Manchester: Cathay Pacific News & Flight Discussion

[User0001]

Well, after years of dithering, and even going as far as putting the route on sale in 2005, Cathay Pacific look to be starting passenger flights once more from Manchester.

I have heard a very strong and credible rumour at work that they are about to start a 6 weekly flight. Not only this, but a worker at the airport has been asked to provide quotes for long haul crew transport 6 days a week in Manchester. This was to start in March 2013.

Lastly, and the most definitive piece to the jigsaw, is that Hong Kong has appeared on the Manchester Airport website direct destination map in the past few days, with the 'destination info' link page still to be uploaded (much in the same way 'Southampton' appeared on the destination info page at Vueling, yet Vueling denied flights were starting only to announce them a few weeks later.)

 

[User0001]

According to a normally very reliable poster on another site, Cathay Pacific will begin B747-800 flights from 19th December.

CX38 will be B747-800 from this date, and the other weekly flight will remain on the B747-400ERF.

As far as I know, MAN will be the only UK airport to see regular B747-800 and A380 flights at the moment.

 

[thunderchild]

Why and when did Cathay pull out of MAN?

 

[User0001]

I think the year was in the late 90's (may be wrong however), and was cited that the MAN sector was unprofitable (it was a tag on from Paris/Amsterdam, so why fly a gas guzzling A340 from CDG-MAN when you can fill it at CGD anyway and cut out the MAN stop.)

It was due to be resurrected in 2005 as part of a HKG-DME-MAN flight 4 weekly on an A340-300, to the point the route was even put on sale. Then bmi kicked up a fuss about not being allowed to serve UK-Moscow but CX was allowed, so the rights were revoked and just HKG-DME was launched.

Cathay have now stated that MAN will be launched in 2015/2016, whenever the A350 arrives.

Incidentally, Cathay was not the only failed launch of MAN-HKG in recent years. Oasis Honk Kong had announced HKG-DUS-MAN 4 weekly on a B747-400 just before they failed. Shame as it is a route desperately needed!

 

[User0001]

According to an online article, Cathay Pacific will launch 4 weekly MAN-HKG flights using the B777-300ER from January 2015.

Looks like MAN finally secured the China link so desprately needed.

 

[User0001]

Various sources reporting that Cathay Pacific could announce Manchester as early as next week. There was apparently a banquet with the CEO in Hong Kong where this was mentioned and several employees from CX have stated the same.

 

[User0001]

Cathay Pacific proposed timetable:

CX294 HKG 0100 MAN 0700 M-W-F-S B777-300ER
CX295 MAN 1200 HKG 0655 M-W-F-S B777-300ER

Schedule effective 08-12-14

Flights will use T2 at MAN.

 

[User0001]

And here it is, Manchester's 6th new long haul route in 2014, 2nd Far east carrier, only scheduled China link outside London. Whichever way you say this, its only good news.

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_GB/a ... ember.html

Confirmed timetable:

CX357 HKG 0100 MAN 0600 Mon, Tue, Thu and Sat
CX358 MAN 1200 HKG 0755 Mon, Tue, Thu and Sat

B777-300ER in 3 classes from 8th December 2014.

A long time coming but great news they are finally transporting passengers from Manchester once more instead of just boxes.

 

[LBA787]

Congratulations MAN! :hatsoff:

Fantastic to see longhaul growing at such a rapid rate. So Cathay are Back with passenger operations. What happens to the freighter services will they cease?

:crazy:

 

[Jordan-34092]

As far as i have found out LBA787 the Freighter service is to stay for the time being.

 

[LBA787]

I see the freighter services are due to stop. Shame but it was to be expected albeit slightly earlier than I thought.

Do you have any idea how the pax services are selling user001? I for one really hope it doesn't force SQ out of MAN as I have some very fond memories of their 744's!!

:crazy:

 

[User0001]

I see the freighter services are due to stop. Shame but it was to be expected albeit slightly earlier than I thought.

CX Cargo are pulling all but 10 weekly freighter flights from Europe. LHR/MAN/CDG drop down to an ad-hoc basis. Its going to be strange not seeing a CX tail at MAN for a few months, but at least the passenger flights will have a higher frequency to take up the lost cargo space.

Do you have any idea how the pax services are selling user001? I for one really hope it doesn't force SQ out of MAN as I have some very fond memories of their 744's!!

The CX flights are selling very well. The Business class cabin on the first week for example is already selling 23-28 seats per flight, which is very positive.

As for SQ, they may just be holding their own. They were 33% up in April, which averages out at 157 per flight. No mean feat when you consider the flight stops off at MUC and only holds 278 passengers, so MAN fills more than half the plane than a supposedly busier and wealthier MUC. If SQ went direct again, I suspect the loads could pick up given much of China and Australia could be reached in the more desirable 1 stop rather than 2 stop.

 

[Manniashraf]

Hi guys just wanted to finish this jigsaw in my brain by asking why Cathay have still got TR on the flights to manchester (travel restrictions). Has this still not been cleared? Also looks as if tickets are selling at a rapid rate as on the first flight it's saying 4 tickets left available in economy class... That's good news

Also any news on any direct mainland china flights guys I really would like to see another Chinese carrier on the listings here.
Thanks in advance.... leasantry: :whiteflag:

 

[Manniashraf]

First flight tomrrow. Does anybody know what seating pax is like? Can't belive it's aleady started!

 

[Comet]

From all accounts a good load.

However the first flight was due to depart HKG at 0100 local. It only started boarding at 0126. I would say about 1 hour late at present

 

[andyc941]

It is being operated by B-KQO and looks to of made up some time ETA MAN now is 06:20

 

[User0001]

Don't be surprised to see an 0500-0530 arrival some days!

FR24 has CX357 as a 0439 arrival!!! (A time slot CX could only dream of at LHR).

 

[Manniashraf]

Does anyone know what time this flight will be coming In during the summer time BST?

 

[andyc941]

. Arrival time at MAN changes to 07:00 03/03/2015.Info from plane mad

 

[Manniashraf]

Hello people,
Any PAX on todays cathay flight on how many came into manchester and how many out?

Regards manni