I got the news personally from one of the SQ regional sales managers who came to see me on Friday. Bearing in mind they had only been told by HQ that morning themselves, it's hardly surprising Servisair don't know.

We nearly lost a flight for summer as well, but seem to have got away with that...

Why would SQ increase frequency at the start of the winter timetable from 5 weekly to daily only to drop it back down to 5 weekly at the start of next winter's timetable. It does not make a lot of commercial sense if they are trying to keep on top of the MAN-"hub"-Australasia market:confused:

To be honest, from March I would rather use BMI to LHR and take the A380 all the way to SYD!:ok:

On a serious note, I agree. Why would they reduce when their load factor is exceptional on a daily basis?! Doesn't make sense, unless they are short of a/c which is the only reason I can think of.

Like most airlines I guess it would depend on the yield, high load factors don't always equate to high yields. Just a thought.

I would be very surprised if they aren't getting high yields up front in the business class cabins! The fares aren't the cheapest when compared to EK but they do offer a service way above any other airline.

Runway 05R/23L closure 05/02-01/03
 

Anybody able to give further information as to the WIP during the above period. Seems quiet a long period for routine closure.

Thanks in advance.

Scottie Dog

Runway 1
 

There'll be lots more such closures over this year at least, as far as I know. There's major lighting and surface works to do.

Quote... "Runway 1

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There'll be lots more such closures over this year at least, as far as I know. There's major lighting and surface works to do." End Quote

Is Jet2 - you refer, I think, to Runway 1 :confused:, however I am refering to the closure of Runway 2.

Scottie Dog

Runway 2
 

Concrete bay repairs at the 23L end.

If i were an airport planner, i would completely demolish pier C, rebuild pier B but extend it so that it meets up with the south end of T2, that way you would have one long gates area and passengers would be able to transfer betwene terminals airside. You could also then have parallel taxyways going to/from T2, and have drive though gates between the 2 taxyways to enable fast turnarounds.

However i am just a lowly pilot so dont get a say in these matters....

scottie dog
 

Sincere apologies, one day I'll learn to RTFQ:\

Busz...
 

I work at MAN and was invited to a planning meeting a few weeks back. Included were details of a 10 year plan for the airport. Much of what was said is still in the planning stages and therefore I wasn't going to post anything specific until a time when more detail is available. But I can tell you that included in this 10 year develoment plan was the demolition of 'B Pier', which would be reconstructed as a double decker pier with the departures level currently at the same level as it is now and an arrivals level on top. All 'B Pier' gates will have airbridges and stand 12 will have a dedicated A380 lounge. 'C Pier' is also to be redeveloped with the construction of an upper arrivals level in order to open up the gate areas on the current departures level and remove the need to go down and back up again to reach gates 22, 24 & 26. A T1 - T2 airside link has also been proposed which will allow transfer pax to be able to connect between the terminals more easily and will also allow T1 airlines to use T2 gates during the demolition and reconstruction of the T1 piers.

Fly ZB
 

Thanks for that information. A double level pier with arrivals on the top level will make it one hell of a treck from the aircraft to baggage reclaim, but I'm sure there must be benefits in other ares. Brace yourself for many complaints in the coming years from those passengers who only think short term and cannot cope with inconvenience.

Well, on 'B Pier' it wont be so much of an issue because arriving passengers currently have to go up a level to cross the bridge over the departure lounge and Alpha Tax Free shop. So the new upper arrivals level would link directly onto that bridge and passengers would drop back down to immigration as they do now. The new airbridges on 'B Pier' would be built at a height in between the departures and arrivals levels and have sloping walkways connecting the airbridges with the 2 different levels, in a similar lay out of the gates on the piers at Malaga if anyone has even been there. I agree that on 'C Pier' it would be a bit of a trek as passengers will come off the airbridges at the current departures level, go up to the new arrivals level and then drop down again to immigration. There is no way around this though, other than demolishing 'C Pier' completely and designing a new system. As with anything, you cannot please everybody and there will be people who will disapprove of the plans. But the fact that the aiport has identified the current problems of the T1 piers and hopes to resolve these issues within the next 5 years is a positive step forward.

As I understand it, gates 16-18 and the BMI lounge will also come under T1 and a wall built after the lounge to segregate the ternibals.

Arriving passengers at these gates will then be bussed to immigration or domectic arrivals at T1 (carousel 7).

So, are we looking at an expansion of T2 to accomodate more aircraft whilst the T1 piers are being redeveloped?

Once again it seems the airport is going to get a bolt on compromise fix, when what is really needed is a bulldozer and a fresh start.

I have family who come over from Canada, they love Manchester Airport because they think its "Real quaint" (said in broad canadian) "we love the village atmosphere" (read "old shabby chaos")

Dont often criticise my workplace, but having recently visited some great terminals recently, (Madrid and T5 LHR) I am really becoming ashamed of the place.

Man runway closure
 

Hi

Can anyone tell me which of the runways is closed for repairs

Ta

05R/23L (i.e. "Runway 2") is closed until 1st March due WIP.

Couldn't have picked a better time, with half-term next week.