I'm praying they end up replacing their old equipment with these new scanners: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44925635

Perhaps then we might get a break from the aggressive yelling "Coat's/jackets off, belts off, laptops out, iPads out, shoes off, liquids/gels out, everything out of your pockets!" Before you get to the trays, so it's kicked barefooted along the floor whilst trying to hold up your trousers. Then when you get to the trays, each person needs about 4 or 5 because they insist on nearly every item going in it's individual one, increasing the chance of at least one of them being pulled to one side for extra screening (and more time having to wait in that awful environment).

All of the above is what's causing the queues, especially if you add bewildered non-frequent fliers into the mix or those with young kids in tow. I use the pre-check lane in the USA and people breeze through it. Fingers crossed, that's what these new machines are all about. Let's hope they get approved and make an appearance in the new terminal, I think they'll definitely help to create a less fraught and stressful environment for everyone.

PIA now departed, with pax. CX was showing a departure estimate of 1700 empty to HKG, just checked FR24 and looks like it's still AOG. There was also a KLM E190 parked out on the West Apron, another possible casualty?

CX departed.

Any idea when the third long haul airline will be announced,

LAX?

I was still looking forward to the Thai to BKK announcement, what a shame. Anyway, at least we have to 2 brand new connections to very popular Asian destinations (BOM and ADD).

Er, Addis Ababa always used to be in Africa!

Titan are operating those 3 routes on behalf of Cityflyer on the 9th and 10th Aug only. There's nothing else planned.

Hopefully they were put off by all the negative passenger experience reports on this site and others.
I hope it's the kick in the teeth that MAN management needs to wake it from its smug stupor. As a very frequent flyer, I'll say it again: 'Manchester Airport is one of the worst airports in Europe from a passenger perspective. Most airports in Asia are better and an increasing number of African airports are also better.'. Although to add a little balance, I will confirm that the last trip through T1 last week was fairly tolerable both outbound and return.
I suspect the dark hand of MAG at play though as I've just had a 'never again' report from some friends in London who have just tried Stansted for the first time. Their considered view was that LHR and LGW were much better so why spend extra time heading out to deepest East Anglia for a worse experience.
Don't shoot the messenger. It cannot be an accident can it that of the three worst airports in Britain: Manchester, Stansted and Luton, two of them are MAG's two biggest airports.

IK it was a mistake )

IK it was a mistake )

My personal expeirence at MAN has varied depending upon factors including the time of day, passenger density, and of course inevitably the airline. If you're travelling early morning, then you should have not rouble getting through security, whereas if you're travelling much later on, I'd imagine that you stand a much greater chance of subjecting yourself to quite a long and drawn out process.
The worst experience I've had was waiting to pass through MAN security with around 50-100 people queuing in front of me. Not to mention the fact that my flight was delayed by around 5 HOURS! As it turns out, it was a mechanical breakdown which grounded the aircraft at ALC, the aircraft was eventually replaced but by then some travellers had fallen asleep... Good job RYR ��

The best experience I had was 2 years ago, whereby I easily managed to slither through security in just under 5 mins. Additionally, the flight itself was on time which was a bonus.

Overall I believe that customer expeirence will vary with the factors that I have previously mentioned and more.

Hmmm...your response betrays the fact that you probably don't travel through MAN very often. Actually the opposite is true.
If you are on one of the first wave of departures - expect a 'hell on earth' experience - any terminal. If you're traveling once this first wave has departed, you can expect something a little more tolerable - however still worse than any comparator airport in Europe.

I've flown in and out of Manchester many times, so 1 I do not need your judgment. Secondly, that's what I have experienced, so you can't just go ahead and make assumptions.

That is astonishing, Council Van. Does the time depend on R/W in use or is it the same for both ends?

Generally speaking, if one runway is being used whilst the other is closed, the volume of traffic tends to flow at a slower rate than if both runways were being used. That being said, to also depends on the frequency of aircraft movements and scheduled departure times.

Advice please. I am travelling with a small group on Wednesday 8th August to Zurich at (0845 with Swiss at least I think that is the time, I am not the group leader and time to be confirmed by her). One of our group is a very nervous traveller - can we expect very long queues at security or will things have got better especially midweek? They have been looking at the airport's departures and have already noted the couple of hours lateness this flight had today and yesterday (anybody know why?). Is there any help available for those who suffer from extreme anxiety and need help bypassing crowds and queues? (Apologies to those in the queue). They will be on diazepem for the journey!
To be honest I would not be surprised if John does not turn up for the journey but it would be a shame as he would probably never fly again. It would be nice to give him some assurance. Thank you

Sorry forgot to mention Terminal 1

Thank you Rutan16 for your wonderful swift reply. I don't like saying this but I did say we are travelling Wednesday 8 August - sorry. John is starting to get really nervous so we are getting in touch with Swiss and asking for some kind of assistance. I don't what airlines offer these days with what is basically a mental health issue. He suffers nervousness in many crowded places and, for example, at the theatre has to go to the toilet several times until just before the performance starts. He will certainly get to know Terminal 1 toilets well at least! Thank you again.

....the difference being that customers at Gatwick can breeze through security in 10 minutes or less in both South and North terminals.

Hopefully the dualing of taxiways from Charlie through to November Alpha will ease some of the current problems. It will take time but the work has started.

Any idea what Primera's intentions are over the course of the next year in terms of destinations?

Rutan 16 Seriously? That is laughable sir.

Manchester is a victim of it's own incompetence failing to staff up for known planned traffic.

Hence a number of airlines bosses, The CAA & Dept for Transport are monitoring the situation- I can't say more than that here.

My use of MAN has reduced, the fist casualty is Flybe as I'm using the train to Edinburgh & to Southampton as using this airport is just not viable.

If T1 is beyond it's design capacity as you say- then why are they still accepting new airlines and routes that they cannot handle?

By the way- I don't always book the flights so I don't always have a say in the matter. Love your assumptions on my travel requirements.

T3 pick up not going well :


https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...video-14954048

I'm not trying to excuse the airport but it's a pity the guy making the video got a little confused between pick-up and drop-off fees. Pick-up which he was referring to is £4 for up to 30 minutes as far as I know. Drop-off is £3 for up to 5 minutes and £4 for up to 10 minutes. What happens after 10 minutes, especially if exit lanes are closed, and it's not the driver's fault but the system or the equipment, I'm not sure.

There was a report of 2 hour 2 hour queues at Heathrow earlie4 in the week.

I see the BBC Breakfast Business chap (Ben Thompson) is at MAN this morning. Missed it earlier but I trust we see shots of a/c on the airfield rather than queues in security or cars.:)

Just saw the last report before 09.00 and he was in the glass box at the top of the Tower talking to some ATC Managers and a travel journalist. I gather earlier he was out on the balcony with some great views of the airfield at a very busy time.

The problems don't go away but nice to see something showing the airport in a more positive light.

any news on primera slots for EWR & IAD ?

Mr Rutan
Your overwhelming full on defence of MAN and the rather snarky reply to a complainant is unjustified.
A few points to make:
1. You mock Mr Atis for electing not to fly domestically. By coincidence I was sat on a FlyBe plane last week (BHD-MAN) and I noticed the 'Faster than Road or Rail' claim. These days it isn't.
Let's say I want to go from home in Manchester to Edinburgh (I used to fly there a lot back in the day).....Taxi to the airport 30 mins in order to arrive 2 hours before the departure time. 1 hour of flying; 30 mins to park the plane, wait for everyone to deplane, walk through the terminal and get in a taxi - 30 mins; taxi in to town 30 mins. That's 4.5 hours. I can drive door to door in 4 hours in the comfort of my own car for probably less than a third of the cost.
Southampton....never go there but I would definitely take the train. That's a no-brainer in order to avoid the airport.
London - train 100% every time.

2.You mention that Mr Atis still flies from MAN because his options are limited. That is true. For me that starts to raise the question of regulation. Regulation exists to stop companies in monopolistic situations abusing that monopoly. Now whilst you can fly on your holidays to Spain from a number of competing airports nearby, there are many many places on the globe where Manchester has a clear monopoly outside of London. I hope the CAA are taking note.

3. You and other defenders of the current situation are always banging on about the current investment program which although it is welcome is at least 10 years too late. The current problems have been obvious for many years and have been getting worse. MAN management have been aware of the deficiencies of their assets for many years and have done nothing whilst raking in the bonuses. Furthermore the current investment program will not fix any of the real problems in T1 (way past it's sell by date and needs a total re-build) and T3 which is badly designed to start with and massively over capacity.

4. I remember well that in the past, one of MAN's selling points was that it wasn't Heathrow which was always (with some justification) painted as some kind of hell on earth and to be avoided at all cost. Now the opposite is true. Why? Because the owners of LHR have invested heavily over a protracted period in order to fix the problems and make it a better place. I never thought this would happen, but it has. Now MAN is to be avoided where possible.

Before you or anyone says I'm somehow 'anti-Manchester' - I'm not - in fact I put in considerable personal effort to lobby and fight for approval for runway 2 back in the day. I'm just so disappointed that such obvious failings of the current and previous management are excused and defended.
I feel that those that defend the current state of affairs are either employed to do so or are plane-spotters (who must think they're in paradise).
It can't be a coincidence that those like me, Mr Atis and others who complain most are those that have to use the airport the most in order to earn a living.

Have to agree with this having taken the Reading to Manchester part of the Southampton train many times. It seems to take for ever - about 4 hours and then add on 60-90 mins to Southampton after the reversing manoeuvre described. The worst part is that it generally has as many standing as sitting so there is virtually nil chance of any refreshment and even a loo break is a military operation. Virgin LON MAN at the weekend is just as bad when there are events on. The big thing that flights still have going for them is an absolute limit on the number aboard, a GUARANTEED seat and the ability to get in and out of it, confident that it will still be unoccupied when you get back.

Re Southampton- I've done both (frequently) Cross Country is a no no.
Virgin to London & a quick 4 stop change to Waterloo.
At least during this time I can work in comfort, which you can't do standing in a security queue or looking for a vacant seat or being refused from a full lounge.

Despite routing via London - from home to destination is still quicker, for me, by rail than MAN.

The trouble at T3 (like the others) there is no consistency, will the process take 10 minutes or two hours to get airside? Their own agreed security service level is 15 minutes, which is in their gift to provide if they employed enough staff.
Reports of the free drop off area are that some people are waiting 45 minutes for a free shuttle because the 15 minute service is full. Again within their gift but ignored. At a recent meeting they discussed either upping the service to 10 minutes or providing dedicated terminal buses- but decided the existing plan was enough.
Again at their recent meeting they discussed cleanliness etc- again kicked into long grass.
The User committee asked for more resources rather than continuing to inflate their already record profits.
As a lifelong supporter of MAN it is heartbreaking to see what they done to the place- apart from a decade of underfunding (Bournemouth & Humberside follies) There really needs to be a management clear out. This falling customer service will bite them back in the end. They have the resources available to fix many things short term.... if they wanted to.
In the meantime when I meet friends from Asia I can only apologies to them for their embarrassing experiences.