En passant, it's 80 years ago today since the airport opened at Ringway.

Great idea to get Tony Walsh to write a poem - and a video goes with it.

Two things - the music is too loud and AFAIK there is no picture of Sir Gil Thompson who was primarily responsible for pushing the airport to punch well above its weight

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...walsh-14824559

Interesting bit of history here
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...thday-14820294

Whilst we're reminiscing am I correct in thinking that one of our earlier BOAC flights actually continued to Georgetown, British Guyana?

Thanks for the links Suzeman. As you say, some fascinating history.

Agree there should be a picture of the late Sir Gil Thompson. He did so much to raise the profile of MAN. Ironically, his appointment was initially viewed in some quarters as controversial because of his BA background, but what an inspired appointment it turned out to be.

Personally, I usually find the music on such videos as too loud. For those of us with poor hearing and having to use aids, it's often difficult to catch all the words.

As I recall the JFK was BA538/539, and the Montreal/Toronto was BA648/649. The numbers changed some time after the merger with BEA.

Indeed it did, while other flights went to Trinidad and Tobago, via JFK and then any combination of Antigua, Barbados, and St Lucia. Those were the days when just getting from MAN to the Caribbean was an adventure in itself !! Nowadays it can be done in a composite tube in a little over 7 hours.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38...cy-variations/

Airlineroute reporting:

I really think a picture of Mike Kane MP should be hung in the new terminal. He has been a fabulous supporter of the airport. He always promotes the airport at every opportunity and i feel sure this would go down really well with the many 000s of constituents in his local area.

Thought the RAM was due to go back to 3 weekly anyway but maybe a couple of weeks early than planned

Guyana was indeed served from November 1968 until March 1974, along with Antigua, Bridgetown and Port of Spain.

I'm guessing Chris Grayling won't be getting a pier named after him any time soon then ? ☺ Although one could easily argue he'd be far more useful as a plaque on a wall somewhere. Or a plant pot maybe ?
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Just in case anyone is in any doubt that Navpi's post was splendid sarcasm, I would just mention that the MP in question, Mike Kane, represents Wythenshawe and Sale East and the airport falls in his constituency. Apparently ignoring warnings of the risk that R3 at LHR could jeopardise MAN's future growth with the resultant impact on jobs for his constituents, many of whom work at the airport, and the likely implications for infrastructure spend in the North, he voted for Heathrow expansion - I understand with some relish.

T2 has lost all power according to the BBC

What are you on ? power outages happen at most airports and have just the same effect, until we know what caused it ( maybe builders ) no blame can be put on management
When I worked in Manchester a guy put a spade through a high voltage cable on Balloon St ( lived to tell the tale) put virtually the whole of the Co-op complex out of action for about 3 hours during tram building work.

chaps, if it was someone cutting a cable in T2, it's inexcusable. That building was constructed about 28 years ago. The location/routes of all the power cables/utility-lines should have been recorded and mapped with a high-degree of precision.

But it happens!

Time for a cool one Mr A cheers Sam

This just popped up in my inbox is it real?
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...57fc78131e.jpg

Well a search for Premiair.co.uk produces a blank domain so, at least at the present, there appears to be nothing to get too excited by.