Manchester Airport - General Thread

[News Guru]

[textarea]Manchester Airport Sees the Arrival of an Airbus A380

It seems that just recently an Airbus A380, operated by Emirates, arrived at Manchester Airport. This means that Manchester is now the first regional destination to receive a super jumbo jet. Of course, this “first” came at a price. Apparently Manchester airport spent some £10 million over the past two years in preparation for this moment. Emirates is now set to launch a daily service from the north of England to Dubai.

The Dubai-based carrier presently operates 12 A380 planes. It went on to confirm, at the Berlin Air Show in June, that it had ordered a further 32 from Airbus. The executive vice chairman of Emirates Airline, Maurice Flanagan, said that as a result of their announcement in Berlin, they have inquiries from more than twenty airports across the world. They are asking whether Emirates would fly the A380 to their airports.

Airbus currently manufactures the wings of the 517 seat double decker A380 in the UK. Emirates has operated this aircraft from London Heathrow since March 2008. However, now that the airline is going to have more A380’s on the way, they will be able to fly them out of more airports. However, in order for some airports to take these big planes, they will have to be upgraded.

The big planes went into passenger service with Singapore Airlines in October of 2007. To this date, Airbus has received 234 orders for the aircraft. Air France, Qantas, and Lufthansa currently operate this big plane. However, it is likely that more airlines will be running these planes in the near future, because it allows airlines to fly more people on just one flight.

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[masere]

I watched the North West news reports Wednesday to see it coming and going from Man. Might pop down next week to see it, even though I saw Emirates and Singapore 380's at LHR Monday. Incidentally, according to Wiki five airlines now operate the 380 - Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qantas, Air France and Lufthansa - interestingly they also say that an AF flight from Paris to London used a 380! As usual we Brits are lagging behind as the likes of BA and Virgin are still a long way off using them. :dunno:

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Manchester Airport ad targets London passengers

Manchester Airport has launched a cheeky poster campaign poking fun at London – in a bid to retain long-haul passengers who travel to the capital to catch flights, MEN reports. The airport is running the provocative ‘So far, yet so near’ campaign to try to win back the estimated 1.5m passengers from the Manchester area who fly long-haul from other airports, mainly Heathrow and Gatwick.

The tongue-in-cheek posters, which will be appearing on billboards across the country, feature street signs with a playful spin on well-known London place names. Slogans include ‘Barking – you must be to travel from London’, ‘Wapping headache’ and ‘Strand-ed, don’t get stuck in London’.

The airport says that passengers can now fly non-stop or with just one connection to every major city in the world from Manchester. But they say many people are unaware of the strength of Manchester’s routes. Andrew Harrison, the airport’s new managing director, hopes the month-long campaign will show people there is no need to fly from London.

He told the newspaper: ‘As it’s my first week in the job, I wanted to start with something that’s close to my heart. We want to win back the one million or so passengers we’re losing from our catchment area and remind them about the range of routes we offer from Manchester. We want to continue to grow our long-haul offering and we will achieve this by increasing awareness and gaining the support of our passengers.'

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Manchester Airport cabbie picks wrong customer to upset

A cab driver picked on the wrong person when he swore at a passenger who quizzed his choice of route, the MEN reports. He launched his angry and aggressive foul-mouthed outburst at a ‘mystery shopper’ who was working for the council – testing the customer service provided by taxi drivers !

The driver became annoyed when the 'customer' questioned the route he was taking from Manchester Airport to Peel Hall Primary School in Wythenshawe. He snatched up his sat-nav to show the customer and said: ‘Listen don’t give me a headache. I’m following the road, yeah? I can do without that s***.’ The driver also took the mystery shopper to the wrong address and became annoyed again when asked for a receipt.

The evidence features in a Manchester council report detailing the mystery shopping scheme. The authority’s licensing unit launched the pilot scheme in a bid to improve the standard of service black cab drivers provide. The driver involved now faces an interview with the unit, before it decide on the appropriate action.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Chinese freight firm chooses Manchester Airport as UK base

Globelink China Logistics is to seek offices for a sales team in Manchester city centre following the takeover of local company CBI Global Freight Management, Place North West reports. CBI Global currently has offices in Sale at the Mirwell Business Centre and Globelink Chine has taken two suites for the freight forwarding operation on a three-year lease at the World Freight Terminal at Manchester Airport.

Nigel Sleigh, managing director of CBI Global Freight Management, said: ‘Manchester has been chosen over London by Globelink because of the unrivalled logistical opportunities afforded by Manchester Airport. The city will host the company's UK headquarters and there will also be a London branch opening in the near future with Manchester continuing to be the HQ.'

CBI Global Freight Management will re-brand to Uni Logistics, a subsidiary of Globelink China Logistics Group, dealing with all aspects of international freight forwarding.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Hike in Air Passenger Duty could threaten business at Manchester Airport

The increase in Air Passenger Duty, which comes into force today, could threaten growth at Manchester Airport by deterring new carriers and has already cost it one route to the Far East, bosses say.

Air Asia X opted to launch a new service from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to Paris Orly Airport after being put off from flying into Manchester because of the tax hike.

From today, plane passengers are having to pay more for their flights due to a sharp rise in the airport departure tax.

Among those hardest hit are people flying on long-haul routes to destinations such as Australia and Singapore, with a 55 per cent hike in the duty, from £85 extra in economy to £170 for premium class travel.

Passengers travelling up to 6,000 miles from the UK, including the Caribbean and South Africa, will be hit with a 50 per cent rise in APD. Those flying up to 4,000 miles, to destinations such as Egypt and the US, will pay 33 per cent more in tax and those travelling up to 2,000 miles will pay nine per cent.

The increase in duty was announced by the last Labour government and the coalition has stuck to the plans.

Airlines and the travel industry have combined in a chorus of disapproval at the increases, with Sir Richard Branson's airline Virgin Atlantic saying the rises will make family holidays "unaffordable for many".

Manchester Airports Group's external affairs director Jonathan Bailey said the rise would make regional UK airports less attractive to international carriers, leading them to choose alternative hubs such as Amsterdam or Frankfurt.

He said Manchester and other regional gateways are more price sensitive than London's airports, where airline demand exceeds supply. There are more corporate headquarters in and around the capital and the high level of business traffic means the impact of the hike in duty is likely to prove negligible, he said.

"Manchester and other regional airports in the UK are more price sensitive. If airlines can make more money elsewhere, they will," said Mr Bailey.

"We believe the tax will threaten the quality of routes into Manchester, with the biggest risk on long-haul services."

The rise in APD could jeopardise attempts by airport chiefs to attract services to emerging markets such as China and India in particular, he warned.

He said the decision by Air Asia X could prove to be the 'tip of the iceberg'.

Air Asia X's chief executive Azran Osman-Rani said: "AirAsia X is keen to launch into a second European point in February 2011. The success of our Kuala Lumpur - London route, which has grown the overall market by 30 per cent, has made us keen to further our reach into Europe. Unfortunately, we couldn't include Manchester in this process due the the very high APD from the UK.

"APD has an adverse impact on all airlines and passenger traffic into and from the UK and makes regional airports less attractive, because of the lower yields that airlines are able to derive from them. We have consequently decided to look instead into expanding into other European ciities which do not tax travellers and airlines with excessive taxes."

The amount currently collected in APD is £2bn a year and the figure is set to rise to £3.8bn over the next five years.

The Confederation of British Industry said the UK was one of only a handful of countries which tax passengers in this way, citing the examples of Holland and Belgium as countries which have scrapped proposals because they would have damaged their countries' competitiveness.

Neil Bentley, the CBI's director for business environment, said: "The big rise in air passenger duty coming into force will hit tourists and business travellers alike, with some facing a 55 per cent increase in tax on their ticket price. This could discourage foreign visitors coming to the UK as the tax affects them when they leave the country, hitting British tourism and trade."

The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK), which represents more than 80 airlines, said the rises would affect not only UK residents but those travelling to the UK.

British airlines pilots' union Balpa described APD as a "poll tax of the skies" which would "hurt families, hurt business and export British jobs to our near neighbours".

Brendan Gold, civil aviation national secretary for the Unite union, said: "This is a retrograde step which will increase the burden on passengers, putting even more jobs at risk."

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel organisation Abta, has urged holidaymakers "to make their views known to their MP and stop further increases in this flying poll tax".

Colin Matthews, chief executive of airport operator BAA, said: "While we must all play our part in the recovery, we need sensible tax policy that doesn't stunt growth and damage our competitiveness as this does.

"Ultimately, increasing APD will hurt consumers and businesses alike as it makes it more expensive to fly from the UK compared with other countries.

"The knock-on effects of this will be long-standing and bigger, more environmentally-efficient jets will not be able to fly from our airports if passengers decide they can only afford to fly long-haul from our European neighbours instead."

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Chinese lantern fears raised by Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport is warning of the dangers of Chinese lanterns – amid fears they could bring down a plane, MEN reports. Bosses are asking people who live under the flight path not to use them after becoming concerned they could pose a threat to aircraft. They say they have seen a boom in their popularity and are worried they could distract pilots at ‘crucial’ moments on the approach to the runway.

The lanterns – mini hot-air balloons made up of flame and wire – are considered good luck in the Far East and can soar over a mile into the sky. The lanterns, which are used in celebrations, can be bought for just £2. They are visible for up to 20 minutes on a clear night.

As well as fears they could dazzle pilots, lanterns could be sucked into the aircraft engine – with potentially lethal consequences. They are already banned in some European countries, including Germany and Austria, but no restrictions are in force in Britain.

An airport spokesman told the newspaper: ‘Chinese lanterns are becoming more and more popular but they are completely unguided and wind dependent and even the ones made out of bamboo contain metal parts. You don’t need to be an engine specialist to know that a piece of metal getting into an aircraft engine can’t be good news.'

‘Unlike fireworks, nobody actually knows what range and height they can manage and pilots say they can get to several thousand feet. Lanterns can also dazzle a pilot at a critical moment in the flight. We don’t want to be party poopers but we have to protect the safety of passengers, aircraft and our neighbours.'

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[lbaspotter]

I see PIA used A Boeing 747-300 on the PK701 Islamabad-Manchester service on Sunday, November 14th 2010 for the first in in a long while.

Are these jumbo's about to make a return to Manchester operations seen that there ban for use in European airspace has been lifted recently and replace some of the Boeing 777's ops?

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Manchester Airport issue Chinese lantern warning

Manchester Airport has warned against launching Chinese lanterns beneath its flight paths, saying that they ‘could bring down a plane’. The tissue paper lanterns, which can float up to a mile into the air when they are lit, are often constructed with metal wire. Austria and Germany have already banned the lanterns but there are no restrictions in force in the UK .

The warning comes ahead of Chinese New Year on 3 February, when lanterns are released during the two-week festival. Remnants from more than 60 were found on the runway over the Christmas period.

Tim McDermott, Manchester Airport's Operations Director, said: ‘You don't need to be an engine specialist to know that a piece of metal getting into an aircraft engine can't be good news. Unlike fireworks, nobody actually knows what range and height they can manage and pilots say they have seen them at several thousand feet.'

Mark Swan, Director of Airspace Policy at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said: ‘Unfortunately, these lanterns do pose a very real safety risk to aircraft. They can be ingested into the engines of airborne aircraft and also become debris on runways. We urge anyone releasing lanterns to think carefully about the consequences to aviation and if necessary to contact local airports well in advance to warn them of the impending release.’

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[News Guru]

[textarea]New control tower for Manchester Airport

A new air traffic control tower is to be built at Manchester Airport. The 60m-high tower will be the second highest in the UK.

Tim McDermott, Manchester Airport's operations director, said that the new tower will be ‘a fantastic new addition to the Manchester skyline’. Building work on the new tower, which will be sited next to the north fire station, is expected to be completed by 2013.

The present 40-year-old air traffic control centre on top of the tower block will be reviewed as part of the renovating process. It will have 360-degree panoramic views, offering views of the entire airfield.

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[Jordan-34092]

Im guessing it London Heathrow that has the highest ATC tower in the UK?

 

[User0001]

yep.

In other news, they are starting to build a new 12 foot high wall around the beer garden of the airport hotel.

This, along with the closing and blocking off of moss lane means that pretty soon, there will only be 2 areas to watch aircraft from, the MSCP and the AVP.

 

[Jordan-34092]

the AVP the best one to view from, i was there yesterday and you got an amazing view across the runways and watched the A380 take off on 2nd runway, i was also told by a guide why the A380 cant take off on 1st runway.

 

[User0001]

well, the A380 can take off from 23R (runway 1), its just its easier and quicker to go for 23L (runway 2)

 

[Jordan-34092]

actually it isnt that, the reason they don't use the first runway to taker off like all other aircraft is cause when it lines up on the runway it interferes with the ILS and cause it to mess up, this is cause of it's size so they use the 2nd runway when it to take off, it why you only see the A380 use the 2nd runway during the quiet hours.

 

[User0001]

well, the A380 has used Runway 1 plenty of times, including its first flight to MAN.

I dont know what the guy was on about to be honest, there is no reason why the A380 would interfere with the ILS more than say, a B777/B747.

The original reason for the non-use of Runway 1 was mainly down to the disruption it would cause the 50-gates at T3 due to the proximity to the terminal.
They have since discovered it wasnt as bad as first thought to allow it.
The use of Runway 2 is to still ease disruption and give it a quick departure.

 

[pilot_737]

Concorde Lover, be warned world_rep knows his stuff about MAN!

 

[User0001]

I do try Pilot ben

 

[Jordan-34092]

It what all the people who work at manchester airport are telling people and they are bound to know there stuff too

 

[tleeds]

Hi all,

I was watching flightradar24 tonight (22/04/2011 at around 2115pm) and I cant help but noticing no aircraft departing or arriving into MAN. There are aircraft due to land at MAN circling over Liverpool and the Peak District area but nothing seems to be able to get near the airfield.

Can anyone shed any light onto this??

Thanks, Tom