Ah yes, but what did he say on Twitter, you know, the real world?

Thank you Andrew for that clarification.

Ah yes' oh course....... "The Hansard Evening News"
A best seller in terms of news media !

Give it a rest Bagso. Just because something doesn’t appear in the Bagso/Navpi Daily Bugle doesn’t mean it’s not happened or been said / reported.

Now, now no need to be tetchy.

Not sure which of the topics you wanted thoughts on so I will offer some on all three.

On a coordinated restart: nice idea but impractical as different nations are at different phases of the pandemic, not to mention governments with vastly different approaches to managing it. You also have Spain and Greece talking about opening resorts this summer with social distancing measures in place whilst Argentina bans flights until 1st September.

Delta have publicly expressed an opinion that it will be several years until aviation returns to 2019 levels. They along with BA / LH are in the "long recovery period" camp whilst Wizz Air are planning on being back to capacity by the end of this year with new aircraft and their Abu Dhabi offshoot still planned to launch. Then there is the different positions being taken by different countries that I mentioned earlier. No clear picture yet and still too early to foretell the outcome but if governments go ahead with 14 day quarantine periods for arriving passengers as has been suggested by some (UK included) then any hope of a return for the overseas holiday industry this summer would be dead. I suspect it is already due to recessionary impacts on peoples spending alongside the nervousness people will understandably feel initially about travel particularly among higher risk groups.

Seats and fares: the middle seat issue is madness. Average seat is around 18 inches wide so leaving it empty doesn't achieve the 2m social distancing requirements (if they remain.) As 2m is around 78 inches you would only be able to occupy the window seats on a narrow body aircraft. Plus seat pitch at 33 or 34 inches (I think?) you would need to occupy every third row. OK - family groups would reduce this requirement and increase the loads a little but it is reasonable to assume this approach wouldn't be financially sustainable.
Without a significant scaling back of social distancing, I don't see this being practical either.

Purely my thoughts and I would be happy (indeed hoping) to be proved wrong!

Bring back Alf Morris I say

For younger readers, he was the Wythenshawe MP from 1964 -1997 and was always very supportive of the opportunities it gave his constituents and the positive economic impact of having the airport on his doorstep. He was however concerned to minimise the environmental impact of the airport and was very interested in the airport providing adequate provision for the disabled.

Particularly in the 1990s, the airport had almost universal support from local and regional MPs across the parties, although some were more enthusiastic than others of course. That was in the days when all lobbying efforts were focused on Manchester as there wasn't such a beast as MAG where the needs of individual airports would be diluted to arrive at a common position.

....and Gordon Sweetapple as airport director. A man who was always so approachable.

My apologies for any thread drift.

I would echo the sentiments re Alf Morris.
A quiet revolutionary who put Manchester Airport on the map.
Certainly more vocal than our current incumbent !

Not forgetting the remarkable powers of persuasion of Sir Gil Thompson who succeeded GJS in 1981 and drove the airport forward until he left in 1993...Watching and listening to him "work the floor" at meetings with politicians and business people on one level and with the public on another level was a joy to behold. And he knew every single member of the MA staff by name too.

Surprised there's been no mention of the launch of an air cargo operation by Manchester based "The Hut Group" - with two based aircraft from October and a charter operation before that from Singapore Airlines Cargo serving THG distribution centres in USA and Asia. They've been utilising chartered cargo aircraft across Asia already apparently

GVAST just positioned in from LGW unusual manouevre after not moving since the 24th March, now 4 of the 7 Virgin 747s at MAN.

I suspect that is because the news was only officially released yesterday and is now starting to hit the media...

https://www.thg.com/blog/2020/04/30/...aunch-thg-air/

Not entirely clear what type of aircraft and routes that THG Air will fly and whether this will be a stand alone airline or one run in conjunction with someone else, possibly SQ? But I assume it will mean new jobs and business to the Airport in the medium term and let's face it any positive story is a bonus at present.

I expect Adola 69 will be along shortly with some comments . :)

See message #3914 !

Just to second the comments by Suzeman and others about Alf Morris, Gordon Sweetapple and Sir Gil.
Some of us are old enough to remember them all and the contribution they made in their own way to the promotion and development of Manchester Airport.

The remark about Sir Gil being brilliant at 'working the floor' is so apt, as he was with the personal touch. I didn't work at the airport but took a keen interest, and on one occasion I wrote to him on some issue (possibly to do with diversions). Imagine my surprise a couple of days later when I walked in from work and the wife telling me there's a Gil Thompson on the phone for you. I imagine he would have been pleased with how the airport had continue to grow until this crisis, particularly on international long haul routes.

There's a complete thread on it here....

https://www.pprune.org/airlines-airp...8-thg-air.html

THG

At least its not being diverted to EMA.

We hope that’s the case !

Had a tweet today to say Air France restart 7th May 3 weekly and from 22nd daily

easyJet launching MAN-ABZ daily from 31st August.

comes up as world connections? So that in partnership with loganair?

Nope, definitely easyJet operating. Not on sale yet

ahh gotcha. Know what frequency will be?

Daily as per attached link
https://airportrumours.********.com/...-aberdeen.html
Starting August 31st, Easyjet will start a daily Manchester to Aberdeen Service.

U2311 MAN 0720 ABZ 0840 Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat.
U2311 MAN 1505 ABZ 1625 Wed, Thu
U2311 MAN 1840 ABZ 2000 Sun

U2312 ABZ 0910 MAN 1025 Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat
U2312 ABZ 1655 MAN 1810 Wed, Thu
U2313 ABZ 2030 MAN 2145 Sun

A319/320 used.

"Passengers could also be asked to make a 'health declaration' to confirm they are asymptomatic before entering the terminal" - How are you supposed to know if you're asymptomatic ??.

Bit of a change of tack from MAG then being pro-active. I travelled through MAN several times in March and queried the evident lack of any hand sanitiser stations anywhere in the airport for passengers, even sending them pics of the vast sanitiser stations all around HKG Airport. Their reply was they didn't have to provide as it wasn't in PHE guidelines to do so.

Doesn't it mean you're declaring you have no symptoms?

And that proves what exactly. - "Yes, I'd like the check-in please for my flight to New York and I'm infected with Covid" !! - Not a likely scenario, so what's the point in having a declaration.

About as likely as a terrorist declaring at check-in that they were carrying something for someone else, or didn't pack their own bag!!

Exactly, more theatre

ATNotts
I am still flying backwards and forwards to Germany on a reasonably regular basis (not as often as before) so staying longer either in UK or Germany. I have a resident permit for Germany which has allowed me to do this. The routing has been difficult, and I have used masks and gloves where required but all the terminals are extremely quiet be it London , Dublin, Copenhagen all of which I have used as there were no direct flights from Manchester. It will be interesting to see how things open up here, as they have started to do in Germany. With regards to testing I had that done last week in Manchester and was Covid free on Friday at least. Interesting experience and I understand why it takes so long as forms and to a degree diagrams are misleading. Indeed the forms have had a hand written on section Step 3B where Biohazard bag has been crossed out and sandwich bag written in and then another hand written note says to place this in the Bio bag. I hope they don,t get writer,s cramp, as doing that 100,000 per day is some set of lines ! You would have thought somebody would have vetted this before they printed it as the diagram for placing the sample in the test tube is also a little misleading. The culmination of this all occurs when you park up to do your samples and place them in the bags as instructed. If you have an issue you are to put the hazard warning lights on in your car and somebody will come over to help by either phone or sign , anyway it looked like Blackpool illuminations when I was there with so many hazards on !! We will have to see what Boris has to say later this week as to how the UK is going to come out of lock down.
Cheers
Mr Mac

Mr Mac
I keep reading that various European carriers are starting, or plan to restart services between UK airports and France and Germany, but since as you have pointed out the criteria for being able to travel are quite strict it kind of begs the question what is the point. Flights are going to be largely empty, and yields abysmal. As and when countries begin to loosen the rules, allowing non-essential business travel then it might make some sense, but from what I read on ARD teletext this morning, although there are glimmers of movement in the rules from some countries, mostly in eastern Europe there appears to be no real willingness by France or Germany to row back on cross border traffic at the moment, and the Germans really seem to have ruled that out until early June.

Eurowings have restarted MAN to DUS 3 weekly at present and Air France restart Paris as of Thursday

I can't see any prospect of normality this year. Apart from entry restrictions, there will be reduced disposable incomes, and also travel insurance issues for the elderly or medically compromised. The low cost model of pack 'em in herded at gates, pack 'em in on board and 25 minute turn arounds are surely a dead duck for the immediate future.
Even when flights restart, the demand is going to be unbelievably weak.
I can see easy, Ryanair & Jet2 operating some services from MAN but I don't think there is much hope for the likes of LPL & LBA. It wouldn't make sense for weak operations to be split over 3 nearby airports.
Long haul from MAN, aside from Middle East connections I can't see being viable- especially given the financial state of Virgin Atlantic.
Where this leaves the MAN TP project I don't know.
Aside from the shake out of airlines, surely the same applies to Airports ? I can see weak ops out of LGW,LHR, STN, BHX, MAN, EDI or GLA with freight at STN & EMA. How can the rest survive on one or two flights a day? Other than as parking places ?
Is this too pessimistic a view? I know we have to hope for the best & plan for the worst.
How many flights have LPL & LBA handled recently ? I may be wrong but even MAN only has roughly 5-6 regular flights a day in & 5-6 out. (KL,QR,PIA,BA,LM, RYR),
If the UK gets Corvid under control. Grant Shapps has said he is considering quarantine restrictions on inbounds & the fact he has also said he wouldn't book a holiday this summer- kind of nails the summer season.

Chaps1954
That,s good to hear re Eurowings from Dusseldorf, but it would probably still be easier too use the other routes I mentioned from Munich, although journey times have been up to 9 hrs on some days and routes. I must say Shamrock have done a really good job, and SAS to keep their routes going. It would be really good if I could find a hairdresser which is a. open b. not with a massive waiting list in one of these terminals but not yet found one, and my PA inform me that when they open up in Germany it might be July before I could get my hair cut !! At this rate I may have to go for the tender ministrations of Mrs Mac, we will see what Boris has to say this week.

AT Notts
You are correct in that I can not say the flights are anywhere near full and I would presume there maybe some form of subsidisation maybe as I can honestly say I have been on a Gulfstream with more passengers than on many of these flights over the last 6 weeks. Social distancing is not an issue believe me when onboard but I will be very happy to see full cabins again, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Cheers
Mr Mac

Mr Mac,

PM sent.

Back to Boeing
Sent you a response back. I was just starting a video conference call so if there was anything else you need I will get back to you if you let me know. Basically be prepared for very quiet terminals and planes with little queuing and rudimentary service on board, though given what their industry is going through, and their career worries they have all done really well on all the carriers I have flown, and these are not my normal carriers. Take gloves and mask. As I have an apartment in Munich I usually just have laptop and paperwork, which I take onboard, so travel very light. Not much else I can really say, but let me know how you find KLM and Amsterdam. Hopefully Lufthansa will start MAN flights soon, so will not have to do Wells Fargo trip around Europe. Travel safe.
Kind regards
Mr Mac

Liverpool has been 2 flights a day to IOM with flights to Norway on Friday, Sunday and Monday generally. Wizz Air flights due to begin next week apparently.

What are MAG group doing about the big building projects? I personally hope that they are completed in time for an upsurge in passenger traffic.