Over the past few months, I have had freight arrive on trucks from LHR, STN, AMS, EMA ( particularly Lufthansa ) and LUX , so although the shipments don't arrive directly from aircraft, the MAN handling and customs clearance agents and onward delivery truckers obtain the revenue....

What was the large 4 engine transport with T tail that landed around 16.10 . I only glimpsed it from 15 miles away from behind. Looked too large for C17, could it be Russian or US, not on flight radar before you ask.
Kind regards
Mr Mac

RAF C17, touch n goes

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....9d11ac761e.png

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=519070098998581

750XL
Thank you for the confirmation. I got binoculars on it on later passes so ID C17 as you say. Probably breaks the boredom up in the tower, and approach at Manchester currently. It did not show up on Flight radar when I checked though.

Kind regards
Mr Mac

https://tar1090.adsbexchange.com/

This website will show you anything that FlightRadar doesn't. Press the 'U' at the top to filter military only stuff. Quite interesting

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4407f7159f.jpg
I was curious too! Russ

It’s a C17 Globemaster from RAF Brize Norton. Training mission. There’s one doing circuits at Brize as I type.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....614915622a.png
And a few more!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2f1035f96b.jpg
Landing on the neighbours roof!

I've read elsewhere that the airfield will now only be open from 0700 - 2100 (I assume local) UFN. Can't see a NOTAM yet though

Previously the passenger terminal was only open for limited hours. but the runway was H24 for emergencies, freighters etc

Sad times for all

This NOTAM was dated yesterday and so should be pretty accurate:

Q) EGTT/QFAAH/IV/NBO/A/000/999/5321N00217W005
B) FROM: 20/04/20 05:00C) TO: 20/05/31 23:59E) COVID 19 INFORMATION: AD WILL ONLY BE OPERATIONAL FOR SCHEDULED
INBOUND FLIGHTS BTN 0500-1500 DAILY AND SCHEDULED DEPARTING FLIGHTS
BTN 0700-1500 DAILY. THIS RESTRICTION DOES NOT AFFECT THE FOLLOWING
FLIGHTS:
1. ACFT IN STATE OF EMERGENCY
2. CARGO FLIGHTS
3. TECHNICAL LANDING
4. SPECIAL FLIGHTS/REPATRIATION/HUMANITARIAN
5. PRIVATE FLIGHTS
EXCEPT ACFT IN EMERGENCY THE EXEMPTED FLIGHTS ARE TO SEEK
PRE-AUTHORISATION (PPR) FROM THE AD OPERATOR TEL +44 (0)161 489
3331. AIR OPERATORS ARE ABLE TO FILE EGCC AS AN ALTERNATE
AERODROME. AIR OPERATORS MUST ENSURE GROUND HANDLING SUPPORT IS AVBL
AT ALL TIMES.
FUEL AVBL 05:00-21:00.

Fire cover does remain available though H24, albeit reduced to RFFS Cat 7

You have to admire the audacity and downright obscure reasoning, when they say that they can accept CARGO Flights ?

Really? Since when? We don't have the kit to offload Cargo flights, unless it's out of rear load aircraft type, IL-76, C-17etc and they appear to be sent down the road to EMA, or a small twin!
Stop playing at being an airport for the time being MAN, it's pathetic. You've done nothing whatsoever to help out the

"Northern Powerhouse" in it's requirement for medical kit, food stuffs, and general freight that would have normally been carried in under belly loads.

What a joke.

I wonder if anyone at MA have learnt any salutory lessons out of all this, and that is, if you run a succesful enterprise you must have Diversity,
someting that MAN plainly has not got at all anymore? It is the worst performing airport out of the groups 3.

Adola.

Pax aircraft are operating just carrying cargo, so shouldn't be a problem to offload a 787/350 or whatever.

I think MAG group are satisfied with the cargo operations at Stansted and East Midlands at the moment.

As for the lack of handling equipment I think you need to point fingers elsewhere “handlers” oh and Central Government dire management of the crisis compared to the neighbours and our friends in the EU

Queue - Dublin three flights a day to and from Beijing carrying PPE for the last 3 weeks .
France deploying an Antonov 124 daily .
EVEN Poland using the Mriya and LOT 787s !
UK official response to date an A400 to and from Istanbul with civil officials ignoring loadmasters and aircraft weights - Should have been a C17 Half the load left behind and one 777 from BA under duress after halting Chinese flights weeks before many

A bit of perspective please

Oh and Qatar are schedule to operate an extra A359 pure cargo flight tomorrow so things may be about to change just a little,

.. if you say so, but historically it makes the biggest share of the profits!

Do you have any idea of how much ground handling equipment costs, to offload these said dedicated freighter aircraft (ie 747F nose loading). What company in their right mind is going to pay for this equipment to lay idle for months (or years) on end, on the odd chance someone wants to nip in with a bit of freight and pay a few grand for the privilege - when the equipment has cost hundreds of grand?

Did have one on station in the dim and distant past in fact one of the first in the UK was here in the seventies and used by Lufthansa and World 747F models from time to time

That said nose loading isn’t that important indeed is rather avoided much of the time anyway.

Right now though MAG Group really has the more appropriate distribution point a little further east and in a region that has pretty much developed (post mining and steel production) as the national centre of logistics and with the primary domestic food production area on its doorstep.

Though using the same haggered argument as that of the snow ploughs doesn’t’ necessarily wash with a scissor lifter at a normally 30 million 20 + long haul destination and 100,000 tonne airport that’s for sure.

Doncaster seem to have the equipment and indeed the desire to promote freight including the giants and that Includes the obscure and unique IL62 freighter.

Isn't the kit for nose loading a 747F the same as that needed for any widebodied main deck freighter, and MAN has handled those in the recent past (LH MD-11/777F's for instance). Anyway, agree that with STN and EMA, MAG isn't short of dedicated freight facilities.

You send medical equipment to the nearest location airport where it is needed, not an airport 100 or even 230 miles away ?

Would that not seem to be a decision based on "commercial consideration" rather than medical need ?

Absolutely clueless.

No you send freight (any bulk freight) to dedicated distribution centres sort and transfer to vehicles on geographical and timed basis - Thats the most effective and efficient method period stop.

The NHS is also not a free for all when it comes to supplies - All need to be accounted for against NHS England , Scotland, Wales , Northern Ireland, individual Trusts, Regional Health Authorities, Ambulance service etc and chittied and ‘Paid for” and all those agencies need to make appropriate requisitions

The above distribution methodology ensures the paper trails exist (BTW they are far from perfect but still better than none at all)

Ah sorry I clearly didn't realise that Manchester was such a backwater that it was unable to deliver a sufficient level of receipt and distribution despite handling 100,000 tonnes of freight a year.

Suggest you consider bringing this up with Supply Chain Co-ordination Limited - The NHS contractor and their decisions on points of entry and the distribution networks .

I am not criticising Manchester Airports cargo ( belly and mostly roaded in and out) capacity under normal circumstances.

In the absence of much MAN discussion :- Think I have seen 3 x B773 of Kuwait Airways into MAN this morning. Purely out of interest, were these Government repat flights or bringing in medical supplies?

they have all arrived empty and are taking Kuwait 🇰🇼 nationals back to KWI. There is 3 planned for today, tomorrow and Wednesday. 9 repat flights in total back to KWI.

KU1320 has also just left GLA enroute to KWI. Are there really that amount of Kuwaiti nationals in the UK?

The answer is clearly 'yes' because the flights exist with that number of seats. If we roughly assume that there are 400 seats on a 773, then four 773 (three to Manchester, one to Glasgow) is roughly 1600 seats. I'm going to presume that some of those seats are taken out for social distancing to make it perhaps around 1200 seats. Maybe 300 or 400 students across universities in northern England and Scotland, then the remaining 900 or so seats divided by an arbitrary household size of 4 leaves around 225 household. Not that many spread across northern England and Scotland, really. Kuwaiti government may have sold some of the seats to other Gulf countries as well.

We have now had 6 x B773 flights into MAN operating repatriation services back to Kuwait, 3 more today following the 3 yesterday. As mentioned above I understand that there are flights planned for tomorrow (29th) also.

Here's some info

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1665211/middle-east

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1665696/middle-east

A KU A330 into DUB as well this morning, plus Jazeera flights into LGW using A320N yesterday and today

Whilst news of British Airways redundancies is a seismic blow to aviation in the capital BA can at least count on the support of one notable member at Westminster, Mr Mike Kane MP.

His twitter feed became wash with indignation and rightfully so given the large number of employees who are about to move from "furlough" to "flung out".

Former employees of Thomas Cook based at Manchester who sadly lost their jobs last year might well be wondering where the protests of indignation from their local MP were when there plight was all over the national press.

Likewise Manchester based Flybe employees who suffered a similar fate when the domestic hub disintegrated are now stacking shelves at Aldi, they too suffered a similar level of deafening silence.

If only the local MP had been a wee bit more vocal in both cases.

Come to think of it who is the local MP for the Manchester Airport constituency ?

"Step forward Mike"

.

Further to this, has he made any comments in support of VIRGIN ATLANTIC which operates the largest remaining programme of Transatlantic scheduled flights from the airport located in his constituency?

If I'm not mistaken the constituency that the airport falls into is Wythenshawe & Sale East.

The MP is Mike Kane

I wonder how many of his constituents worked at MAN with the airlines, (including TCX & flybe), handlers and numerous other companies who now find themselves on furlough or without a job. Perhaps his lack of public support up to now will be in their minds when next time they vote?

Sadly, Mike Kane's constituency is rock-solid Labour. Always has been.

Not a political comment, just noting that the unworthy Kane will likely be re-elected for as long as he remains in that party.

Just going back to the discussion regarding dedicated cargo flights (or lack thereof) at MAN, this was posted on an AirportNewsUK twitter feed yesterday :

'TheHutGroup will begin a new cargo airline to be based at Manairport from October. Will work with SingaporeAir to set up the venture. Absolutely huge news and a welcome addition of pure cargo to MAN, a sector that's been in decline for a while'.

Hope they find some ground equipment to unload these freighters if the service commences !

Constituents need to face Kane down on his views re the local airport the major employer and economical drivers for South Manchester over those of Heathrow and BA at every opportunity.

There are plenty including regular surgeries and similar meetings.

That said R3 is pretty much dead in the water for some considerable time.

The fact he is supposedly a socialist and in probably the safest seat in the land yet cheer leads a commercial and in many ways competing business 180 miles away really needs addressing.

Pity I haven’t lived in the ward for twenty years so haven’t got local voice these days.

Very disappointed that the MP is quick enough to share his concerns about job losses in another part of the country...but last month and since hasn’t bothered to acknowledge his constituents directly & indirectly affected by the loss of Flybe.

Personally if Mr Kane does feel obliged to comment on aviation matters it might be more prudent to cover those which effect his own constituency.

He’s the Shadow Minister for Transport - do you expect him to remain silent on the matter?

The point being raised Andrew is his silence with regards to Virgin Atlantic and Flybe plus Thomas Cook.
These are all airlines that provide, or provided, employment to his constituents in Wythenshawe. Why did he not publically support them?

He’s on record in Hansard speaking about the negative impact of those events on Manchester Airport, the customers and employees and the wider Northern economy.

A quick search of the MEN website will bring up stories quoting him on the horrendous impacts of the Thomas Cook on his constituents who worked for the airline and tour operator.

Here’s one example from Hansard. I am not one for defending MPs but I couldn’t and wouldn’t do their job as quite frankly there’s always one part of their constituency that will throw brickbats at them at any opportunity, and others happy to jump on the bandwagon without checking the facts.

Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East) (Lab)

The Minister went to school a stone’s throw from Manchester airport in my constituency, but is the voice of northern England being heard? After the Thomas Cook debacle, 2.8 million passengers were taken out of capacity. If this Flybe collapse happens, that will affect 1.8 million passengers out of Manchester airport. I know that people are worried about climate change, but APD was a tax devised by London civil servants in Whitehall cooling towers that crippled the growth of regional airports throughout our country, and we are paying the price for that.