i may of taken your post the wrong way, or didnt understand, anyhow i apologise. in regards to releasing tid-bit of info, this is due to time....

I have posted this info on here for people like you and others to have a detailed insight into the happenings of MAN, which in normal curcumstances would not be on general release.



ps. i dont mind questions being asked at all, thats exactly why i posted the document.



G-STAW

From Crains (www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk)

"Manchester Airport gets kudos at forum
Manchester Airport’s marketing strategy has been recognised at an aviation industry gathering in Malaysia. The airport was highly commended in the OAG Routes Airport Marketing Awards at a gala dinner at the 14th World Route Development Forum in Kuala Lumpur."

Depressing library picture of busy T2 line up with AC, CX and AI.

little update on the new tower...

"plans have been haulted"-thats directly from the NATS supervisor when i spoke to him in the tower today.

he said that,they dont mind keeping their current position,but atm they have no backup establishment in case of a fire.

G-STAW

Has it not surprised anybody that MAN has no direct link to Vienna?

I noticed as I looked through the SkyEurope website (an airline which was apparently in one of the worst positions BEFORE Silverjet, Eos et al went bust). I noticed that they don't have any links from their base in VIE to any UK/EIRE airport?

I know during the current economic climate it is more about hanging on to what you have got opposed to spreading it out, but if they were to start links from VIE to destinations in the UK/EIRE (MAN, BHX, DUB), there may be a small market for it.

At the moment though, AMS/LHR/CDG/FRA are our destinations if we want to go onto Austria at the moment from MAN.

Vienna
 

Sky Europe fly to Bratislava, which sounds very exotic but is very near Vienna. About 50 minutes drive; and they used to put a bus on - don't know if they still do.
It might be quicker taking that option than changing at the destinations you mentioned.

The Sky Europe Bratislava route is probably why nobody else wants to get back on the VIE route.
Air Berlin did a very good connection via STN for a while, but the STN & VIE ex STN flights are now both gone.
Austrian had pencilled in a return to MAN-VIE in 2006 but have since confirmed they no longer any interest in the route.
I use Lufthansa or SWISS if I need to go to VIE.

Perhaps FlyNiki will be interested when they have their new E190s next May/June?

There are still good buses from BTS to VIE to tie in with the MAN flight's arrival at BTS.

It wasn't that long ago that BACX had a direct service on the EMB145s to VIE. Now that FlyBe have taken over from BACX, it seems that they only serve certain Austrians destinations for ski/hiking type purposes at certain times of the year. And then Austrian/Tyrolean come to MAN for a few weekends per year as well on ski routes.

BACX direct to VIE was also horrifically expensive. Maybe thats why the operation ended. BA direct from MAN to VIE was £120 more expensive than going via LHR. I wound up going via MXP with Alitalia. It was the same price for two people to go with Alitalia than one person with BA via LHR and as for the direct price from MAN with BACX then you could go to Atlanta with DAL for less.

I think this was a cynical ploy with BACX to force pax to go via LHR to protect their precious LHR slots.

Steve

LS announce DLM services for next summer.

BA Prices
 

Standard BA ploy Steve. I have done a few MAN-MAD trips & prices via LGW/LHR were ALWAYS cheaper than on the BACX direct flights.

As for VIE, pre BACX ERJ service,it wasn't that long ago that Lauda operated a CRJ200 twice a day & for the most part they were always pretty full.

Always more expensive to go direct
 

Standard industry practice surely? People expect to be incentivised for taking a longer, indirect routing. Direct flights always likely to be more expensive.

According to the Ryanair thread, the airline has today announced a new scheduled service between MAN and CAGLIARI.

Ryanair
 

Shed

I don't think it is announced yet but it has appeared in the UK version
on the FR site (in the OLCI), which is usually a very good sign.

Pete

Appearing on front page of their website now.

Starts 29th March 2009.

Starts 1 April

Twice a week (Wed & Sun) arr 16:25 dep 16:50. That'll help keep that passenger figures up... :E

Every little helps. Two 738s per week operating for 6 mths gives total capacity of about 21000 seats. Which is roughly equivalent to half what Air Nostrum could carry on a daily service to MAD over a complete year.

I recollect that it's meant to be 4 new destinations per seasonal timetable change, so I reckon that 3 more routes will be revealed over the coming weeks.

It will indeed help, but at average FR loadfactors 21000 seats equates to around 17800 pax which is roughly the same capacity as a return J.41 serice every day. Not really going to help fill the void being left by the capacity reductions on the IT front and not the level of new business MAN should be aspiring to. At the end of the day by encouraging the loco's MAN is in danger of helping put the final nails in the coffins of the 'full fare' carriers it should be trying to attract and support if it wants to truly be a regional hub.

Have to disagree with your last statement Andy. A "full fare" airline will struggle to regularly fill aircraft at MAN if it is perceived that the ticket price is over inflated. There may well be the greatest concentration of wealth outside London within 5 miles of the airport, but those people on the whole, as well as the rest of the population of Greater Manchester and surrounding area are not prepared to pay over the odds for a plane ticket.

In fact, the only feasible chance of a regional hub is if the airport embraces the lo-co's. BA have retrenched to LHR - I would not be surprised if they chose to scale back the eurofleet at LGW even - the rest of the UK has to go to London to travel BA. BMI are still operating out of the regions, but have very valuable slots at LHR that they need to protect, so their emphasis quite rightly is there for the time being. FlyBe are about the closest to operating MAN as a hub and there is room for a.n.other.

The other issue, of course, is the question regarding "hubs"...is that really the most workable solution to aircraft management? Time will tell.