There has been an understanding around the talks that the US would not refuse EIN permission to fly into the country from the UK.

Since then the confirmation of President Elect Biden together with his Irish heritage will hardly be a drawback in proceedings.

Then onto today & a possible NAX collapse may somersault LGW in pole position as UK originator perhaps.

If IAG's motivation is a tilt at VS using EI as a vehicle as some have suggested, then I would guess MAN is still the prefered option.

UK and other EU carriers might have a view on that.

Good point...but circumstances an` all that perhaps.

For sure they will but just reflecting that the "talks" have been at high level.

Just taken an AN-124 diversion.

Does anyone know where that pesky no Diversions Notam has gone ?

Hopefully the new CEO has seen it, screwed it up and said stuff that. Manchester is "open again" for all traffic..

MAG Stats October 2020
 

October Pax

MAN – 400,077 down 84.0%

STN – 398,989 down 84.0%

EMA – 65,826 down 84.4%

12m Rolling Pax at 31.10.20

STN - 11,068,457 down 60.8%

MAN – 10,414,721 down 64.6%

EMA – 1,285,384 down 72.8%

October Cargo

EMA – 38,979 up 11.8%

STN – 25,234 up 22.5%

MAN – 4,145 down 58.1%

EI
 

AerLingus have applied for a 4 aircraft base at MAN starting Summer 2021

Likely routes are ORD, JFK, BOS and MCO - further details are TBC...

Source; SPD Travels via Twitter

With 1600 (and rising) UK pilots out of work, why would the DfT / CAA authorize these routes for IAG when it could be flown by BA using BA crews? More jobs going to foreign businesses and foreign workers when Brits are being laid off. Common travel area means that despite taking away freedom of movement, Aer Lingus could bring in their own crews and base them in the UK and yet they discriminate against Brits by insisting that they have to have the right to live and work in the EU. So in theory, if the IAG led battle against VS continues and Aer Lingus expand further in the UK, it would be more jobs for foreign nationals, brits need not apply.
This Brexit thing really wasn't very well thought out and is turning into a massive own goal.

you don't say!
This is one U turn he can't make.

Whilst not without credence the post regarding EIN with a four aircraft base together with destinations appears anticipatory with the word "reputedly" dropped from an article lifted from a well known airline news & analysis website yesterday.

The AN124 departed back to Hahn yesterday (12th) - it had originally diverted in from there

The slots/times/flight numbers/aircraft type are all showing the relevant airport systems. So I would say it's more than just 'anticipatory' or reputedly'. Of course, there's still the minor issue of a global pandemic to overcome first.

What about pesky things like licences and govt approvals - is there a post-Brexit air services agreement with the US yet?

Are you suggesting BA should/operate with their own fleet? If so, I'd argue that they don't have suitable aircraft for MAN to at least 2 of these suggested destinations. Narrowbodies are required.

Would be interesting to see in BA /IAG revenue systems what searches would be put through to those flights? (vs eg via LHR with BA or AA or via DUB)

Expansion from Iberia Express:

https://ukaviation.news/iberia-expre...er-operations/

I think the intention is for the flights to be direct not via DUB.
However the revenue system observation is still a fair one!

But any direct flights from MAN will be competing with the via DUB option (as well as via LHR)

Long day - misunderstood Vickers post. :ugh:

very limited 1 flight to Gran Canaria, 1 flight to Lanzarote 26/12/20 27/12/20 and return flight following week
plus additional Madrid flight

I see the pick up and drop off charges have gone up!

Sounds a bit daft re the increased drop off charge, £5 for 5 minutes.
Given the so few passengers, they are not going to gain much other than bad PR.
Surely, it would be cheaper to close the JP1 free drop off & the cost of all the shuttle buses running near empty & allow free drop off at T1- at least for now.

------------------‐----------

If your jaw has dropped on this, wait till you hear about the incoming storm re the RAM Cargo 767 which ended up going to Liverpool. Apparently the approach to Manchester was lost due to red tape ?

Red Tape ? What red tape would that be , telling a customer who has a desperate demand to use an airport on his doorstep he really should be using one in the Midlands.

Is this switch selling at work again ?

Why is Manchester turning its nose up at revenue whilst firing staff at the sametime.

ill bet EMA and Doncaster cannot believe their luck in having such a benevolent airport happy to point business destined for Manchester towards their respective runways and in this specific case, now Liverpool. They welcomed the flight with open arms and have now probably guaranteed this customer uses them again on repeat business.

Turning business away whilst laying off staff suggests the MAG CARGO MANAGER needs a degree of retraining.

Time for our new CEO and Charlie Cornish to bang heads together.

It was unacceptable turning away PPE flights earlier in the year and remains so with general cargo.

This is a really good post with some well argued points, well said bagso ! You can surely amend the "East Anglia" handle now?

Agreed, be curious to see how this pans out. Good that Aer Lingus have moved fast on this.

Latest ACL just come through. S21

Aer Lingus 4x based A/C 3X A321LR AND 1X A330 Destinations TBA.

Air Baltic 4 x weekly RIX

Air Canada 31st May to 17 Oct A330

American short season 4th Jun to 8th Sep B787 8

Easyjet from 19 to 21 based A/C.

Hainan Canx for S21

Jet 2 25 x based A/C Jer new route.

Oman Air Canx S21.

Ryanair from 12 x based to 17 x

Saudi from 5x to 7x a week

TUI 18 x based

Virgin 5 x based A/C all A330 No LAS or LAX.

Westjet YHZ Canx S 21.

Z

This would have been a Handling agent decision and not a MAG decision. MAG cannot force Handling agents to handle an aircraft. This has been pointed out to you many times now that MAG do not do aircraft handling.

Interesting Tweet here from SPD travels this afternoon


Good job they won't be cargo flights....:E

Slots been made Public

Slots are on Microsoft Power BI

Biggest Change is
Aer Lingus 4 based Aircraft 1 A330 and 3 a321LR

Also that Flybe have 632 slots

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrI...=ReportSection

The handlers didn't refuse it, they were more than happy to to handle, why wouldn't they, with jobs on the line.

I'd call in a Watergate journalist to establish the truth if i were you.....

Navpi, I’ve no idea why you keep banging the ‘cargo’ drum at MAN, but it’s been explained multiple times the reasons why. You clearly have no idea on the internal workings and decision processes at MAN and how the handling system works.

Wizz- flood market with cheap bucket and spaders or classical eastern european? There can only be so much before saturation on some of these likely routes. What about a curveball Domestic route to LGW or a dip into Transatlantic?
They may of course not even take the slots up, but all these new deliveries need to go somewhere. Would have thought they would have grown and max’d LGW before branching out.

Well they are trying to get more slots at LGW and grow there...As they said before they...dream of a 20-odd fleet there...

What are the plans with reopening terminals beyond T1 after the 2nd of December, assuming the formal lockdown is ended ?

That the flight was always going to Liverpool? Dropping off car parts ?

...to a factory which almost overlooks the airport. Now does that make sense?

Sounds like "a customer who has a desperate demand to use an airport on his doorstep"

Depends on traffic, at the moment no plans to open T3 if it remains at these levels.

It makes sense that it flew to Liverpool with the Automotive factories on the doorstep.