Loads more holding traffic over the ‘premier’ north east airport due no ATC…is this acceptable?

Send them to Teesside…no issues there!

Is that because there are more flights in the hold than scheduled into MME today?

Due to staff sickness - seems somebody else is feeling a bit green as well!

Short of parking at Teesside.

Is that because of parting out aircraft..and maintenance?

Probably went to the football earlier and still partying!

Seriously though..an airport with potential 5 million passengers…having to hold aircraft to land ..because of lack of ATS staff? Am I missing something here?

Great planning guys!

As I mentioned earlier, staff sickness.

Doesn't seem to be putting airlines off - TUI the latest to announce additional flights and an extra based a/c for next summer.

Teesside / Tyneside banter aside, it is pretty poor.

There must surely be 'stand-by' ATS staff available when situations like this occur.

Clearly not

I know one of the ATS has short notice leave as of today. His wife is have their first child today. All airports have lack of ATS like all the airlines that have a shortage of pilots, cabin crew and engineers. You are missing a lot.

Say if you were to employ a trained ATCO from DSA, for example, how long would it take before they could work at NCL. Obviously they would need to learn the different routings and so forth etc etc. A few months, or more? Up to a year potentially?

Because it takes eons to train up replacement staff in ATC, more than Pilots. ATC is like LAEs. Not made overnight. Like pilots and LAEs, small pool of staff and wage offers are taking people away from smaller airports.

Are there any airport infrastructure plans?

Me thinks mainly apron space and southside hanger development..like Teesside?

A runway extension would be nice, as per many previous master plans..but unlikely?

No - apron space demand not yet back to the previous peak, no space southside for any 'industrial' development. Can't see a business case for a runway extension.

They might need more apron space with two more based aircraft next year TUI/Jet 2 and we don't know the Ryanair plans for S24.

You have never been airside bar as a passenger have you?

Airside Bar
 

Is that a good or bad experience?

Free bucket and spade with every pint.

I'm looking at flights for mid-August and the normal KLM 9.30am hop to AMS says, "Operated by German Airways".
Never seen that before. Anyone know anything about them?
Even a codeshare would normally say KLM.