Manchester Airport - General Thread

[marni1971]

I have flown 3 times during the pandemic; once towards the end of summer 2020 (Dalaman), and twice this year at either end of the summer (Mallorca & Cyprus). All 3 were from BHX to which I am local.

I'm not sure which airline you are referring to, but all 3 of my flights were with Jet2 and the cabin crew were nowhere near as harsh as the ones on your flights sounded. They were nothing but polite actually. Some passengers try to take this p*ss with face masks and not complying with the disembarking rules, however the cabin crew were quick to intervene with no more scorn than they with any disruptive passenger before covid.

Whilst I usually groan at the pre-recorded, Jess Gylnne soundtrack announcements, all covid announcements were done in this manner and didn't bother me in the slightest. In fact on the latest flight, the arrival announcement of "some airports may have temperature checks" actually finally felt more like we were living with Covid and just getting on with life.

All 3 flights were 95% plus full.

Given the level of detail in the covid announcements, they sound to me like there are a government requirement and that airlines are required to inform passengers of particular details. Obviously it's up to the airline and individual crew to decide how to deliver these announcements, but at no time did the presence of them make me wish I wan't there. If anything it made me appreciate my holiday even more.

I suspect if we make it through this winter without taking a massive step backwards, travelling abroad next summer will feel very different. By then, most people over the age of 12 will have been vaccinated in the UK as well as elderly and vulnerable having had booster jabs. The majority of Europe and North America will be in a similar position, whilst most of Asia, Oceania & S.America will likely be where we are now. Africa will be the odd one out. I suspect by next summer no tests will be required to travel unless you're not vaccinated.

Despite being very slow to act in opening up international travel, since the end of the summer the government has rolled back restrictions on international travel almost exponentially. If you'd told me 2 months ago if you were fully vaccinated you'd only need to take a lateral flow test after arrival in the UK and that the green and amber list had been scrapped with the red list only having 7 countries on it, I wouldn't have believed you.

To second that, we flew with Air France last September snd this September. Pleasant cabin crew who were constantly walking the aisle and politely asking anyone whos mask had “slipped” to pull it up. Announcements were similarly pleasant and to the point without being rude. 5 flights and requirements were politely enforced. And all flights were at least 90% full.

Returning, full enforcement of requirements were made at the gate. 4 passengers were denied boarding due to not having the required documentation (one was overheard saying he started filling in the locator form but it was too much of a faff. His loss)

 

[EGCC_MAN]

To be fair, I have made four recent flights with the airline concerned. Only one featured the cabin attendant who appeared to be having a bad day. The others had the customary announcements but were generally fine. I have also flown with British Airways (2) and Ryanair (2) during the pandemic era, and both were fine. Not too OTT. Ryanair up again for me in a couple of weeks time.

 

[marni1971]

US re opens air borders November 8.

 

[LS@MAN]

Next airline to move over to T2 is Pegasus from 22nd October

 

[Scottie Dog]

14
October
2021

Manchester Airport - The Road to Recovery​

by Karen Smart, Managing Director, Manchester Airport
The last 18 months have been the toughest the aviation industry has faced in its entire history, with traffic levels dropping to as low as 5% of usual volumes at the height of the pandemic.
It has been heart-breaking to see our once thriving terminals at a fraction of their capacity, and in some cases mothballed completely.
It has been equally as heart-breaking to see travel return to something much closer to “normal” across the continent, while we have felt stuck in first gear, despite the success of our vaccination programme and low infection rates in the most popular destinations for our customers.
Prolonged restrictions on travel have undoubtedly held back our recovery to date, as customers found themselves grappling with confusing guidance or requirements, and the associated cost of testing.
However, after changes to the Government’s travel restrictions were announced last week, we are feeling a sense of excitement about our airports starting to return to how we knew them before the pandemic.
Bookings have surged on the back of the simplification of the traffic light system, and again after it was confirmed more destinations would move off the red list and that PCR tests will no longer be required for those returning to the country by the end of the month.
And our excitement is two-fold, because we have been able to welcome back so many of our colleagues, who have spent time on furlough over the past 18 months or so. Being able to bring them back just at the time we will start to see travel resume in earnest feels extra special.
For so many families, it must have been hard to decide whether to holiday at home, or just to give up on the idea of a trip away for another year. But, with all the positive developments I have referenced taking place, we are all hopeful we will see a meaningful increase in passenger numbers during the October half-term next week – and that it will be a springboard for bookings to continue to grow during winter and into 2022.
That is reflected by the confidence we are seeing from our airline partners, as they either return to the airport, start new services from Manchester or increase frequency on existing routes.
A great example - and a sign of its confidence in the North - is Aer Lingus choosing Manchester as its first transatlantic base in the UK, with flights starting on 20th October to Barbados. I look forward to December when the Irish flag carrier starts further services to Orlando and New York, with the latter being a key trade route for many businesses across the North.



Other examples include the return of longstanding carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, both of which connect the North with the Far East and beyond. Our Middle Eastern carriers have grown back at a great pace as we recover, offering a range of options to the UAE, Doha and beyond, plus it’s great to have Ethiopian Airlines back ensuring we are connected to Africa.
By the end of the year we will have a number of direct connections back to the USA. The States is one of our most important markets, with more than 1.6m passengers from our catchment travelling there each year pre-Covid from Manchester Airport. Not only are these links great from a leisure and tourism point of view, but they are also vital as we connect the North to key global powerhouses for trade and investment opportunities.
I have to say one of the strangest experiences of the past 18 months was the opening of our new Terminal Two extension. It was more than five years in the making, but due to the pandemic the launch was put on hold for more than a year, and it finally opened on July 14th.
Those of you who followed the story of our transformation programme will be aware we were gearing up to open the new terminal – the product of the largest investment we have made in our history – to much fanfare and, naturally, wanted as many customers as possible to experience it.
The reality, in this strangest of all years, was far removed from that, with only three flights and a few hundred passengers on the opening day. That, though, did not detract from our sense of pride, or from how momentous an occasion it was for Manchester Airport.



And, in actual fact, it is really nice to know that when people start to fly through Manchester again after such a tough period, the vast majority will get to sample this great new facility. It has the latest travel technology, offering passengers a great experience the moment they arrive, and feedback so far has been great.
One thing that has of course been critical as we launched the new terminal – and across our site in general – is Covid-safety. We want customers to be excited to be travelling again, but feeling safe at all times. That is why we were one of the first airports to implement a range of safety measures including enhanced cleaning, mandatory face coverings, Perspex screens and only travelling passengers allowed in the terminal.
As we emerge from the pandemic and recovery ramps up, sustainability will be a key theme for the entire industry. We’ve led the way in recent years at Manchester and at our other MAG airports, so it will be no different post-Covid. Our Corporate Social Responsibility report is due to be released in the coming weeks and will not only highlight our successes in this arena, but it will detail our commitment to the green agenda for the future.
Looking ahead as we continue to recover, we can still go further, and so in the New Year we’ll be calling on the government to further simplify the travel system, so that international travel can start to feel as it was before the pandemic.
It will be at least until 2024 that we see a return to pre-Covid passenger numbers, but we are hoping for many more new routes in the weeks and months ahead, ensuring we continue to connect the North to key global destinations. The next stages of our transformation programme will continue too, with new baggage systems being the next phase.
Finally, I’d like to thank all our customers and partners for their commitment and understanding during the pandemic and would like to assure them that we have stringent safety measures in place, meaning they can travel with peace of mind wherever they are jetting off to from Manchester Airport.

 

[Scottie Dog]

T2 apparently evacuated due to a suspect package.

 

[LS@MAN]

Does anyone have any idea why Pret have the most insane opening hours?!
Example, closing on a Saturday at 3PM?! I think also opening at 9AM?!
I'm talking about T1...I don't know about T2.

Greggs must be rubbing their hands!

 

[Scottie Dog]

A quick search using my old friend "Mr Google" produced the following:

Opening Hours​

Day of the Week	Hours
Monday	6:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday	6:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday	6:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday	6:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday	6:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday	7:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday	7:00 am - 3:00 pm

 

[LS@MAN]

How many aircraft will Ryanair have based next summer?
Between the Ryanair flights, Loganair, Eastern, BA & Blue Islands…I’m trying to work out if opening T3 will be justifiable in 2022?

Given the likely increase in passenger numbers and aircraft based, I would have thought previous airlines based in T3 will return during next year…

 

[CM.]

Manchester airport is going to be one of the first UK airports to get a supply of sustainable jet fuel article below.

Manchester Airport first to get direct supply of sustainable jet fuel

The sustainable fuel is blended with traditional jet fuel, with a 70% lower carbon footprint.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[LS@MAN]

Any word on when T3 will re-open? With Ryanair increasing flights and based aircraft, its inevitable that eventually there will be a justification to re-open again.
Maybe this question could be asked at the next MACC meeting.

The Ryanair and easyJet domestic/CTA arrivals facility in T1 is not fit for purpose! I witnessed yesterday an Aer Lingus A320 from Dublin and Ryanair 737 from Knock arriving at the same time and some of the coaches full of passengers were waiting 10-15 mins opposite stands 22/24 due to not enough room for more than 1/2 coach at same time dropping off passengers at the domestic/CTA arrivals area

 

[Scottie Dog]

It's always interesting to see what a difference a slight change of time makes. An contact of mine also flew back into Manchester on Ryanair from Dublin and wrote this "Arrival back in Manchester couldn’t have been simpler. Bus from Gate 43 to the CTA exit and walked straight out of T1".

By the way, the answer to your question is that I don't know. I heard a rumour that it might not open until the start of S22.

 

[EGCC_MAN]

Of course, we must keep in mind that aircraft are still using T3 stands for parking even though the passengers are processed through arrival and departure channels in T1. There have been some suggestions that MAG may work towards opening out T1/T3 as a single integrated operation with passengers processed in T1 but able to access T3 gates via airside walkway. That shouldn't be too difficult to achieve if the airport considers it worthwhile. It avoids duplication of staff resources, and whilst walking distances to some T3 gates would be long, they would be comparable to those of other larger European airports as far as no-frills carriers are concerned. For example, at both AMS and DUB the walking distances to the no-frills gates feels like quite a trek.

 

[lfc84]

I landed on a Loganair service from IOM and upon following the signs for arrivals ..... arrived in T3

 

[EGCC_MAN]

Yes, I've had that on a BA Shuttle from LHR as well.

 

[KARFA]

Since around July for BA

BA have gone back to using their old T3 gates now (141-143 usually), so you walk over there when airside, there is nothing open in T3 airside though. Check in and security is still in T1.

When you arrive back it’s exit on to the jetbridge, down the stairs, and out of the normal domestic T3 baggage hall - just like pre covid. There is nothing open landside in T3 though so you have to go back to T1 for taxis etc.

 

[LS@MAN]

@EGCC_MAN thanks for the info.

Since around May/June (I think) T3 arrivals have re-started with BA using stands 42/43 and passengers then collect their luggage from T3 domestic arrivals and exit via T3. I believe Loganair, Eastern and Blue Islands domestic/CTA arrivals did this during the lockdowns anyway.
I have seen some first wave Ryanair departures using T3 stands and passengers bussed from T1 gate 20 to the aircraft...which certainly works fine.

I had heard a few months ago ref an integration of T1/T3 as one terminal. For how long...who knows. The Ryanair and BA check in areas in T3 are sure better in my opinion than the current T1 cramped check in area!
If the T3 security area could be extended and staffed adequately, the overall departures experience wouldn't be as bad...as for the arrivals, the immigration area is way to small to handle multiple Ryanair arrivals! If there is a way of extending this area...it needs to be done for the long term.

Q: Is the current way of getting from the T1 departure lounge to T3 gates only via the corridor you go through now, so once passing the T1 lounges entrance, you proceed down the corridor...you then walk past what are now the reassigned Gates 35/36/37 & 38 on the southern front?
These gates have now been reassigned to be part of T1 assets.

So T1 has Departures B for Ryanair only, but at the moment the current staffing levels for security seems to suggest Security B is not always open and if it is, only 1/2 lanes are available. Departures A Security doesn't seem to fair much better despite many more lanes available, but on my recent 2/3 visits since August, there were about 4/5 lanes open and around 15 min wait.
I assume this particular issue ref the staffing levels is one of the reasons MAG might not re-open T3 for departures...
My question would be though...for arrivals, are passengers going to be bussed to the international arrivals and domestic/CTA arrivals in T1 from the many Ryanair flights that will arrive on T3 stands or will they be processed by immigration and collect their baggage from within T3...although I appreciate these type of questions can't be answered right now...I'm sure management are discussing the way forward for next summer and beyond, of course depending on how things pan out over the winter.

Interesting times ahead...

 

[KARFA]

Q: Is the current way of getting from the T1 departure lounge to T3 gates only via the corridor you go through now, so once passing the T1 lounges entrance, you proceed down the corridor...you then walk past what are now the reassigned Gates 35/36/37 & 38 on the southern front?

yes

 

[Severn]

How many aircraft will Ryanair have based next summer?
Between the Ryanair flights, Loganair, Eastern, BA & Blue Islands…I’m trying to work out if opening T3 will be justifiable in 2022?

Given the likely increase in passenger numbers and aircraft based, I would have thought previous airlines based in T3 will return during next year…

A Monday in August 2022 requires 14x based aircraft at MAN to operate the current schedule - 3 or 4 of which will be RYR UK aircraft.

 

[mullion]

But of course many of the flights are not by based units