railways ("The Station") only, which is about half the way and 5min are easy.

Ah, and all glory, the really have distances between the different points
Accessibility At The Airport | Manchester Airport

Terminal 1 To Terminal 2 / Terminal 1 to Terminal 2: 750 metres

Need a heading, too?

[MANFOD]

how has 22.3 million broken the record?

Two possibilities occur without checking the numbers properly:

Terminal pax only compared to Total including transits.

or, Financial year to 31 March compared to Calendar Year figure (or any rolling 12 month total).

[MANFOD]

Re T1 to T2, from T1 departure level I would say 8 minutes at a brisk walk.
10 minutes should be comfortable.

From T1 arrivals, an extra 2 minutes to walk outside, and up the lift or the escalator to the Skylink. (It has been known for escalators or some of the moving walkways on the Skylink not to be working!)

[nigel osborne]

Bagso,

I remember the joint press conference between Jet Airways and MAN few years back, where Jet said they were keen to start out of MAN..perhaps thats what they are talking about re India..


Perhaps a through flight to the states now they have lifted restrictions on Indian airlines there ?




Nigel