Virgin @ Manchester

Just read a news article on the Manchester Airport website, it mentions possible expansion of services at MAN, anyone know when it may happen?

The atricle:

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, commented:

“We are very proud that our award-winning Upper Class Suite is now going to be enjoyed by our passengers that travel between Manchester and Orlando and also our passengers on our upcoming Manchester - Barbados route which launches later this year.

“The Upper Class Suite has been a winner with our passengers and has received rave reviews and prestigious awards for its innovation and style.

“Since starting our operations in Manchester almost 9 years ago Virgin Atlantic has carried over 2.7m passengers. In the future we are looking at expanding our operations to include more destinations in the Caribbean or even to other popular routes in America like Las Vegas - routes which have proved hugely popular with our leisure passengers at Gatwick"

[Nottingham Nick]

Thanks for that.

Interesting that SRB is only considering leisure flights [:(]

Is it that he believes that he will be unable to compete with / beat the exisiting MAN airlines for business pax?

Nick

I guess leisure flights would be better than no more VS flights! I would sertainly welcome a trip to Vegas with VS!

I find it hard to believe VS think they coundlt compete with current Business provision from MAN. Ive only ever flow economy with VS so i get to walk past the nice seats every time, they look amazing! Easily something they could compete on!

I dont claim to know anything about airline planning but do a deal with BMI and utilise their European and UK network to feed customers into some more longhaul flights from MAN!

Am i crazy?

I think there is a bigger market for VS holidays, and in general, for sunny flights from Manchester. I think the majority of business travellers fly into LHR anyway for business there, but VS code share with SQ, DL, CO, BMI and SK anyway. In theory, the virtual network from Manchester is quite large.

Ill be nice to see two VS tails at the Airport instead of PIA everywhere!!

Yeah would be nice to see more VS tails, though its nice to see MAN with alot of heavey aircraft! When i was baggage handling you could hear the PIA flights from a mile off!

Manchester is certainly the heathrow of the north of england although to be fair is only 90 mins from Birmingham so has a large catchment area. I'm surprised that more scheduled routes arent flown from man as the south has limited slots available.

[preiffer]

Isn't MAN the next likely airport to receive the A380, after LHR?

What A380 carriers have suggested using MAN?

I constantly wonder at why more services arent run from MAN as mentioned before if slots are restricted in London, just time the shuttle services and run them from MAN, id love to see the A380 at MAN but doubt it will come! Anyone know what the construction is going on at MAN?

Yes, I do.

Man isnt going to cater for the A380 in a rush. The A380 requires a double decker peir for a start. Terminal 2 is due to burst wide open this year so they are expanding it. For those who know the airport, they are knocking Staff West dwn and creating a 3 gate extention perpendicular to the existing terminal. This is going to be for larger aircraft, such as the A340, 747 and, depending on the project manager's gumption, the A380. At this time, T2 can't handle more than 2 747's and the enigneer who designed it was fired. When two 747's are in, and this happens 4 nights a week with the PIA and Malaysian, two gates are out of action as the 747's take up too much room to park aircraft adjacent.

But I digress. At a meeting with Manchester Airport last year, I found out that the new runway is too narrow to accomodate the a380 (24L / 06R). The taxi ways are the only major constuctional work being carried out to allow the A380 to turn. At this time, it would run onto the grass. Manchester will only accomodate the A380 remotely. Passengers will be bused to the stand should it arrive. It is only due to arrive for the time being in a case of an emergency. For operations over the atlantic, in an emergency, MAN will be the first port of call for a diversion. There are no operaters yet who will operate the a380. Emirates were contemplating scrubbing the two a330 flights a day for one a380, and im sure Singapore may at some stage upgrade the service.

I must apologise for this being slightly airliners.net, but I sat through hours of speil from the airport directors and havnt had a chance to use it!!

EDIT: Forgot to mention that airlines require it to be boarded in the same time as a 747 is! Thats going to be crazyness to say the least. Also, fire services will need to be upgraded on the airfield AND in the terminal, not to mention bigger baggage carosels, bigger lifts, more immgration and customs and MORE BARS!!! Finally, in the case of a delay, where are 600-800 people going to sleep? I worked at the SAS hotel there, and its full to the brim. More hotels needed!!!

[Nottingham Nick]

SBA

Great reply.. thanks.

It can't be too 'a.net' 'cos I understood it [8D];)

Nick

[preiffer]

Thanks SBA.

I'd heard a while back that MAN was making preparations for the A380, but had figured it was for regular commercial traffic. Hadn't even considered that it would be predominantly for emergency situations initially.

quote:Originally posted by SBA
and MORE BARS!!!

But this is a good thing, isn't it? :D

Cheers

Michael

hmm more bars!;)

I would love to see mor flights from MAN as it is quite a tek to Gatwick from the Midlands or further North. I find Manchester T2 a much nicer place to wait for the flight too than Gatwick or Heathrow(guess who has never used the clubhouse).

[mitchja]

There was a piece on this on last nights local news regarding the expansion of MAN. They want more pax then LGW. The expansion of T2 was mentioned.

My only concern is MAN still curently has more charter flights than schedule flights - maybe this will turn things around.

link here

Regards

Thanks James,

Good news for people living in the north, i did used to feel sorry for them but it seems MAN is going to have many new international routes in the future like LHR or LGW.

The more flights from MAN the better for me, then I can book my airside suite at The Raddisson SAS the night before, its a highlight of my MAN holidays. Can't wait to try UCS from there as well, instead of the Club Orlando.

High time for expansion at MAN its been long overdue, the expansion includes new parking stands for T1 and T2 where will they build them? ALso its mentioned that T2 capacity will go from 7/8 million to 17/18 million surely there building more than 3 additional gates?

Just to bring this topic alive again, I remember hearing from somewhere that T1 will, in the next few years, have to be replaced because it will become overburdened.

Is there any truth in this. All I can say is that T1 handles enough passengers as it is, especailly in the Summer peak because the queues through security are amazing (meaning very long).

(PS Apologies for the irrelevance to VS on this posting)

Well if SRB does have expansion plans for Manchester, we can only hope that these will include a proper Clubhouse! I have yet to take in the Clubhouse experience, but am not looking forward to the Escape Lounge in November - having read some of the Trip Reports on this site, many UC flyers seem to make a quick Escape from this lounge!

Originally posted by Kraken
Well if SRB does have expansion plans for Manchester, we can only hope that these will include a proper Clubhouse! I have yet to take in the Clubhouse experience, but am not looking forward to the Escape Lounge in November - having read some of the Trip Reports on this site, many UC flyers seem to make a quick Escape from this lounge!

It aint that bad, if you leave the lounge you just end up sat in terminal with thousands of chavs and pikeys, just me, it aint pleasant in comparison to the lounge, give me the escape lounge over sitting in the terminal any day. Although I clubhouse at MAN would be awesome.
If we're being honest though, why should Virgin put a club house in at the moment, they really don't operate enough flights to justify it in my opinion.

Hi All

Wow nice to see an old thread of mine resurected!!

I know the airport have announced £25mil redevelopement of the shops recently, they really need to expand T2 quickly its jam packed in th morning, however ive heard developement has been delayed for 2-3 years!?!?!?

Anyway back on VS like many have allready said for the ammount of flights VS have will it be 12 weekly? (MCO 10 weekly plus 1 each to St Lucia/Barbados?) a clubhouse isnt needed, would dearly love to see more B744 or A346 VS a/c here at MAN!

Anyone know what the service is like on VS900 to NRT as I may be flying that in Sep or Nov?