Traffic figures for Nov being reported yet?.

Yes.

Up 1.9% to 27.7million.

Not a bad feat when you consider the loss of one of the biggest based operators.

Righty O....thanks.
More grist to the MAG mill being the main thing.

Flybe will begin a weekly flight to Olbia on behalf of Thomas Cook starting May

BE8932 MAN 1715 OLB 2100
BE8933 OLB 2145 MAN 2240

E175 Sunday’s from May 27th.

Taxiway Alpha to be extended to just before Bravo exit to run alongside the current Alpha so dual taxiway as part of the MANTP. This will lead to the perimeter fence being pushed back into the AVP.

Galliford Try lands £54m Manchester Airport project | Construction Enquirer

Amongst friends
 

An ex-MAG employee, amongst others, using an economic argument for greater air connectivity between the Regions and LHR, rather than for MAN route growth with improved surface connectivity in the case of those major Northern cities only 30-50 miles distant.

MAN doesn’t have LHR’s range of overseas destinations and frequencies (although much broader UK air connections), however you can get just about anywhere in the world which is of business significance either direct or with a myriad of one-stop options.

I wonder if the lobbying is more in recognition that these smaller airports will never have a great number of flights to business destinations, certainly not long-haul. Therefore a way to boost passenger traffic is to get a Heathrow route which might then add 20/25% to their annual throughput?

As for improving Regional air connectivity pre-R3, you could argue that MAN-LHR slots be given over to service smaller Regionals-LHR in recognition that MAN has all those other direct / one-stop options and so LHR is just a nice-to-have. I am not advocating this but if you apply the logic of allocating a scarce resource, as these people are, then it follows.

UK RABA Group and Heathrow intensify efforts for domestic access

Is this good use of a scarce LHR slot for a holiday route already served by the same airline from LGW and MAN? Perhaps only straggly pairs of slots but doesn't support the R3 and greater regional connectivity case.

Virgin Atlantic Airways adds another Caribbean connection

Gotta be careful disparaging LHR on here, I don't know if it's the same MoDs, but the level of sycopanthy towards LHR was extraordinary at one stage.

I don't see the advantage in ringfencing slots for marginal routes to LHR. Given the cost of the project, LHR will want as many available for lucrative long hauls as possible so they can try and pay for the project without jacking up prices. There is also the issue of HS2 coming online.

There is also the issue of the UK putting all its eggs in the London basket again, which is not foot for the country as a whole.

Surely the problem is that nobody can operate UK domestic feed into LHR at a reasonable rate of return ?

Virgin Red failed A320 45% load factor

BA Leeds have failed A320 50% load factor

That leaves FlyBe , BMI, possibly Loganair using much smaller aircraft but still paying "triple 777 level" landing rates.
And those fees will go up with RW3 not down.

My understanding is that the FlyBe loads are less than spectacular and are only retained as FlyBe will be able to sell the slots on in 18 months.

If HAL have faith in connecting say Derry, Teeside, Carlisle, and Liverpool ( A route which incredibly could not even be sustained by KLM) maybe they should set up an airline themselves and operate the service ?

Why are we banging on about LHR on the MAN thread again? It’s like the battles of the 1980s never end! Virgin understandably need to use their slots, they’re hardly scarce if they’re already yours and a valuable tradeable commodity on a “use it or lose it” basis. Winter flying is pared well back to keep losses low, the 787 fleet is looking like a glider squadron at the min and hence serving a LHR-BGI on a tactical basis is all upside in the Northern Winter peak for this market. I think we all know LHR slots are not as scarce as some pretend.
Be fair now. You can see why some airports might see a LHR link as the answer to their problems, they’re probably wrong unless they get BA (INV) AND they get the nightstopper they need for business (unlike LBA). Ringfencing slots isn’t commercial, it’s politics, just like airport expansion everywhere. Is it worth trying? I think so. Will it impact MAN? No, because it probably won’t work !

The only non BA carrier who I think who could make new regions to LHR work is the orange one that were looking at T4 as a loco operation and recently decided that even though they loved SXF they also wanted a big piece of TXL! Not sure this would affect MAN much either.

Faith? Political expedience more like. :ok:

And it's Teesside! :=

It's like playing Mornington Crescent on here. Clearly there are rules on what can and can't be said, but only the privileged know. SWBKCB can mention Derry and Teeside, but Dobbo Dobbo cannot mention Heathrow. Skipness can mention Gatwick and Heathrow, but no one else can. Any more rules?

BA should just bin the shuttles off. There is no P2P traffic as it's quicker on the train. We've got the TATL market covered, going east is well covered, plus plenty of connections via AMS, CDG, FRA etc for elsewhere. At the end of the day BA are ridiculously London-centric.. They've forced AA to reduce capacity to get people down there. MAN has a great USP, it has a huge catchment area and great transport links.

BA ply routes that suit their business needs, not the bitter desires plane spotters outside of London.

Or the political whim of LHR and the DfT...

I think it's called competition. What do you expect BA to do?

Really?

D_D - apologies - misread your post, thought that was what you were implying!

Please show me some evidence BA forced AA to downgrade MAN.
Business doesn’t work in this way. It really doesn’t. The idea that someone at Spanish owned IAG has a policy for BA to ensure local flights at MAN can’t thrive is bonkers.

The days of those three being joined up ended decads ago. It’s 2017. HAL and BA are long since privatised and those at the top have long since changed.
Great. So rather than remotely support some UK jobs in England you call for BA to leave and suggest people fly Lufthansa, Air France and Swiss instead. Is that going to faster or S L O W E R in the main? BTW you missed DUB. That’s the real competition. MAN’s transatlantic isn’t “sewn up” it’s changing to a leisure focus. Delta have gifted MAN to a VS subfleet, AA have spoiled their own relationship and UNITED aren’t sure what they’re doing anymore. More seats by Thomas Cook are briliant for holidaymakers but direct connectivity for business isn’t growing. Indeed on MAN-ATL/JFK it seems to be going backwards. Huge strides in seasonal traffic is a huge boon though, I think year round reliability is taking a hit though.

Don’t mention <censored>. Even now!

Sorry but this just isn't true. It is quicker if your points of origin and destination are near the terminating station. Lots of businesses are closer to the airports. Usually it is much cheaper to fly too. As a regular "by air" fan, I did try the train a few weeks ago (on a Sunday). Never again. At least on the plane you are guaranteed a seat and it is possible to buy food and drink and walk to the lavatory. Try the train on a Sunday (even F class) and compare. Even the nightmare that often is MAN T3 security compared well.