Hopefully the response to the caller from Chester will be slightly more helpful with the reference to BA codesharing on AA flights. Just confirmed that he is confident that CX will return after being asked about the switch of CX pax to BA via LHR after the One-World alliance.

Announcement to be made at 1630 this afternoon to encourage Regional Airport passengers........

Big announancement at 1630 today about regional airports....not much more info...watch this space

Re :- BA codeshare someone mention QANTAS aswell....

An announcement by MAPLC about 'regional airports' - is that what we're saying here?

loco

Not sure, but from what i made of the comments, i think it could be Goverment policy....not 100% tho...anyone else shed any light, as they made it out to be significant.

Going Loco

Too early to tell.

The cat was let out of the bag by the interviewer who obvously knew about a forthcoming announcement, but John Spooner would not be drawn on the subject.

My recollection of the wording was as per my earlier post that 'An announcement is to be made at 1630 this afternoon to encourage Regional Airport passengers'.

This could be taken anyway. Could it be a reduction in the Passenger Facility Charge levied by goverment on all passengers? Would this stimulate Regional Airport passenger growth?

Or could it be new routes? - bit of an odd time for routes to be announced though, they normally come in the mornings.

Doesn't parliament only debate in the afternoons, so are we back to my first suggestion?

ps - egcc, I see you beat me to it!!

EasyJet? Ryanair?

Vuelo, your back again!

Anyone heard what the news is then?

It appears an announcement was made at World Travel Market of increased funding for Regional Route Development. Don't ask me what it means, but definately no instant new route announcements (well not this afternoon - yet).

On the broadcast this morning it said more news at 5pm on GMR....just listened and.....NOWT.......MAN website.....NOWT.....

So much for hot news...

Anyone else heard owt'

Rgds

SC

I was laughing when I heard that chap say that Cathay 'just love Manchester'! What a load of bollocks! They couldn't give a toss about passengers in the North otherwise they would still be here...dream on Spooner!

And as for this so-called news, well Christ knows why an 'embargo' was put on it! It's hardly exciting stuff.

Maybe its the Government bin bagging English regional government.

I think Mr Spooner was snared on that debate.....and nearly choked at one point !

After a string of pathetic questioniong from the blue rinse brigade at last somebody said something sensible......

After the caller initially and quite rightlly praised Manchester for the strides made in short haul and locost over the last 12 months......came the following exocet ...!

"Does Manchester suffer by not having a viable long haul BA network ...?

The reply was ultra defensive as ever suggesting that BA operate many long haul services via the numerous succesful codeshare agreements that are in place, it was further suggested that these were the way forward...

Quote ...

" these were very much to the benefit of the travelling public in the NWest"


..... but I think Mr Spooner was taken a back somewhat when it was suggested that these agreements could be doubled edged with the caller then referring to the loss of a very succesful Cathay service to HK only 6 months after one of these agreements was introduced... !

ouch ...!

The caller did not want to embarrass him further by mentioning QANTAS, IBERIA....... etc etc

Quite why MAN still has to suck up to BA is beyond me but I am sure there is some rationale to it somewhere.......

Incidentally can anybody explain what happened to Wideroe ?

..started at 5 a week, went daily, then increased in aircraft size and was then withdrawn...with loads then running at 85%

....any takers ?

Wideroe
 

Bagso , your correct ,average loads were 85% , however it was SAS who ,looking at the overall picture decided that their partner should use the aircraft on domestic routes and Wideroe now feed the Bergen pax via OSL for SAS to fly them to MAN.

brgds
TCM

I really doubt Wideroe ever approached anywhere near 85% loads! If they did, they would have carried just under 4,000 passengers per month whereas all the CAA data I've seen has shown no month exceeding 2,500 passengers which by reckoning equates to slightly over 50% loads.

Further Baby cuts at MAN?
 

Are we likely to see WW cut back even firther at MAN this coming summer? I can;t see the BCN, BOD and CDG coming back, and the IBZ, MJV and JER routes were not setting any records were they?

manchester happenings
 

Gayrugbybloke, which air newsgroup site were you refering to in the post about Dragonair starting pax services to MAN?

alt.travel.uk.air

But don't forget....'Cathay Pacific just love Manchester!' - John Spooner, speaking on the BBC on 8/11/2004.

Our staff in DUB are still talking about the launch of MAN-DUB service to feed the long haul ops at man? Anybody know whats going on?

Would the presence of EI, FR and BD on the MAN DUB route not be a bit of overkill? I can't see BD doing that well on this route, especially since there are going to be services from BFS to both the SUA and the Caribbean next year.

Wasn't BD rumoured to be taking on the MAN-BCN/CDG routes from WW?