TRANSPORT | Airport

[Metrolink]

Seems the last thread is gone, so I'll start a new one.

Today is the 20th anniversasry of the plane crash at Manchester airport that killed 55 people.

This crash led to many improvements in plane saftey that we all take for granted today.

The MEN is carrying this story...

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/me..._years_on.html

Manchester air disaster: 20 years on

FAMILIES and friends of the 55 people who died in the Manchester air disaster were due to gather at the airport today to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.

Survivors and representatives from the emergency services were also due to attend the private memorial service for the passengers and crew.

The catastrophe happened when the Boeing 737 flying in the colours of British Airtours, was heading down the runway ready to take off with holidaymakers bound for Corfu.

It was travelling at 140mph when the port engine exploded and debris punctured the wing and a fuel tank.

The plane's captain was able to abort take off and, following procedure, turned the plane off the runway towards the fire station.

But the change of direction meant that the flames quickly spread to the rear of the aircraft.

The way the seats were arranged around the emergency exits impeded the attempts to evacuate the plane as deadly fumes soon spread and the rear escape chutes could not be operated.

Firemen were at the scene within minutes and many of the people sliding down the two front chutes on the aircraft were smothered in foam being used to put out the flames. Eighty two people managed to escape but 55 others, including two cabin crew, were killed.

William Beckett's daughter Sarah, 18, was flying by herself for the first time and was due to take a job as a nanny when she died in the tragedy.

Trauma

Mr Beckett, 59, from Sheffield, said: "When you take one person away from the family it leaves a huge void and the whole chemistry of the family changes. It is desperately difficult to adjust and to come to terms with. You manage, but it's always there."

Mr Beckett, who has three other grown-up children, revealed that he was nearly involved in a head-on crash as he drove Sarah to the airport on that fateful day. He said: "I sometimes think what might have happened if we had crashed and been unable to get to the airport."

The family trauma was made worse in the aftermath as Sarah's death was not officially confirmed until five days after the crash.

One air hostess, Joanna Toff, dragged passengers to safety from the blazing aircraft. She was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal for bravery after crawling to reach choking passengers and drag them to the escape chute of the wreck.

The former stewardess - who has since married and is now Joanna Caston - saved many passengers, including a young girl who was trampled underfoot in the stampede to escape.

She lives in France but was due to fly in for the service.

Survivor Lindsay Davies, of Sale, 44, said: "It has changed my life but very positively. I am the most outgoing, optimistic, laid back and happy person. I realise you could be there one minute and gone the next."

Geoff Muirhead, chief executive of Manchester Airport Group said: "Today we should remember the people who lost their lives 20 years ago and our thoughts are with their relatives, the survivors of the incident and the people involved in the rescue operation on that day - many of whom are due to attend a special remembrance service at Manchester Airport.

"Aviation remains the safest form of public transport because the industry continues to make safety its highest priority."

[Scarecrow]

Such a shame that safety only becomes an issue when enough people have been killed. Same with pretty much everything in life.

[Metrolink]

Right, cannot find old thread so here is a new one, according to PPRUNe Forums, there is a rumour that tomorrow EasyJet will announce they are going to be setting up in Manchester as one off their bases...

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...73#post2074073

[andysimo123]

I dont think we have ever had a thread for the Airport. It should be good if they set up in Manchester, even more cheap flights for us.

[Jongeman]

From what I know of pprune.org, it's full of unsubstantiated rumours.......I know, coz sometimes I spread 'em!

No seriously, lots of what gets talked about on there never happens. If easyjet were to take over Jet2, then we might see a new EZY hub.

[andysimo123]

EasyJet fuels air price war

BUDGET airline easyJet has been given the all-clear to fuel a Manchester Airport price war.

The no-frills airline, which has secured key summer landing slots, has spent millions buying 20 new Airbus jets and plans a huge expansion.

The airline's bosses are expected to make a final decision in the New Year on whether to take advantage of their new summer slots.

EasyJet says the move doesn't mean they will pull out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, where it operates 13 cut-price routes and is in the fourth year of a 20-year deal.

Airline spokeswoman Samantha Day said: "We have been talking to Manchester for a number of years, but now we have taken the additional step of applying for the slots.

"Manchester is getting very busy and it's important we get our foot in the door - there's no point in deciding to go to Manchester if the airport is full.

"We have applied for the slots for summer 2005 and we will make a decision on them early in the New Year. Even if we don't take up the slots, we will apply for slots for the winter of 2005.

"We are due to take delivery of 20 new Airbus aircraft next year and we have to decide where to put them."

A statement from Manchester Airport said: "We are not aware of any firm plans by easyJet to come next year. If they do, they will be welcome alongside our other airlines."

However, an airport source told the M.E.N: "They've never applied for slots before.

"Even if they don't start in the summer, I think it would be just a matter of time. It would be great for passengers, who would have even more choice."

The arrival of easyJet would represent a major coup for Manchester and reinforce its new crown as the budget flights capital of the north.

The title had belonged to Liverpool until Manchester which embarked on a controversial cost-cutting drive, slashed landing fees and attracted a series of no-frills operators.

Last year, bmibaby became the airport's first major budget airline and now flies to 14 destinations.

This summer, bmibaby will operate 10 routes from Manchester after dropping Paris and Barcelona from its schedule.

A spokeswoman said: "We are confident we have a successful route mix from Manchester now. If easyJet do decide to operate out of Manchester, we will comment further."

During the week, the airport's latest arrival, Jet2.com, started the first of 11 a raft of new routes and then announced they would add be adding a 12th route to Amsterdam from £60 return including taxes.

Increasing competition has forced British Airways, which has already slashed many fares in response, to fight back with new routes and offers.

The new arrivals also helped Manchester pass the 20 million passengers a year mark barrier for the first time in February. Within two months, it had passed the 21 million mark.

Tim Jeans, managing director of Monarch Scheduled, whose seven services from Manchester to Spain and Portugal, are in direct competition with the new arrivals at the airport, said: "If easyJet arrive, it will be yet more competition and it will depress fares again.

"It will be good news for the passengers, bad news for the airlines."

"There are lots of reasons why an airline might apply for slots. One of them may be that easyJet is a bit upset with Ryanair launching so many routes from Liverpool earlier this year."

BA said it carried 2,685,000 passengers in November - a drop of 0.2 per cent compared with the same month last year.


Thats from 7 months ago. It says "Even if we don't take up the slots, we will apply for slots for the winter of 2005". It could happen. 20 news planes need somewhere to be based it may as well be Manchester.

[Metrolink]

andy, that story is about a year old, they never took up those landing slots, and nothing came off it.

[andysimo123]

Read the part which I said about. Winter 2005 not Summer.

[Metrolink]

ooops, sorry, didn't read it properly.

[Metrolink]

jongeman - I hope for your sake that we don't get daily flights to Hong Kong.

[Priscilla QOTD]

I don't see why we shouldn't get them. We always used to have a daily HKG flight - it only stopped in the wake of 9/11.

Thanks for bringing this thread back to life - we did have one but it was on the transport and infrastructure board.

[rolybling]

Well if Ez jet come to Manchester Airport won't that mean bad news for Liverpool John Lennon airport? Afterall a lot of people from Greater Manchester travel to Liverpool to fly on ezjet which obviously boosts Liverpools passenger numbers and indeed its economy, just wondering if it will effect them.

[Jongeman]

Metrolink - I'll probably sell tickets to view this spectacle!

Priscilla - Cathay are apparently returning, although it's not known when. One of the reasons they stopped (IMO) was because they joined OneWorld, along with BA which as we know, likes to cram passengers through Heathrow, like cattle.

Rolybling - Easyjet are committed to Liverpool for a few years to come. The expectation is that services from MAN would complement LPL operations. Passenger numbers might change, but there are enough pasengers from the NW to support both. I think Liverpool can hold its own now, for example more people fly from there to Barcelona and Nice than from Manchester.

[Metrolink]

roly - I doubt very much they'd put planes on similar routes, they wouldn't want to compete with themselves.

I am simewhat sceptical about this move anyway.

[Craig]

I have to say that the growth of Manchester Airport has been a bit dissapointing over the last few years. I did a study as part of my thesis circa 9/10 years ago and back then they were really confident that MAN would overtake Gatwick in terms of passenger numbers to become the 2nd busiest after Heathrow.

[highriser]

Extra flights announced today


Wednesday, 7th September 2005
Iran on winter schedule
Kevin Feddy


NEW DESTINATIONS: Iran and MoroccoFLIGHTS to Iran and Morocco and the return of services to Barbados and Trinidad are the highlights of Manchester Airport's winter programme unveiled today.

Airport bosses say the new routes should help boost passenger numbers by 6.4 per cent on winter 2004, by 440,000 to 7.4 million.

They say it shows the traditional divide between summer and winter travel is gradually being replaced by a year-round approach by travellers.

Mahan Air is to start twice-weekly flights to Tehran from Saturday, December 10. The Iranian-based carrier already flies into Birmingham but sees an opportunity in the north west.

It will operate services on Saturdays and Wednesdays using an Airbus with 210 seats, including 18 in business class.

The airline's UK director Ali Moghimi said the flights would connect with onward services to India and Thailand.

Mahan hopes to attract students, their relatives, tourists and businesspeople on the route.

British Airways' franchise operator GB Airways is launching twice-weekly services to Marrakech on Tuesday, November 1. It will be the first direct scheduled link between Manchester and Morocco.

British West Indies Airways is reviving twice-weekly services to Trinidad via Barbados after a break for essential aircraft maintenance. Also, bmi is adding a Monday flight to Barbados to make three services a week. American Airlines will fly to Miami between January and the end of March.

On short-haul routes, Sky Europe is introducing twice-weekly flights to Salzburg from December 3, using 133-seater Boeing 737 jets.

Swiss International Air Lines is to use a bigger aircraft on its flights to Zurich, Aer Lingus and Ryanair are increasing capacity on Manchester- Dublin services and bmibaby is going up to four daily flights to Belfast.

As reported, airlines axing routes including bmi to Washington DC and BA CitiExpress to a range of European cities.

Manchester Airport managing director John Spooner said he expects to see as many people passing through terminals this winter as in the whole of summer 2003.

He said: "People are adventurous and more likely to take their main holiday at a time that suits them, rather than feel that they have to follow the traditional winter ski and summer sun formula."

[highriser]

In today's application's,,are they expecting busy times ahead?

Woodhouse Park 076789/FU/2005/S2 30/08/2005 Land At Thorley Lane/ Outwood Lane Woodhouse Park Continuation of use of land as a 4240 space long stay airport car park

[EarlyBird]

Manchester Airport is the largest airport in the country outside the South East and among the fastest growing airports in Europe. Manchester Airport is the international gateway to the North of England and a major business asset for the Manchester city region. The Airport is located in South Manchester and occupies approximately 600 ha of land. The Airport directly employs some 17,000 people on site and indirectly, via airport related services and within the supply chain, is responsible for a further 35,000 jobs in the North West. The airport makes a major contribution to the attractiveness and the success of the city region and the North of England and is estimated to make an equivalent contribution of £1.7 billion to national GVA.

Manchester is already the primary airport for the North of England and provides both the capacity and the track record to deliver a major programme of expansion. Together with the existing and growing business offer, Manchester has the critical mass to deliver the benefits from the aviation sector’s growth due to the following key assets:

• The intensity of international and knowledge based businesses will complement and fuel demand for a growing airport and with further route development, particularly for business markets, can enhance the Manchester city region’s position as an international centre for the knowledge economy.
• The existing transport infrastructure – the city region has the basis of an integrated transport network and, with the proposed expansion of Metrolink, and creation of cross modal links, has the opportunity for an effective and sustainable transport infrastructure.

Accelerating Growth in the Manchester city region

Government policy is to support projected growth in passenger numbers from 21 mppa to 40 mppa over the next 10 years. The direct benefit of this will be the creation of at least 18,000 jobs (and an additional 36,000 within the supply chain). Further growth over the period to 2030 will bring a further contribution to the national GVA of £3 billion and 54 mppa. The planned increase in passenger numbers will consolidate Manchester’s position as the pre-eminent airport for the North of England. Significant investment in transport infrastructure and the selective provision of land to enable expansion of the airport and its operational functions will enable the airport to fully realise its role as a key driver of the Northern and city region economy, whilst maintaining its high environmental standards in relation to noise and air quality.

Access to an international airport is a clear prerequisite for the development of a knowledge economy and to create the connections required to foster Manchester Science City. The continued growth and expansion of Manchester Airport is a vital component of the success of the Manchester city region and is crucial to the city region’s ability to attract globally mobile high value added inward investment. Access to an increasing range of air services, especially long haul, will be key to attracting and retaining economic activity, especially in the growth sectors identified in the Regional Economic Strategy. A key new component will be to raise the Airport’s and the city region’s competitiveness by maximising the Airport’s economic impact and regeneration effect.

Consideration will need to be given to how commercial development arising from the growth of the Airport can be accommodated within the city region. Particular consideration will need to be given to realising local regeneration benefits and the overall contribution of Airport growth to the offer of the Regional Centre and the wider city region economy.

I didn't know the airport was aiming for 54 mppa by 2030. I wonder what all the other regional airports' targets are.

[Metrolink]

PPRuNe says direct flights to Iceland and Cape Town to start in the new year.

[SmartCity]

Originally Posted by EarlyBird

I didn't know the airport was aiming for 54 mppa by 2030. I wonder what all the other regional airports' targets are.

I wish you wouldn't class Manchester a regional airport. Manchester is an Intercontinental airport, it should really be seen as similar to London Gatwick or Heathrow. Although Manchester is struggling to get additional major continental flights to compete with the London airports, it must still be classed as a major airport. You can safely say, anything over 10m passengers the airport is major.

Airports like Liverpool, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle are regional airports (even though the services from these airports should not be limited to 'regional European destinations'.)