CAA Provisional figures are out.

Up 2.1% in Nov.

UK Airport Provisional Statistics: 2010 - 11 | Aviation Intelligence | Economic Regulation

Good good, another increase id what we like to see.

Dont forget, CO is now UA which is why I put UA as a codeshare option.

Why does every new route always have to involve another tedious link with an American carrier? Who cares if the might UA or CO code share. You get to fly from Manchester to Lisbon. I despair that the only thing that gets (most?) people excited has a link to Boeing or Airbus heavies and the Stars and Stripes on the side.

Look at the froth over Biman being forced to tech stop through T2 as being presented as MAN's first new daytime service to New York! Straws / clutch?

Great news for MAN. Legacy carrier, real airline, useful connections. Well done.

Hi

Just surfing airliners.net and some one has announced this:

Apparently was mentioned at TAP's staff crimbo party

Having a bad week are we?

Because, if its another way of getting extra bums on seats then Im all for it. And also, it wasnt just the 'american carriers', I take it you overlooked the SK/BD bit on purpose to get your moan to have full effect?


Again, I take it you overlooked the fact there is excitement about having another legacy at MAN? These 'boeing and airbus heavies' tend to get more coverage, because, more often than not, it means a long haul route has been announced and whilst short haul improvements are just as welcome in these days of economic issues and high taxes, Long haul is deffinatly most welcome!

Wanna_reread_that

Never said anything about the last bit of your post did I?

I was commenting on you rant about codeshares.

Maybe its you who needs to 'reread that' :}

Legacies love MAN
 

The signs are that MAN is building on its long-standing patronage by legacies, and seeing the benefits of not going gung-ho down the lo-co (blind) alley.

Most mornings and evenings see 2 or 3 SAS aircraft together on Pier C. Lufthansas are in and out all day, with up to 4 on the ground together around mid-day. Interesting too that LH don't just feed their hubs at FRA and MUC, but serve point-to-points like MAN-HAM and MAN-STR, the sort of routes which BA couldn't make pay. The only mystery is why no Berlin (for any carrier)??

Legacies like TAP and Austrian, who left MAN a few years ago, are coming back. With pax traffic up 2% in November, the second successive monthly upturn, MAN looks set to regain its place at No.3 in the UK (STN sharply declining at present). A victory for publicly-owned enterprise, and a sensible, sustainable marketing strategy.

Skipness

If you dont know how things work by now - give it up !

MM

Seven years as an analyst mickeymen, I've got a fair idea but am always keen to learn more. I just get frustrated seeing the same sky high expectations from people seeing apples and concluding pears. Lots of pears.

roverman is right, good progress and back on the right track in many ways.

EDIT : Sorry getting silly and needlessly personal. I apologise.

Well, actually yes you did.


Both of you, please knock it off and keep all the willy waving for A.Net. :zzz:

As an enthusiast it's great to see new routes at MAN. However, please remember that many low cost airlines at MAN pay their way and bring much needed pax throughput in a way that TAP and some others cannot do. So whilst I genuinely do think it's fantastic news I don't see the point in bashing LCC's who are now, like it or not, a bigger part of MAN than they were 5 years ago.

Roverman's comments are fairly rounded and well received I'm sure.......but as long as other don't misinterpre it as pure plane spotter snobbery.

No, I am not bashing LCCs, merely redressing the balance. Legacies have come in for a bashing from some quarters over recent years, as being cost-inefficient dinosaurs, doomed to fail. It's very true that MAN now has a fair proportion of LCCs, and they are very welcome, but has wisely not fallen into the trap of allowing them to operate at below-cost rates, and ending up in legal battles. MAN operates a policy of economic reality, airlines pay a fair price which makes a return for the airport. For this fair price airlines get 24hr opening, CAT IIIB, two runways, CAT 10 fire cover, world-class ATC, excellent surface connections, opportunities to interline, and more. If they don't want all that there's always another airport up the road which is cheap, cheerful, and we'll see you in court.

MAN's LCCs are at the upper end of this sector, expanding their network steadily and incrementally alongside the Legacies. MAN has terrific strength in the diversity of its portfolio. All sectors except the rock bottom can flourish here. MAN is the right airport, in the right place geographically to serve the non-London catchment. Its also profitable, with money to invest in future development.

roverman,
sorry the 2 runways are not available H24. In fact the new one isn't available H12!
Unlike the shops! :}
P.S.
Careful with your terminology,
'Dinosaurs' were some of the most successful animals ever, lasting a staggering 130 million years. :E
P.P.S. What is a 'sustainable marketing strategy"? Sounds like management bullsh*t to me.
As for economic reality, forget it. The airport is partly owned by local councils, for whom "economic reality" doesn't exist.
Recently, during the winter Wx, the airport had limits on the number of 'divs' it could accept. Years ago, it would accept anything, with emergency parking on most of the taxiways.
As for the 'world class ATC', allegedly over half of them are now in another country, employed by a different business division. Well, those that didn't leave that is.
'MAN has terrific strength in the diversity of its portfolio" :}:}:}:}:}:}:}:}
MANAGEMENT B*LLSH*T-SPEAK. :D:D:D:D:D

Mature Manchester
 

The fact is that irrespective of MAN's detractors, apart from LHR it has the most mature / diverse / consistent customer base of any major UK airport,

It isn't beholden to one carrier, Lo-Cos, Legacy, charter, or long-hauls. It has a great mix of all and it is this diversity that is what makes it a robust, profitable business.

News is that all sectors are looking to expand / create new business (EZY, LS, TP, Austrian, Thai to name a few).

Some may wish to sling mud re the use of R2, but the plain and simple facts are;

i) Why keep it open - and spend money doing so - when traffic levels don't require it
ii) R2 isn't just about dealing with today's traffic, but that which is expected over the next 30 years.

Just amazing that there are so many MAN bashers on this forum.

I wonder whether jealously might play a part???

No jealousy at all.
Lots of holding patterns and CO2 emissions would be avoided if R2 was open 0600-2200, as per the original, (1995), plan.
If it isn't open, and the CO2 levels rise, who pays?
Simple, our children.

It costs a hell of a lot of money to have the Fire and ATC and all the relevent ops people working for both runways in quiet periods


Ian B

on Mondays to Fridays, outside the period 0630 to 0930 and 1630 to 1930 , I doubt there's lots of holding taking place. MAN was operating around 45 movements an hour on 1 runway and I was there on a couple of occasions when 50+ was achieved.... but that was peak period in the summer.

Having 2 runways cater for 30 movements an hour from 1200 to 1500 doesn't make sense. But if easyJet do go to 10 based aircraft by 2012, there's the potential for 8 more movments in the "dead" period. Similar possiblities occur for airlines like Monarch and Jet2

With the availability to charge less in the off-peak period, it may be possible for some of the lost routes to come back or some of the incumbent airlines to consider them by non-MAN based aircraft.

I do apologise, Im going to stop purely because I just cant be bothered justifying everything I say anymore.

Anyway, MEN is reporting that Austrian Airlines are looking to add a direct link to MAN, so I suppse its a 'watch this space'.

IMO, Vienna will be a good route for MAN. A fair few used to go to BTS, no doubt with the aim of getting to Vienna. With star connections and the good pax figures on the old BTS routes, could be a winner for Austrian!

Seems like the airlines are queueing to get in now, which can only be good for the coffers and pax alike!

I love this new category of "legacy airlines".
Hell's teeth I'm off to the bank to get a loan to start my own company.
LEGACY AIRLINES. - Air travel as it used to be.
Cigar-smoking pilots in big hats.
Real food.
A real aircraft in a real colour scheme. Hell I might even give each airframe a name. I might even call one 'LINDA'.
Real hosties in min-skirts and hot-pants.
No hidden charges. The cost might reflect the quality of the service on offer, or the envioronmental damage the flight does.
After all, it's a false economy to invest in cheap goods. The destination aerodrome might even be near to the place passengers want to get to.
The cabin would be a CFZ, (chav-free-zone).
We could play legacy music on the cabin PA whilst boarding. Sinatra, The Beatles D-REAM, (for all you Blairites/astronomers out there).
How did Manchester keep 3 runways going years ago?
Do the extra firemen/ops-bods go home when R2 is closed?
Do they get paid for this time?
If so what are they doing to earn this remuneration?
And who scored the goal? :E