Manchester Airport Consultative Committee (MACC) - Minutes
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Just a reminder, if anybody would like to attend as an observer (no rights to ask any questions), that the next MACC meeting is to be held this coming Friday 18th October at 10am. The venue is the Doubletree by Hilton, Manchester airport.
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Please find below the report of Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport Managing Director, to the MACC.
I have omitted a few paragraphs that include graphs that do not copy in an easy or clear manner.
1. INTRODUCTION
Manchester Airport has had a very successful third quarter in 2024. During the period from July to September 2024, Manchester Airport served over 9 million passengers (9,616,029) reflecting a 7.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The individual monthly breakdown is as follows, July (3,200,000), August (3,357,814) and September (3,057,741). Manchester Airport has served a total of 23,634,671 passengers this year, compared to 21,603,879 passengers in the same period last year, reflecting 9.4% growth.
Furthermore, this quarter marked a historical milestone for Manchester Airport. For the first time ever,
Manchester Airport recorded more than 30 million passengers in a 12-month rolling period. This is a remarkable achievement for Manchester Airport and cements its position as the UK’s global gateway in the North – with more passengers than any airport outside of London. Surpassing 30 million passengers in a year elevates Manchester Airport to a new level of recognition, aligning with Melbourne Airport in Australia and La Guardia in New York. Manchester already boasts the most extensive route network of any UK airport outside of London with over 200 destinations served; reaching this milestone will help the airport compete across Europe for more new routes meaning greater choice, value, and flexibility for travellers from the North.
Regarding Manchester Airport’s security and operations performance across the third quarter of 2024, 97.6% of passengers were processed through security in 15 minutes or less, which is above our target of 95%. 90% of our inbound baggage met the waiting time service level agreement. But our On Time Performance for the quarter was 54% which is under our 72% target, but not unusual given the busy summer schedule.
In September, Manchester Airport revealed the brands that will be coming to Terminal 2 in 2025 as part of Phase Two of the £1.3 billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme. 22 new units will open next year and will include new luxury retailers, including Chanel; big names like Pandora, LEGO and WH Smith. The new food and drink offer for the terminal was also announced – The Great Northern Market - a 472-seat food hall featuring six international street food kitchens - new cafes, bars and restaurants, including Fever-Tree, JD Wetherspoon, and Joe and the Juice; and a new 2,165sqm World Duty Free store. The retailers will provide an unrivalled experience for passengers shopping and dining before they catch their flight. The announcement received positive news coverage, including two stories online and one in print from the MEN, and coverage on BBC Radio Manchester.
During this quarter, Manchester Airport also worked on a series of behind the scenes reports in collaboration with BBC Northwest Tonight, looking at summer preparations and the ongoing work to grow the airport’s route network, amongst other themes. This culminated in a 19-minute documentary available on BBC iPlayer.
In summary, the third quarter of 2024 has been highly successful for Manchester Airport, marked by another exceptional summer period with record-breaking passenger numbers. Manchester Airport has not only managed to handle increased traffic efficiently but also maintained high service standards. This puts Manchester Airport in a strong position for the final quarter of 2024.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has taken the opportunity to buy a patch of land immediately next to its existing site. The seven-hectare Boundary Farm, on Styal Road, is divided into two plots, and is currently vacant.
One of the plots has a number of glasshouses on it and was previously used by vehicle hire firms and for airport car parking by private operators. Having been approached about the opportunity, MAG has bought the site through the acquisition of Boundary Park Holdings Ltd, a special purpose vehicle set up to purchase it from previous owner Boundary Farm Car Park Ltd. MAG does not intend to immediately use the site an will consider all options in due course.
2. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY
Political engagement
Since the 2024 general election results, Manchester Airport has had several positive interactions with regional MPs, hosting four MPs on site, with three further visits scheduled across the final quarter of 2024. There have also been separate MP meetings that have taken place to specifically cover the topic of the Noise Action Plan (NAP); the consultation which closed on the 27th September. Approximately 247 responses to the NAP were received, with the main emerging themes covering Night Flights, Track Keeping, mitigation schemes, and surface access/road traffic.
Manchester Airport colleagues attended both Labour and Conservative Party Conferences in September,
engaging with Cabinet Ministers, MPs and key local stakeholders. Manchester Airports Group hosted panels at both Labour and Conservative Party Conferences, covering the Services Superpower report published earlier in the year with WPI economics. These panel events received positive feedback from attendees.
Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR):
Following Labour’s election victory in July and subsequent change of government, legislation to nationalise the rail network under the remit of a new Great British Railways has been introduced. The impacts upon Manchester Airport are likely to be limited since our train operators, Northern, Transpennine Express, and Transport for Wales, are already publicly owned and controlled.
There has been further progression with the Liverpool–Manchester Railway Board, which is focused on driving delivery of the Manchester to Liverpool section of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). The section runs from
stations in Manchester and Liverpool city centres via new stations at Warrington and Manchester Airport. The Manchester Airport MD sits on the board and attended the recent meeting held in Liverpool during the Labour Party Conference on Monday 23rd September. The meeting launched a prospectus and promotional video detailing the benefits and opportunities of the route, and the creation of the private sector Partnership Board, to be chaired by the former Rail Minister, Huw Merriman. A further Board meeting will be held following the Autumn Statement, whilst Manchester Airport will host the inaugural Partnership Board.
Sustainability MAG continues to advance its sustainability and decarbonisation programme. In the second quarter, the team has:
• Hosted workshops across the Group to prepare our fourth Climate Adaptation report as part of DEFRA’s
fourth round of the Climate Change Adaptation Reporting Power. We collaborated with specialist
consultants to model risks from extreme wind, flooding, and high temperatures. The report is on track
for submission to DEFRA in December 2024 and we are also engaging with Manchester-based
stakeholders as Manchester City Council prepares its first climate adaptation report.
• Submitted our response to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) consultation. The consultation
sought to understand the role of carbon removals, which involves capturing and permanently storing
CO2 from the atmosphere, in the UK ETS. MAG supports the integration of carbon removals into the ETS
as a key component of the aviation industry's decarbonisation efforts.
• Successfully completed the external audit of our CSR and emissions data. The team is now preparing a
suite of documents including a Manchester Airport CSR Progress Update Report along with detailed
datasets that will be available online. The suite of documents is set for publication in November.
• Launched work on our 2025–2030 Sustainability Strategy as we approach the conclusion of our 2020–
2025 CSR Strategy, ‘Working Together for a Brighter Future.’ We are partnering with specialist
consultants to explore best-in-class practices, regulatory requirements, and sustainability topics that
align with our operations. We would like to thank MACC for their contribution to our recent materiality
assessments and workshops that have provided vital insights for this project.
3. PLANNING MATTERS
Changes to the Planning System:
In July 2024,shortly after the General Election, the new Government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for consultation. The changes largely focussed on achieving a step change in the delivery of new housing and involved a reversal of previous changes to the NPPF introduced by the former Government.
Notwithstanding, the Airport made representations in September regarding the need for aerodrome
safeguarding to be considered in the location and design of new housing; how aircraft noise is considered; and support for major infrastructure. The consultation period has now closed, and the Government will consider all the representations made prior to issuing a final version of the revised NPPF. This is anticipated at the end of 2024.
Local Planning Policy:
The Airport continues to liaise with Manchester City Council on their drafting of the Manchester Local Plan, the replacement for the current adopted development plan that dates to 2012. A public consultation draft is anticipated in the coming months. We also reviewed the consultation version of the Styal Neighbourhood Plan but made no formal representations.
Airport or near Airport developments:
• Sydney Avenue replacement – Planning permission was granted by Manchester City Council in early
September for the new vehicular access between Thorley Lane, near its junction with Runger Lane, and
a new road running from the West roundabout at the exit of Terminal 2’s forecourt. New traffic lights
will be installed at this new junction. This new road will replace the existing alignment of Sydney Avenue
and allow greater queuing length to the accommodated within the airport site and cope with the
additional flows around Terminal 2 arising from the completion of MAN-TP and the movement of airlines
across from Terminal 1. The planning permission included the first requirement for Biodiversity Net Gain
(BNG) at the airport – with a redundant taxiway being replaced by airfield grass to compensate for the
vegetation lost at the Sydney Avenue development site.
• Airport Car Parking – Enabling works have recently commenced at the Clough Bank B site close to the
Runway Viewing Park for additional Meet and Greet storage parking following the discharge of all the
pre-commencement planning conditions.
• Airport Hotels – The 412-bedroom Tribe Hotel on land to the rear of the Station and Voyager office
building is very close to completion. Planning permission was granted to Dakota Hotels in September by
Manchester City Council for a 7-storey 154-bedroom hotel off Bailey Lane and a start on site is
anticipated imminently.
• Airport Station – Active discussions are continuing with Network Rail, DfT and local stakeholders to
lengthen three of the rail platforms at the airport station to increase capacity and to improve network
resilience. Subject to detailed design and an approved business case in 2025, these works could
commence in 2026.
• Timperley Wedge / Davenport Green – A public consultation was held over the summer by the private
sector promoters of the Timperley Wedge site, now re-named as Davenport Green, that has been
allocated for substantial employment and housing development in the Places For Everyone Plan. A high
level, indicative masterplan as well as site constraints and opportunities plans were provided and
comments invited from local stakeholders, including Manchester Airport, as well as the local community.
The Airport’s representations focussed upon aerodrome safeguarding issues; the need to model the
traffic associated with the airport, both existing levels and forecast growth; planning for future road,
Metrolink and high-speed rail proposals; and surface water drainage issues. We will continue to engage
directly with the promoters, as well as participating in the next stage of public consultation when it arises.
This is likely to be led by Trafford Council as they integrate the masterplan into a Supplementary Planning
Document.
4. MANCHESTER AIRPORT TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME (MAN-TP)
Phase two of MAN-TP - our £1.3billion transformation programme to revolutionise the customer, colleague, and partner experience - is making good progress.
• Retail announcement – a significant milestone in this period has been the announcement of the new
retail brands and eateries that will be coming to Terminal 2 in 2025. From premium brands to local
favourites, the new shops, bars and restaurants put Terminal 2 on a par with any major international
airport in any capital city.
• Airfield: Construction works are complete on Taxiway Zulu, Manchester’s first full dual code C taxiway,
which will be operational by mid-October, unlocking the taxiway capacity supporting a mix of remote and
contact stands. Construction of the newest section of Taxiway Echo enters its final phase as teams gears
up to begin work in the central gyratory stands. New and dynamic ways of working have proven successful
in enabling contractors to access and install new Airfield Ground Lighting in the busiest stretch of taxiway
at the airport. All of this work will provide capacity required to host the thirteen new stands on Pier 2
and the airlines operating from them.
• Pier 2: Pier 2 is now practically weathertight which means all of the external elements are complete and
the team can start to work on the internal fit out. The FLANs (fixed links and nodes) are also being
installed ready for the airbridges and lift installation enabling works have commenced. Pier 2 will
significantly increase the number of aircraft that can operate from the brand-new-super terminal while
offering passengers more space while they wait. Pier 2 will offer 13 contact stands hosting a flexible
arrangement for both wide and narrow-bodied aircraft.
• East Check-in: The welcome wall is being installed, this will mirror the iconic Manchester Airport
Departures sign we have in the T2 extension (west) and work is ongoing to install the mechanical,
electrical and plumbing elements in the East Check-in hall.
• International Departures Lounge: The T2 Refurbishment works are progressing well. Both floors have
now been complete with the screed been successfully laid on both sides. Cable pulling has commenced
in the new Security Hall (Level 20) and the retail fit outs are now taking place.
• Glazing and cladding are being installed on the South Vertical Circulation Core (SVCC) and escalators have successfully been put in place. This will provide a circulation corridor allowing passengers to easily flow from security to the departure lounge and for arriving passengers to easily get to border control.
• Additionally, the Arrivals Hall work is ongoing with the strip out of the area progressing. This will
eventually allow for an additional seven retail and food and beverage units to be added.
• Landside: We have recently introduced new digital occupancy signage on the T2 departures forecourt.
The dynamic signage means that as motorists arrive at the T2 Forecourt, they are directed to a particular
drop off zone depending on the number of spaces available, improving their experience and helping to
reduce congestion on the forecourt. The next major activity to improve the road network around T2 is
the development of Sydney Avenue, which the team is preparing to start works on imminently.
6. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT – ROUTES AND SERVICES UPDATE
During the quarter, July – September 2024, 9.6m passengers travelled through Manchester Airport. August was Manchester Airport’s busiest on record, and significantly in September Manchester Airport surpassed the rolling 30m annual passenger mark for the first time.
The delivery of 9.6m passengers in the quarter was an 8% increase on 2023 levels (+ 6% in July, +9% in August and + 8% in September).
Year-on-year passenger growth continues to be driven by low-cost carriers, namely Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and TUI who combined grew by a total of +406k passengers versus Q2 2023.
In addition to the growth from the LCCs, numerous long-haul and full-service carriers delivered record results in the quarter, including: Aer Lingus Long-Haul, Hainan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Saudia and Virgin Atlantic.
There have been numerous developments for Manchester Airport’s network in the Quarter, including:
• Juneyao launching a new 3 x weekly service to Shanghai in July, the first time that these two cities have
been connected by a direct service.
• Due to the successful start of Juneyao’s operations at Manchester and strong demand on the route, the
airline has made the decision to increase their schedule from 3 x weekly to daily during the peak winter
season periods.
• Etihad announcing they would increase their operations from 7 to 10 per week in December and
increasing to a double-daily service in Summer 25.
• Hainan Airlines operating a daily service from Manchester to Beijing during Summer whilst announcing
their schedule will remain daily during the peak of the Winter season.
• Cathay Pacific announcing they would increase their flying schedule from five times weekly in S24 to six
times weekly in W24 before increasing further to a daily schedule in S25, a return to their pre-pandemic
schedule at MAN.
• Turkish Airlines operating up to 25 weekly flights through the period, their largest ever schedule from
Manchester Airport.
• FlyOne announcing that they would launch a new service between Manchester and Chisnau, Moldova,
from October.
• easyJet announcing a new 2 x weekly service to Oslo from Winter 24
7. CAR PARKING & SURFACE ACCESS
• Landside Operations: PAX and call volumes have increased since the Summer and volumes have been
high post the spring period, consistent with previous years. M&G volumes have continued to exceed
budgeted forecasts in the second quarter of FY25. The landside control room assisted 290,722 customers
via our car park/forecourt intercoms during July 24 - Sept 24, up from 282,643 the same period in 2023.
Landside NPS continues to remain high when compared across the group, currently running at 49.3%,
down from 50.0% on the previous quarter, against a target of 41.0%.
• Customer Transport delivered average airside bussing SLA performance across the quarter of 92% with
performance improving August and September (94% & 95%), following a below target performance in
July (89%). Landside services continued to perform strongly, supporting a robust and above target NPS
performance throughout the quarter.
• Car Parking: Car park occupancy averaged 99% throughout the quarter, across all self-park and Meet &
Greet products, with both self-park and Meet & Greet performing well across the period. NPS continues
to see a positive uptrend, averaging 62 vs. target 41 and in some products as high as 75. Capacity
balancing across the estate was managed with CAVU partners to mitigate the space loss of T1MSCP,
which continued through Q2 and likely to continue for the balance of year. Further technology
enhancements were trialed ahead of delivery in Q3 of Meet and Greet systems, specifically the migration
to the cloud of ParkIT, the main system supporting operations.
• Manchester Airport Transport Forum: On the 1st October a meeting of the Manchester Airport Transport
Forum was held at the Radison Blu Hotel. The Forum was attended by over 80 delegates from several
different organisations across Greater Manchester and beyond. The theme of the forum discussions was
working in collaboration, with sessions on our collaboration efforts presented by Manchester Airport
Group, Network Rail, TransPennine Express, Transport for Greater Manchester, National Express,
Transport for the North and Arup. We also hosted a marketplace area, where delegates could hear more
from stakeholders such as Northern Rail, Metrolink, and Manchester Airport Transformation
Programme, while also hopping on board the new Bee Network Branded bus, to see the facilities and
features on board. Initial feedback from delegates is that they found the event insightful, and the team
have received interest from at least five organisations wishing to collaborate and present at the Forum
next year.
• Bee Network is Coming: The Manchester Airport Transport Interchange will be included in Phase 3 of
the Bee Network Roll Out which is scheduled to take place on 5th January 2025. We are working with
Transport for Greater Manchester, bus, rail and tram operators to understand what this will mean for
passengers. Over the next twelve weeks we will be working with stakeholders and preparing for the
launch. Updates on any changes for passengers and staff in terms of ticketing and timetabling will be
provided in due course.
• Bee Network Board Meeting: We are keen to strengthen our collaboration efforts with Transport for
Greater Manchester colleagues and are hoping to host one of the Bee Network Board Meetings at the
Airport in coming weeks. The Board is chaired by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, and we hope by
hosting, that we can promote the Bee Network and begin to explore collaboratively the process of
planning for future enhancement/improvements to the Ground Transport Interchange.
• Ground Transport Interchange: We have recently commenced a review of the Ground Transport
Interchange, to reflect the latest circumstances and evolving stakeholder requirements. As part of this
work package, we will take a high-level strategic, operational, and functional look at the Ground
Transport Interchange, seeking to better understand how/if it needs to evolve to meet future passenger
growth and demand.
• Collaboration with National Highways: Manchester Airport has been selected by National Highways to
be included in a pilot study to trial highway demand management techniques, using advance information
and public transport ticketing to encourage passengers to use alternative modes of travel. The pilot
which is currently scheduled to be taking place over February half term, is currently in the planning
stages. The Airport was selected as part of a competitive process, and we welcome the opportunity to
participate in a scheme which has the potential to promote sustainable travel to the airport.
8. MOBILITY SERVICES
CAA rating: We have seen extremely strong performance across all our key measures for Special Assistance services. Our key performance measures for the Civil Aviation Authority to assist pre-booked arriving passengers within 20 minutes, and non-booked arriving passengers within 45 minutes, are at 99.64% and 99.99% respectively for the financial year to date, this surpasses the threshold for a ‘Very Good’ rating from the CAA, and is despite the fact that every month in 2024 has seen growth for PRM’s at Manchester. PRM satisfaction is currently 4.11/5, which again exceeds target of 4/5 for a ‘Very Good’ rating. We received our annual CAA rating in July, Manchester was awarded a ‘Good’ rating, despite surpassing all performance measures we had only held one formal accessibility forum in FY24 as we took the opportunity to restructure it due to dwindling membership.
Passenger experience: As above strong performance has been seen throughout the summer, despite record PRM numbers being seen, particularly in the peak month of September. ABM headcount is at its highest ever and remains strong with summer headcount being carried forward into winter.
12. FUTURE AIRSPACE
Wider Airspace Modernisation update In the London Terminal Manoeuvring Area (LTMA), London Heathrow Airport passed in their second attempt at Stage 2 in July. In the Manchester Terminal Manoeuvring Area (MTMA), Leeds Bradford Airport will submit their third attempt at the Stage 2 Gateway in May 2025.
The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23)
As members are aware, in the Manchester Terminal Manoeuvring Area (MTMA) there are Airspace Change
Processes underway (between ground and 7,000ft) at Manchester (MAN), East Midlands (EMA), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) and Leeds Bradford (LBA) Airports. NATS En Route Ltd (NERL) are undertaking works above 7,000ft.
The three-weeks of full-scale development simulations that took place in June included deconfliction of MAN/LPL departure/arrival routes, reduction in the interactions between MAN/EMA traffic, a new hold structure for LBA and systemised airspace design to/from the south in the upper networks (more routes less delays).
The simulations tested just one network design for each airport. We are continuing to design additional
alternative network scenarios for MAN to see if these would offer different benefits. All these network scenarios now need to be tested to establish whether further route refinements could offer further benefits before a shortlist of scenarios are evaluated.
Projects to remove reliance on the MCT DVOR
As previously reported, the existing departure and arrival procedures are dependent upon national assets
(provided by NATS En Route Ltd) scheduled to be removed from service on 1st January 2026. The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23) will provide the long-term solution, entirely replacing dependency on ground based navigational aids with Satellite navigation. Two projects will ‘bridge’ the gap between removal of the ground based navigational aids and the delivery ACP-2019-23:
• ACP-2024-002 Contingency RNP approaches for Runway 23R, Runway 05L & Runway 05R.
• ACP-2024-007 RNAV Substitution of Eligible Conventional Procedures.
The CAA have determined that neither ACP will affect local communities and will have little effect on aviation stakeholders other than those operating into MAN.
In August, we completed a piece of engagement with aviation stakeholders. Mails were sent to members of the National Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee (NATMAC), operators fulfilling the MAN 2024 summer schedule and local flying schools/GA community. These mails were supported by presentations to the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) in August and Flight Ops Safety Committee (FLOPSC) in September. We presented to the September 2024 TAG meeting and noted that ‘Members remain supportive of the introduction of these navigational procedures that make best use of aircraft and aviation technology and remove reliance on outdated ground based navigational aids’. Overall, stakeholders support the development of contingency RNP Approaches and the RNAV substitution of eligible conventional procedures.
13. MANCHESTER AIRPORT IN THE NEWS
The media team delivered a wide range of proactive content across Q3. Key announcements garnering significant regional and national coverage included;
- More than 20 new retail / F&B units set to open in T2 at the conclusion of MANTP Phase II next year
- Upcoming terminal moves for airlines based in T1
- The release of MAG’s annual report in July
- The airport’s busiest month on record, in August
- More than £29k donated to good causes at the Community Trust Fund’s latest meeting
- The launch of Series 3 of Manchester Airport’s official podcast
- The launch of Royal Air Maroc’s service to Casablanca.
In addition to this, we engaged with regional BBC broadcast outlets on two major initiatives – firstly, a four-hour live broadcast from T2 with BBC Radio Manchester, to mark the start of the school summer holidays, including short interviews with a number of colleagues as well as passengers travelling through; and secondly, a six-part series of short ‘behind-the-scenes’ reports for BBC North West Tonight, which have been compiled into a half-hour documentary for BBC iPlayer. These two projects gave our regional audiences the opportunity to see the airport functioning smoothly and efficiently at the height of summer, providing a good standard of service.
On the reactive front, we dealt with two significant incidents in July – a global IT outage, and a controversy
surrounding a GMP arrest in T2. With the former, we ensured a constant flow of important information to
passengers whose airlines were affected, while being clear to media who enquired that the airport’s IT systems were functioning properly and the airport remained open for business. In response to the GMP incident, we did not comment publicly but pointed media queries in the direction of GMP, while separately assuring colleagues that the airport’s management had asked to be kept appraised of the police response to the incident.
We also proactively issued a statement in response to Which?’s annual airports survey, which was critical of the passenger experience at Manchester, particularly in Terminals 1 and 3. We hosted a writer from Which? earlier this summer to demonstrate improvements being made across the airport site, and also to raise concerns about their survey’s methodology. We made these concerns plain and clear in our subsequent media comment, while stressing the work we do to gather feedback from passengers and make the improvements they want to see.
I have omitted a few paragraphs that include graphs that do not copy in an easy or clear manner.
1. INTRODUCTION
Manchester Airport has had a very successful third quarter in 2024. During the period from July to September 2024, Manchester Airport served over 9 million passengers (9,616,029) reflecting a 7.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The individual monthly breakdown is as follows, July (3,200,000), August (3,357,814) and September (3,057,741). Manchester Airport has served a total of 23,634,671 passengers this year, compared to 21,603,879 passengers in the same period last year, reflecting 9.4% growth.
Furthermore, this quarter marked a historical milestone for Manchester Airport. For the first time ever,
Manchester Airport recorded more than 30 million passengers in a 12-month rolling period. This is a remarkable achievement for Manchester Airport and cements its position as the UK’s global gateway in the North – with more passengers than any airport outside of London. Surpassing 30 million passengers in a year elevates Manchester Airport to a new level of recognition, aligning with Melbourne Airport in Australia and La Guardia in New York. Manchester already boasts the most extensive route network of any UK airport outside of London with over 200 destinations served; reaching this milestone will help the airport compete across Europe for more new routes meaning greater choice, value, and flexibility for travellers from the North.
Regarding Manchester Airport’s security and operations performance across the third quarter of 2024, 97.6% of passengers were processed through security in 15 minutes or less, which is above our target of 95%. 90% of our inbound baggage met the waiting time service level agreement. But our On Time Performance for the quarter was 54% which is under our 72% target, but not unusual given the busy summer schedule.
In September, Manchester Airport revealed the brands that will be coming to Terminal 2 in 2025 as part of Phase Two of the £1.3 billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme. 22 new units will open next year and will include new luxury retailers, including Chanel; big names like Pandora, LEGO and WH Smith. The new food and drink offer for the terminal was also announced – The Great Northern Market - a 472-seat food hall featuring six international street food kitchens - new cafes, bars and restaurants, including Fever-Tree, JD Wetherspoon, and Joe and the Juice; and a new 2,165sqm World Duty Free store. The retailers will provide an unrivalled experience for passengers shopping and dining before they catch their flight. The announcement received positive news coverage, including two stories online and one in print from the MEN, and coverage on BBC Radio Manchester.
During this quarter, Manchester Airport also worked on a series of behind the scenes reports in collaboration with BBC Northwest Tonight, looking at summer preparations and the ongoing work to grow the airport’s route network, amongst other themes. This culminated in a 19-minute documentary available on BBC iPlayer.
In summary, the third quarter of 2024 has been highly successful for Manchester Airport, marked by another exceptional summer period with record-breaking passenger numbers. Manchester Airport has not only managed to handle increased traffic efficiently but also maintained high service standards. This puts Manchester Airport in a strong position for the final quarter of 2024.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has taken the opportunity to buy a patch of land immediately next to its existing site. The seven-hectare Boundary Farm, on Styal Road, is divided into two plots, and is currently vacant.
One of the plots has a number of glasshouses on it and was previously used by vehicle hire firms and for airport car parking by private operators. Having been approached about the opportunity, MAG has bought the site through the acquisition of Boundary Park Holdings Ltd, a special purpose vehicle set up to purchase it from previous owner Boundary Farm Car Park Ltd. MAG does not intend to immediately use the site an will consider all options in due course.
2. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY
Political engagement
Since the 2024 general election results, Manchester Airport has had several positive interactions with regional MPs, hosting four MPs on site, with three further visits scheduled across the final quarter of 2024. There have also been separate MP meetings that have taken place to specifically cover the topic of the Noise Action Plan (NAP); the consultation which closed on the 27th September. Approximately 247 responses to the NAP were received, with the main emerging themes covering Night Flights, Track Keeping, mitigation schemes, and surface access/road traffic.
Manchester Airport colleagues attended both Labour and Conservative Party Conferences in September,
engaging with Cabinet Ministers, MPs and key local stakeholders. Manchester Airports Group hosted panels at both Labour and Conservative Party Conferences, covering the Services Superpower report published earlier in the year with WPI economics. These panel events received positive feedback from attendees.
Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR):
Following Labour’s election victory in July and subsequent change of government, legislation to nationalise the rail network under the remit of a new Great British Railways has been introduced. The impacts upon Manchester Airport are likely to be limited since our train operators, Northern, Transpennine Express, and Transport for Wales, are already publicly owned and controlled.
There has been further progression with the Liverpool–Manchester Railway Board, which is focused on driving delivery of the Manchester to Liverpool section of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). The section runs from
stations in Manchester and Liverpool city centres via new stations at Warrington and Manchester Airport. The Manchester Airport MD sits on the board and attended the recent meeting held in Liverpool during the Labour Party Conference on Monday 23rd September. The meeting launched a prospectus and promotional video detailing the benefits and opportunities of the route, and the creation of the private sector Partnership Board, to be chaired by the former Rail Minister, Huw Merriman. A further Board meeting will be held following the Autumn Statement, whilst Manchester Airport will host the inaugural Partnership Board.
Sustainability MAG continues to advance its sustainability and decarbonisation programme. In the second quarter, the team has:
• Hosted workshops across the Group to prepare our fourth Climate Adaptation report as part of DEFRA’s
fourth round of the Climate Change Adaptation Reporting Power. We collaborated with specialist
consultants to model risks from extreme wind, flooding, and high temperatures. The report is on track
for submission to DEFRA in December 2024 and we are also engaging with Manchester-based
stakeholders as Manchester City Council prepares its first climate adaptation report.
• Submitted our response to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) consultation. The consultation
sought to understand the role of carbon removals, which involves capturing and permanently storing
CO2 from the atmosphere, in the UK ETS. MAG supports the integration of carbon removals into the ETS
as a key component of the aviation industry's decarbonisation efforts.
• Successfully completed the external audit of our CSR and emissions data. The team is now preparing a
suite of documents including a Manchester Airport CSR Progress Update Report along with detailed
datasets that will be available online. The suite of documents is set for publication in November.
• Launched work on our 2025–2030 Sustainability Strategy as we approach the conclusion of our 2020–
2025 CSR Strategy, ‘Working Together for a Brighter Future.’ We are partnering with specialist
consultants to explore best-in-class practices, regulatory requirements, and sustainability topics that
align with our operations. We would like to thank MACC for their contribution to our recent materiality
assessments and workshops that have provided vital insights for this project.
3. PLANNING MATTERS
Changes to the Planning System:
In July 2024,shortly after the General Election, the new Government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for consultation. The changes largely focussed on achieving a step change in the delivery of new housing and involved a reversal of previous changes to the NPPF introduced by the former Government.
Notwithstanding, the Airport made representations in September regarding the need for aerodrome
safeguarding to be considered in the location and design of new housing; how aircraft noise is considered; and support for major infrastructure. The consultation period has now closed, and the Government will consider all the representations made prior to issuing a final version of the revised NPPF. This is anticipated at the end of 2024.
Local Planning Policy:
The Airport continues to liaise with Manchester City Council on their drafting of the Manchester Local Plan, the replacement for the current adopted development plan that dates to 2012. A public consultation draft is anticipated in the coming months. We also reviewed the consultation version of the Styal Neighbourhood Plan but made no formal representations.
Airport or near Airport developments:
• Sydney Avenue replacement – Planning permission was granted by Manchester City Council in early
September for the new vehicular access between Thorley Lane, near its junction with Runger Lane, and
a new road running from the West roundabout at the exit of Terminal 2’s forecourt. New traffic lights
will be installed at this new junction. This new road will replace the existing alignment of Sydney Avenue
and allow greater queuing length to the accommodated within the airport site and cope with the
additional flows around Terminal 2 arising from the completion of MAN-TP and the movement of airlines
across from Terminal 1. The planning permission included the first requirement for Biodiversity Net Gain
(BNG) at the airport – with a redundant taxiway being replaced by airfield grass to compensate for the
vegetation lost at the Sydney Avenue development site.
• Airport Car Parking – Enabling works have recently commenced at the Clough Bank B site close to the
Runway Viewing Park for additional Meet and Greet storage parking following the discharge of all the
pre-commencement planning conditions.
• Airport Hotels – The 412-bedroom Tribe Hotel on land to the rear of the Station and Voyager office
building is very close to completion. Planning permission was granted to Dakota Hotels in September by
Manchester City Council for a 7-storey 154-bedroom hotel off Bailey Lane and a start on site is
anticipated imminently.
• Airport Station – Active discussions are continuing with Network Rail, DfT and local stakeholders to
lengthen three of the rail platforms at the airport station to increase capacity and to improve network
resilience. Subject to detailed design and an approved business case in 2025, these works could
commence in 2026.
• Timperley Wedge / Davenport Green – A public consultation was held over the summer by the private
sector promoters of the Timperley Wedge site, now re-named as Davenport Green, that has been
allocated for substantial employment and housing development in the Places For Everyone Plan. A high
level, indicative masterplan as well as site constraints and opportunities plans were provided and
comments invited from local stakeholders, including Manchester Airport, as well as the local community.
The Airport’s representations focussed upon aerodrome safeguarding issues; the need to model the
traffic associated with the airport, both existing levels and forecast growth; planning for future road,
Metrolink and high-speed rail proposals; and surface water drainage issues. We will continue to engage
directly with the promoters, as well as participating in the next stage of public consultation when it arises.
This is likely to be led by Trafford Council as they integrate the masterplan into a Supplementary Planning
Document.
4. MANCHESTER AIRPORT TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME (MAN-TP)
Phase two of MAN-TP - our £1.3billion transformation programme to revolutionise the customer, colleague, and partner experience - is making good progress.
• Retail announcement – a significant milestone in this period has been the announcement of the new
retail brands and eateries that will be coming to Terminal 2 in 2025. From premium brands to local
favourites, the new shops, bars and restaurants put Terminal 2 on a par with any major international
airport in any capital city.
• Airfield: Construction works are complete on Taxiway Zulu, Manchester’s first full dual code C taxiway,
which will be operational by mid-October, unlocking the taxiway capacity supporting a mix of remote and
contact stands. Construction of the newest section of Taxiway Echo enters its final phase as teams gears
up to begin work in the central gyratory stands. New and dynamic ways of working have proven successful
in enabling contractors to access and install new Airfield Ground Lighting in the busiest stretch of taxiway
at the airport. All of this work will provide capacity required to host the thirteen new stands on Pier 2
and the airlines operating from them.
• Pier 2: Pier 2 is now practically weathertight which means all of the external elements are complete and
the team can start to work on the internal fit out. The FLANs (fixed links and nodes) are also being
installed ready for the airbridges and lift installation enabling works have commenced. Pier 2 will
significantly increase the number of aircraft that can operate from the brand-new-super terminal while
offering passengers more space while they wait. Pier 2 will offer 13 contact stands hosting a flexible
arrangement for both wide and narrow-bodied aircraft.
• East Check-in: The welcome wall is being installed, this will mirror the iconic Manchester Airport
Departures sign we have in the T2 extension (west) and work is ongoing to install the mechanical,
electrical and plumbing elements in the East Check-in hall.
• International Departures Lounge: The T2 Refurbishment works are progressing well. Both floors have
now been complete with the screed been successfully laid on both sides. Cable pulling has commenced
in the new Security Hall (Level 20) and the retail fit outs are now taking place.
• Glazing and cladding are being installed on the South Vertical Circulation Core (SVCC) and escalators have successfully been put in place. This will provide a circulation corridor allowing passengers to easily flow from security to the departure lounge and for arriving passengers to easily get to border control.
• Additionally, the Arrivals Hall work is ongoing with the strip out of the area progressing. This will
eventually allow for an additional seven retail and food and beverage units to be added.
• Landside: We have recently introduced new digital occupancy signage on the T2 departures forecourt.
The dynamic signage means that as motorists arrive at the T2 Forecourt, they are directed to a particular
drop off zone depending on the number of spaces available, improving their experience and helping to
reduce congestion on the forecourt. The next major activity to improve the road network around T2 is
the development of Sydney Avenue, which the team is preparing to start works on imminently.
6. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT – ROUTES AND SERVICES UPDATE
During the quarter, July – September 2024, 9.6m passengers travelled through Manchester Airport. August was Manchester Airport’s busiest on record, and significantly in September Manchester Airport surpassed the rolling 30m annual passenger mark for the first time.
The delivery of 9.6m passengers in the quarter was an 8% increase on 2023 levels (+ 6% in July, +9% in August and + 8% in September).
Year-on-year passenger growth continues to be driven by low-cost carriers, namely Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and TUI who combined grew by a total of +406k passengers versus Q2 2023.
In addition to the growth from the LCCs, numerous long-haul and full-service carriers delivered record results in the quarter, including: Aer Lingus Long-Haul, Hainan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Saudia and Virgin Atlantic.
There have been numerous developments for Manchester Airport’s network in the Quarter, including:
• Juneyao launching a new 3 x weekly service to Shanghai in July, the first time that these two cities have
been connected by a direct service.
• Due to the successful start of Juneyao’s operations at Manchester and strong demand on the route, the
airline has made the decision to increase their schedule from 3 x weekly to daily during the peak winter
season periods.
• Etihad announcing they would increase their operations from 7 to 10 per week in December and
increasing to a double-daily service in Summer 25.
• Hainan Airlines operating a daily service from Manchester to Beijing during Summer whilst announcing
their schedule will remain daily during the peak of the Winter season.
• Cathay Pacific announcing they would increase their flying schedule from five times weekly in S24 to six
times weekly in W24 before increasing further to a daily schedule in S25, a return to their pre-pandemic
schedule at MAN.
• Turkish Airlines operating up to 25 weekly flights through the period, their largest ever schedule from
Manchester Airport.
• FlyOne announcing that they would launch a new service between Manchester and Chisnau, Moldova,
from October.
• easyJet announcing a new 2 x weekly service to Oslo from Winter 24
7. CAR PARKING & SURFACE ACCESS
• Landside Operations: PAX and call volumes have increased since the Summer and volumes have been
high post the spring period, consistent with previous years. M&G volumes have continued to exceed
budgeted forecasts in the second quarter of FY25. The landside control room assisted 290,722 customers
via our car park/forecourt intercoms during July 24 - Sept 24, up from 282,643 the same period in 2023.
Landside NPS continues to remain high when compared across the group, currently running at 49.3%,
down from 50.0% on the previous quarter, against a target of 41.0%.
• Customer Transport delivered average airside bussing SLA performance across the quarter of 92% with
performance improving August and September (94% & 95%), following a below target performance in
July (89%). Landside services continued to perform strongly, supporting a robust and above target NPS
performance throughout the quarter.
• Car Parking: Car park occupancy averaged 99% throughout the quarter, across all self-park and Meet &
Greet products, with both self-park and Meet & Greet performing well across the period. NPS continues
to see a positive uptrend, averaging 62 vs. target 41 and in some products as high as 75. Capacity
balancing across the estate was managed with CAVU partners to mitigate the space loss of T1MSCP,
which continued through Q2 and likely to continue for the balance of year. Further technology
enhancements were trialed ahead of delivery in Q3 of Meet and Greet systems, specifically the migration
to the cloud of ParkIT, the main system supporting operations.
• Manchester Airport Transport Forum: On the 1st October a meeting of the Manchester Airport Transport
Forum was held at the Radison Blu Hotel. The Forum was attended by over 80 delegates from several
different organisations across Greater Manchester and beyond. The theme of the forum discussions was
working in collaboration, with sessions on our collaboration efforts presented by Manchester Airport
Group, Network Rail, TransPennine Express, Transport for Greater Manchester, National Express,
Transport for the North and Arup. We also hosted a marketplace area, where delegates could hear more
from stakeholders such as Northern Rail, Metrolink, and Manchester Airport Transformation
Programme, while also hopping on board the new Bee Network Branded bus, to see the facilities and
features on board. Initial feedback from delegates is that they found the event insightful, and the team
have received interest from at least five organisations wishing to collaborate and present at the Forum
next year.
• Bee Network is Coming: The Manchester Airport Transport Interchange will be included in Phase 3 of
the Bee Network Roll Out which is scheduled to take place on 5th January 2025. We are working with
Transport for Greater Manchester, bus, rail and tram operators to understand what this will mean for
passengers. Over the next twelve weeks we will be working with stakeholders and preparing for the
launch. Updates on any changes for passengers and staff in terms of ticketing and timetabling will be
provided in due course.
• Bee Network Board Meeting: We are keen to strengthen our collaboration efforts with Transport for
Greater Manchester colleagues and are hoping to host one of the Bee Network Board Meetings at the
Airport in coming weeks. The Board is chaired by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, and we hope by
hosting, that we can promote the Bee Network and begin to explore collaboratively the process of
planning for future enhancement/improvements to the Ground Transport Interchange.
• Ground Transport Interchange: We have recently commenced a review of the Ground Transport
Interchange, to reflect the latest circumstances and evolving stakeholder requirements. As part of this
work package, we will take a high-level strategic, operational, and functional look at the Ground
Transport Interchange, seeking to better understand how/if it needs to evolve to meet future passenger
growth and demand.
• Collaboration with National Highways: Manchester Airport has been selected by National Highways to
be included in a pilot study to trial highway demand management techniques, using advance information
and public transport ticketing to encourage passengers to use alternative modes of travel. The pilot
which is currently scheduled to be taking place over February half term, is currently in the planning
stages. The Airport was selected as part of a competitive process, and we welcome the opportunity to
participate in a scheme which has the potential to promote sustainable travel to the airport.
8. MOBILITY SERVICES
CAA rating: We have seen extremely strong performance across all our key measures for Special Assistance services. Our key performance measures for the Civil Aviation Authority to assist pre-booked arriving passengers within 20 minutes, and non-booked arriving passengers within 45 minutes, are at 99.64% and 99.99% respectively for the financial year to date, this surpasses the threshold for a ‘Very Good’ rating from the CAA, and is despite the fact that every month in 2024 has seen growth for PRM’s at Manchester. PRM satisfaction is currently 4.11/5, which again exceeds target of 4/5 for a ‘Very Good’ rating. We received our annual CAA rating in July, Manchester was awarded a ‘Good’ rating, despite surpassing all performance measures we had only held one formal accessibility forum in FY24 as we took the opportunity to restructure it due to dwindling membership.
Passenger experience: As above strong performance has been seen throughout the summer, despite record PRM numbers being seen, particularly in the peak month of September. ABM headcount is at its highest ever and remains strong with summer headcount being carried forward into winter.
12. FUTURE AIRSPACE
Wider Airspace Modernisation update In the London Terminal Manoeuvring Area (LTMA), London Heathrow Airport passed in their second attempt at Stage 2 in July. In the Manchester Terminal Manoeuvring Area (MTMA), Leeds Bradford Airport will submit their third attempt at the Stage 2 Gateway in May 2025.
The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23)
As members are aware, in the Manchester Terminal Manoeuvring Area (MTMA) there are Airspace Change
Processes underway (between ground and 7,000ft) at Manchester (MAN), East Midlands (EMA), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) and Leeds Bradford (LBA) Airports. NATS En Route Ltd (NERL) are undertaking works above 7,000ft.
The three-weeks of full-scale development simulations that took place in June included deconfliction of MAN/LPL departure/arrival routes, reduction in the interactions between MAN/EMA traffic, a new hold structure for LBA and systemised airspace design to/from the south in the upper networks (more routes less delays).
The simulations tested just one network design for each airport. We are continuing to design additional
alternative network scenarios for MAN to see if these would offer different benefits. All these network scenarios now need to be tested to establish whether further route refinements could offer further benefits before a shortlist of scenarios are evaluated.
Projects to remove reliance on the MCT DVOR
As previously reported, the existing departure and arrival procedures are dependent upon national assets
(provided by NATS En Route Ltd) scheduled to be removed from service on 1st January 2026. The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23) will provide the long-term solution, entirely replacing dependency on ground based navigational aids with Satellite navigation. Two projects will ‘bridge’ the gap between removal of the ground based navigational aids and the delivery ACP-2019-23:
• ACP-2024-002 Contingency RNP approaches for Runway 23R, Runway 05L & Runway 05R.
• ACP-2024-007 RNAV Substitution of Eligible Conventional Procedures.
The CAA have determined that neither ACP will affect local communities and will have little effect on aviation stakeholders other than those operating into MAN.
In August, we completed a piece of engagement with aviation stakeholders. Mails were sent to members of the National Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee (NATMAC), operators fulfilling the MAN 2024 summer schedule and local flying schools/GA community. These mails were supported by presentations to the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) in August and Flight Ops Safety Committee (FLOPSC) in September. We presented to the September 2024 TAG meeting and noted that ‘Members remain supportive of the introduction of these navigational procedures that make best use of aircraft and aviation technology and remove reliance on outdated ground based navigational aids’. Overall, stakeholders support the development of contingency RNP Approaches and the RNAV substitution of eligible conventional procedures.
13. MANCHESTER AIRPORT IN THE NEWS
The media team delivered a wide range of proactive content across Q3. Key announcements garnering significant regional and national coverage included;
- More than 20 new retail / F&B units set to open in T2 at the conclusion of MANTP Phase II next year
- Upcoming terminal moves for airlines based in T1
- The release of MAG’s annual report in July
- The airport’s busiest month on record, in August
- More than £29k donated to good causes at the Community Trust Fund’s latest meeting
- The launch of Series 3 of Manchester Airport’s official podcast
- The launch of Royal Air Maroc’s service to Casablanca.
In addition to this, we engaged with regional BBC broadcast outlets on two major initiatives – firstly, a four-hour live broadcast from T2 with BBC Radio Manchester, to mark the start of the school summer holidays, including short interviews with a number of colleagues as well as passengers travelling through; and secondly, a six-part series of short ‘behind-the-scenes’ reports for BBC North West Tonight, which have been compiled into a half-hour documentary for BBC iPlayer. These two projects gave our regional audiences the opportunity to see the airport functioning smoothly and efficiently at the height of summer, providing a good standard of service.
On the reactive front, we dealt with two significant incidents in July – a global IT outage, and a controversy
surrounding a GMP arrest in T2. With the former, we ensured a constant flow of important information to
passengers whose airlines were affected, while being clear to media who enquired that the airport’s IT systems were functioning properly and the airport remained open for business. In response to the GMP incident, we did not comment publicly but pointed media queries in the direction of GMP, while separately assuring colleagues that the airport’s management had asked to be kept appraised of the police response to the incident.
We also proactively issued a statement in response to Which?’s annual airports survey, which was critical of the passenger experience at Manchester, particularly in Terminals 1 and 3. We hosted a writer from Which? earlier this summer to demonstrate improvements being made across the airport site, and also to raise concerns about their survey’s methodology. We made these concerns plain and clear in our subsequent media comment, while stressing the work we do to gather feedback from passengers and make the improvements they want to see.
marni1971
Well-Known Member
“Pier 2 will offer 13 contact stands” - first time publicly in black and white I believe.
I only wish they’d acknowledge and act on suggestions from their customers regarding T2X and in particular the horrendous pick up layout.
I only wish they’d acknowledge and act on suggestions from their customers regarding T2X and in particular the horrendous pick up layout.
There is a diagram available on the instagram page or ringway reports ref pier 2 stands, showing the possible various stand configurations.
Regarding the pick up layout, there was an action on the last MACC concerning a possible covered area for pick up’s, but not heard anything since on this…as for the rest I don’t know what “suggestions” have been made…?
marni1971
Well-Known Member
I’ve made some suggestions to them. To design it like a user, not a computer. It’s horrendous (and their social media channels echo this)
I’ve 2 plans of pier 2 that more or less show the same gate layout but it wasn’t clear until now what MAN think they will have capacity wise.
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- Moderator
- #108
Here is the image referred to by LS@MAM - courtesy of Ringway Reports
ian_h
Member
Is there another MACC soon to help put some more pieces of the pier 2, and t1/t3 moves ?
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- #110
The next meeting is scheduled for Friday 25th April. I will be attending and will, as soon as possible, share any information that is made publicly available.
Hi @Scottie Dog is it possible that could share any info from the meeting last week that is available?
Many thanks.
- Thread starter
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- #112
Sorry, I've been away since Friday - immediately after the meeting. I'll post information as soon as possible, but it might be a couple of days!!
- Thread starter
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- #113
I've taken the decision to delay my posting of the Managing Director's Report to the Consultative Committee as I feel, as an old fashioned gentleman, that I should obtain Chris Woodroofe's permission to post.
As soon as I have reply I will update this thread.
With apologies for the delay.
As soon as I have reply I will update this thread.
With apologies for the delay.
- Moderator
- #114
There's nothing wrong with being an "Old fashioned Gentleman". You are being courteous, sadly lacking in many people today.
- Thread starter
- Moderator
- #115
Thank you for your patience and understanding. I am now posting the report, but please note that I have excluded parts that refer to staffing and other non-aviation related items.
Anyway, enjoy and I'm sorry of it is a little long!!
Before posting the majority of the report from Chris Woodroofe I thought that I would add a few additional comments that he made at the start of his presentation:
Manchester Airport Consultative Committee
Meeting Date – Friday 25th April 2025
REPORT OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
1. INTRODUCTION
Manchester Airport has kick-started the first quarter of 2025 on a very strong note. During the period from January to March 2025, Manchester Airport served a total of over 6 million passengers (6,089,880) reflecting a 4.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The individual monthly breakdown is as follows, January (1,940,632), February (2,012,134) and March (2,239,812). This reflects the busiest start to a year recorded in Manchester Airport’s history. Therefore, this has resulted in Manchester Airport’s 12 month rolling total being over 31 million passengers (31,136,769).
During the first quarter of 2025, Manchester Airport’s security and operations performance continued to be strong, improving from the last quarter of 2024. 99.3% of passengers were processed through security in 15 minutes or less, which is above our target of 95%. 93% of our inbound baggage met the waiting time service level agreement, and our on-time performance for this quarter was 74.5%, which is above our 72% target.
Throughout the first quarter of 2025, Manchester Airport’s media team have made several announcements on the growth of the airport’s route network, including the announcement of an IndiGo service from Manchester to India. This is the airline’s first UK service, and Manchester Airport’s first direct route to India post pandemic.
This sits alongside two new Loganair domestic routes to Southampton and Exeter, and Ryanair’s route to Rabat in Morocco. Ethiopian Airlines also announced an increase in frequency with daily flights to Addis Ababa.
In addition to these new route announcements, Manchester Airport also effectively communicated changes to the passenger experience, including barrierless drop-off, and highlighted our community outreach efforts including the Manchester Airport jobs fair in Wythenshawe, our Meet the Buyer’s event, and promoting the latest round of donations made by the Community Trust Fund.
In conclusion, the first quarter of 2025 has been another period of remarkable success for Manchester Airport.
This strong momentum sets the stage for what promises to be our busiest summer yet—an opportunity we eagerly anticipate.
2. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY
a) National Political Engagement
Bee Network
The start of January marked a significant milestone for public transport across Greater Manchester, with the launch of the third tranche of the Bee Network. A celebratory event was held at Wythenshawe Interchange and attended by senior stakeholders from Manchester Airport, as well as the newly appointed Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, who joined Mayor Andy Burnham in person at the event. Following a positive engagement at the event, an invitation was extended to Heidi to visit Manchester Airport. We are now working closely with her team to arrange a suitable date for this visit.
In March, tap and go technology launched across Bee Network bus and tram travel. The launch marked a huge step towards an integrated transport system across Greater Manchester. Manchester Airport was pleased to celebrate the launch by hosting a roundtable with key stakeholders from across the city region, including Mayor Andy Burnham. The Bee Network closely aligns to Manchester Airport’s ambitions to grow public transport usage across passengers and colleagues. In support of Bee Network rollout, Manchester Airport has implemented a series of enhancements to the Ground Transport Interchange including improved wayfinding and the installation of new screens displaying real-time tram and bus timetables. These upgrades are designed to improve the overall passenger experience, making public transport to and from the airport more accessible, intuitive, and user-friendly.
Manchester Airport looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester and other key travel partners and organisations to enhance transport infrastructure across the North, with a particular focus on rail integration and simplified ticketing solutions. Together, we are committed to promoting sustainable, reliable, and affordable transport solutions for all.
Parliamentary engagement day in London
On the 29th of January, the Manchester Airport public affairs team accompanied Managing Director Chris
Woodroofe to Parliament for a full day of face-to-face engagement with Members of Parliament.
The team held constructive meetings with Nav Mishra, MP for Stockport Central; Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington; and Christian Wakeford, MP for Bury North. These discussions were highly positive and productive, helping to further strengthen our relationships with key local stakeholders and identify opportunities to collaborate on policies which seek to grow our region.
The day concluded with an evening dinner with Mike Kane, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, in his capacity as the airport’s constituency MP. Conversations spanned a range of important topics, including Manchester Airport’s commitment to increasing the proportion of passengers using public transport, as well as efforts to improve wayfinding on pedestrian routes from Wythenshawe to the airport.
MP visits to Manchester Airport
In addition to parliamentary engagement in London, Manchester Airport also welcomed several Members of Parliament on-site for visits. This included Jo Platt, MP for Leigh and Atherton, and Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford. Each visit featured an airside tour of Terminal 2, offering firsthand insight into the airport’s ongoing transformation, followed by detailed policy discussions focused on both constituency concerns and wider business priorities for the airport.
Following her visit, Jo Platt has remained actively engaged on airport-related matters and has been particularly vocal in championing the need for improved public transport connectivity across the Northwest in Parliament, a priority area for Manchester Airport and one we work closely to improve.
Civil servant delegations
Between January and March, Manchester Airport hosted several teams of civil servants for on-site visits. These included guided tours of Terminal 2, as well as in-depth policy discussions and presentations focused on the airport’s operations and strategic priorities.
The visiting departments included the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Transport, and HM Treasury. These engagements provided a valuable opportunity to showcase the scale and significance of Manchester Airport’s contribution to the regional and national economy, discuss policy solutions which serve our region, and foster stronger working relationships across government departments.
Supporting constituency events
Manchester Airport was proud to sponsor and support two key community events in Mike Kane’s constituency earlier this year.
In February, we sponsored Mike Kane’s Apprenticeship Fair, where Manchester Airports Group (MAG) also
hosted a stand to showcase current and future career opportunities available at the airport. Manchester Airport is active in future skills development; our involvement in activities such as the Apprenticeship Fair highlight the roles available at Manchester Airport and encourage our local communities to explore career opportunities within the organisation.
In March, we were pleased to support Mike Kane’s International Women’s Day event, which brought together local schoolgirls to hear from a panel of inspirational women. As part of the programme, Zanele Shumba, a senior quantity surveyor at MAG, shared her career journey and experiences working in the aviation sector—offering valuable insight and inspiration to the next generation.
Both events were highly positive and well-received, and we look forward to continuing our support of these important initiatives within our local constituency, as part of our ongoing commitment to giving back to the communities we serve and value.
Jet Zero Task Force
The Jet Zero Task Force (JZTF) has been reestablished to accelerate efforts towards sustainable aviation, for which MAG CEO Ken O’Toole is one of two airport members and active participants in the various ‘task & finish’ group established by JZTF. Following our JZ Charter pledge, we have now initiated the first of three PhD positions, Nick Barrows, who joins us from the CAA to begin his PhD with MMU.
DEFRA ARP4 & DfT Climate Adaptation Advice
In January we issued our response to DEFRA’s fourth round of climate change adaptation reporting (ARP4), detailing the current and future projected impacts of climate change, as well as the proposed approach to climate adaptation and implementation progress. Subsequently we have been engaging with the Department for Transport on the development of their now published advice on adaptation planning in transport.
Greater Manchester and Wider Northern engagement
Manchester Airport appearance at the Environment, Climate Change and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee
In February, Neil Robinson, Chief Sustainability Officer attended the Manchester City Council Scrutiny Committee session for Environment, Climate Change and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee. This provided the annual opportunity to engage with local leaders, outline our strategic priorities, and address key questions around airport operations, sustainability, and our wider community impact.
The session was constructive and well-received, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and collaboration with stakeholders. Following this appearance, discussions are now underway about how best to evolve Manchester Airport’s future scrutiny committee appearances, exploring the potential to merge future Scrutiny Committee appearances into a single, dedicated Manchester Airports Group session. This would allow for a more streamlined and strategic discussion, ensuring consistency across the Group while maintaining a strong focus on
local accountability. As opposed to the current format, which consists of Manchester Airports Group appearing at two separate scrutiny sessions.
3. PLANNING MATTERS
Changes to National Planning Policy:
The new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which aims to speed up and streamline the planning process and the delivery of new housing and critical national infrastructure, was introduced into Parliament on 11 March. It is central to the Government’s plan to “get Britain building again” and deliver economic growth. The Bill has 5 overarching objectives: 1) Delivering a faster and more certain consenting process for critical infrastructure; 2) Introducing a more strategic approach to nature recovery; 3) Improving certainty and decision-making in the
planning system; 4) Unlocking land and securing public value for large scale investment; and 5) Introducing effective new mechanisms for cross-boundary strategic planning.
Local Planning Policy:
The Airport continues to liaise with Manchester City Council on their drafting of the new Manchester Local Plan, the replacement for the current adopted development plan that was adopted in 2012 and runs to 2027. A public
consultation on the draft Manchester Local Plan is anticipated to start in late summer. New Local Plans for both Trafford and Stockport are also under preparation and further phases of public consultation on each of these is
expected imminently. Trafford will be consulting on draft Local Plan polices between April and June, and Stockport will be consulting on their draft Local Plan between May and June. We will be reviewing these documents and will make representations where appropriate.
Cheshire East have launched a consultation on the vision and priorities for their next Local Transport Plan. The consultation runs until 21 April and the Airport will be making representations.
Airport or near Airport developments:
• Sydney Avenue replacement – Construction works continue on-site and are expected to be complete by the end of May 2025. At that point the existing Sydney Avenue highway will be closed with only pedestrian and cycle access maintained.
• Airport Car Parking – Construction works have started on the Clough Bank B site (close to the Runway Visitor Park) for additional Meet and Greet storage parking following the completion of enabling works that included demolition of the former residential properties collectively known as Vicarage Cottages
(which proceeded under a Natural England European Protected Species Mitigation Licence) and the construction of the bat barn that will compensate for the bat roosts lost within the cottages. The new car parking spaces will be delivered in several phases throughout 2025.
• Airport Hotels – Construction has commenced on the 7-storey, 154-bedroom Dakota brand hotel off Bailey Lane, close to the former Etrop Grange hotel. This development is being led by a third party rather than MAG. The planning application for a new 9-storey, 276-bedroom Premier Inn hotel (the largest in
the North West) on land between the Voyager office building and the new Tribe hotel was granted planning permission in February. Construction is anticipated to start in the summer following the discharge of pre-commencement conditions.
4. MANCHESTER AIRPORT TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME (MAN-TP)
We continue to make good progress on Phase Two of MAN-TP - our £1.3billion transformation programme to revolutionise the customer, colleague, and partner experience.
Landside: We recently celebrated going live with our brand new digital gantry (overhead road signage) on World Way with a digital ribbon cutting! The dynamic signage will help motorists navigate to the T2 forecourt when we
introduce upper and lower levels in May, directing people to where there is the most available space, improving traffic flow and reducing wait times. Work to construct Sydney Avenue - a new 200metre link road - is ongoing.
T2 Check-in East: We have recently opened Zone B of T2 Check-in East, with 12 check-in desks available for temporary check-in baggage injection only. Over the past two weeks, we’ve been carrying out controlled flight trials with Virgin and TUI. The remaining 14 check-in desks will be available from 14th April for full operational use. Alongside this, we’re introducing 30 Self-Service Kiosks and 6 integrated referral desks (two per kiosk cluster) to further support the passenger experience. In June, we’ll open T2 Check-in Zone C (12 desks), and at this point we will remove the temporary check-in area and transition to full Zone B and Zone C check-in operations.
T2 Security East: The next major piece of infrastructure to be delivered as part of Phase Two of MAN-TP is the T2 Security East area in April. It will mirror the look and feel of T2 Security West, and we’ll be opening five of the ten brand new next-generation Security lanes to support passenger demand. The new T2 Security East will feature floor to ceiling windows to maintain the bright and airy feel of T2 West. As part of ‘handover 1’ we’ll also be opening new landside public toilet facilities and four new office spaces. We’ve been holding several ‘Open Days’ as part of our operational readiness activity where colleagues and the airport community have been invited to attend to familiarise themselves with the area ahead of it going live to passengers.
T2 International Departure Lounge East: Work is ongoing on levels 20 and 30 to progress this area with tiling being laid throughout the passenger walking route and retailers such as Joe and the Juice, Starbucks, UpperCrust
and Lego underway with their internal fit-out.
Airfield: Taxiway Charlie has been repaired with 3600sqm of pavement, helping to support airfield capacity over the summer. Construction of the new Taxiway Echo is ongoing, and we are moving into the testing and commissioning phase of the new aeronautical ground lighting that will service the new taxiway infrastructure.
Pier 2: The FLANs (fixed links and nodes) installation programme is in the latter stages, with the steelworks complete, ready for the delivery and installation of airbridges. Internal fittings continue to be installed. Pier 2 will significantly increase the number of aircraft that can operate from the brand-new terminal while offering passengers more space while they wait. Pier 2 will offer 13 contact stands hosting a flexible arrangement for both wide and narrow-bodied aircraft.
5. OPERATIONAL DATA
On Time Performance (OTP)
Departure on-time performance depends on several factors including weather, airfield operations, and technical issues. Monthly performance for the past financial year across all flight types are outlined below:
6. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT – ROUTES AND SERVICES UPDATE
FY25 Update:
• In FY25, April 2024 - March 2025, Manchester Airport delivered 31.1m passengers.
• This was another record breaking year for the airport with passenger numbers increasing by +2.4m versus the previous year.
Quarter 4 Update:
• During the 4th Quarter (January – March 2025), 6.2m passengers travelled through Manchester Airport.
• The delivery of 6.2m passengers was an increase of 6% on 2024 levels (+8% in January, +6% in February and +4% in March).
• Year-on-year passenger growth continues to be driven by low-cost carriers. Ryanair (+13%) and easyJet’s (+5%) collective growth added +253k passengers versus the previous year.
• In addition to the growth above, there was also significant YoY growth from numerous other carriers including Hainan Airlines (+134%), Etihad (+38%), Cathay Pacific (+31%), Saudia (+29%), Gulf Air (+26%) and the Aer Lingus Long-haul service to North America (+12%), amongst many others.
There have been numerous developments to Manchester Airport’s network in the Quarter, including:
• IndiGo have announced they are entering the European market in Summer 25 and Manchester-India will be one of their launch routes. It is fantastic to have this strategic unserved market secured and is expected to launch this summer.
• Etihad increasing their schedule at Manchester to 10 x weekly, with the carrier planning to further increase their schedule to double-daily in Summer 25.
• Iberia increasing the Manchester - Madrid service to daily, allowing for improved connectivity to their onwards network in South America.
• Juneyao confirming they would increase frequency to a daily Manchester – Shanghai service in Summer 25 due to strong demand on the route. With Hainan Airlines operating their Manchester –Beijing flight daily and Cathay Pacific their Hong Kong flight daily, this means that Manchester will have up to 3 x daily flights to China and Hong in Summer 25.
• Loganair announcing they will launch a new Exeter and Southampton service from October 25, providing crucial domestic connectivity to Manchester Airport and which will also help feed the airport's long-haul network.
• Ethiopian Airlines announcing they would increase their Manchester – Addis Ababa service from 5 x weekly to daily from July 25.
• Saudia announced they would increase their Manchester – Jeddah service to daily in Summer 25.
• Turkish Airlines going on sale with a 28 x weekly program in Summer 25, the carrier’s largest ever schedule from Manchester Airport.
7. CAR PARKING & SURFACE ACCESS
• Landside Operations: Call volumes have remained constant compared to the same period last year and traffic volumes have been slightly higher based on the same period last year. M&G volumes have continued to exceed budgeted forecasts in the final quarter of FY25. The landside control room assisted 265,589 customers via our car park/forecourt intercoms during Jan 25 - Mar 25, up from 242,543 for the same period in 2024. Landside NPS continues to remain high when compared across the group, currently running at 52.4%, up from 47.5% on the previous quarter, against a target of 41.0%. Barrierless forecourts went live on Terminal 2 and Station on Wednesday 26th March 2025, and for Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 on Wednesday 2nd April 2025.
• Customer Transport: Customer Transport delivered average airfield coaching SLA performance across the quarter of 90% with performance affected by substantial adverse weather events in January. Landside services continued to perform strongly, supporting a robust and above target NPS performance throughout the quarter. JetParks 1 opened earlier than planned to support passenger growth heading into the next quarter. Recruitment activity Jan-Mar was elevated to support the growth in both airfield coaching and landside bussing, with over 50 external and 30 internal offers made in the period.
• Car Parking: Car park occupancy averaged 99% throughout the quarter, across all self-park and Meet & Greet products, with both self-park and Meet & Greet continuing to perform very well. NPS has been sustained at record high levels, averaging 68 vs. target 41 and in some products continued to perform as well as 70. Capacity balancing continued across the estate to mitigate the space loss of T1MSCP. Cloud migration for ParkIT, as referenced in the previous quarter was completed for all products, improving the reliability of the system and offering service enhancements from a reporting perspective.
• Manchester Airport Ground Transport Group: This group of internal stakeholders continues to meet to discuss how we can work collaboratively to enhance ground transport/surface access to the airport site. A pipeline of potential schemes which can be considered forsupport from the sustainable transport fund is being developed.
• Bee Network Round Table Discussions: A roundtable discussion was held at Manchester Airport with Mayor Andy Burnham on the 26th March. This event offered an opportunity to showcase the recent upgrades made at the Ground Transport Interchange. The meeting sought to promote the benefits of the Bee Network and to explore collaboratively the process of planning for future enhancement/improvements to the Ground Transport Interchange.
• Ground Transport Interchange Master Planning Activity: The GTI handles some 4 million passenger movements annually, and with the airport’s forecast growth, we are keen to increase mode-share and enhance the transport connections to those which might be expected at a major international airport.
The GTI opened in 2004, and other than the addition of two additional rail platforms and Metrolink, the overall facility has remained largely untouched. Work is underway on the overall scope of a master plan for the GTI, covering not just the facility requirements and opportunities but the wider surface access strategy for Manchester, and the fit with the wider Manchester master plan. The first iteration details both a strategic commitment and expectation that through the development of rail, coach, tram, and bus services there is an opportunity to increase the percentage of passenger trips to and from the airport that use public transport
• Collaboration with Flixbus: Flix Bus has recently committed to new coach services at the airport. These new services will strengthen the coach offer to Liverpool, while opening up new routes to Hull and London (via Birmingham) for passengers.
• Platform Lengthening Scheme: We are continuing to support Network Rail with the preparation of a business case (for submission to the Department of Transport), which seeks funding to lengthen the platforms at Manchester Airport Station. If funding is approved, it could see the platforms lengthened (by 2030), which will allow us to receive longer passenger trains, hence increasing rail passenger capacity. Site visits have been facilitated to explore the feasibility of works and we expect these to continue over coming months.
8. MOBILITY SERVICES
CAA rating: We have seen extremely strong performance across all our key measures for Special Assistance services. Our key performance measures for the Civil Aviation Authority to assist pre-booked arriving passengers within 20 minutes, and non-booked arriving passengers within 45 minutes, are at 99.64% and 99.99% respectively for the financial year ending in March, this surpasses the threshold for a ‘Very Good’ rating from the CAA, and is despite the fact that every month in 2024/5 has seen growth for PRM’s at Manchester, with our busiest ever months in September and October. PRM satisfaction ended FY25 at 4.17/5, which again exceeds target of 4/5 for a ‘Very Good’ rating.
Passenger experience: Strong performance in all our key measures has been seen throughout the year to date, customer feedback is also performing strongly with satisfaction scores exceeding CAA target for a ‘Very Good’ rating and a year-on-year reduction in the number of complaints.
12. FUTURE AIRSPACE The ERG323 North West Transit Corridor (NWTC)
The Manchester Low Level Route (MLLR) evolved into the North West Transit Corridor (NWTC) on Thursday 20th February 2025. The NWTC is classified as ‘Class G’ (was Class D), has a ceiling of 1,500ft (was 1,300ft) and is now wider (towards Manchester Airport). On Monday 10th March, in collaboration with NATS, CAA and Barton Aerodrome, MAG hosted an aviation safety evening at the Runway Visitor Park. The event attracted more than 75 pilots from Barton Aerodrome, Blackpool Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Teesside International Airport and Clacton Airport. Presentations were made on:
• Airspace infringement prevention, outlining the tools and awareness needed to be used by all and
• A particular focus on local infringement hotspots
• The new NWTC emphasising local landmarks useful for visual reference in establishing the parameters of the Corridor.
The evening concluded with Q&A Panel addressing questions that had been posed through the evening. By working together with our NATS, CAA and Barton Aerodrome colleagues, we delivered an informative event that highlighted the parameters of the NWTC and promoted aviation safety for the General Aviation community.
Wider Airspace Modernisation update
In the Scottish Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) Glasgow Airport has passed through the Stage 3 Gateway (joining NATS EnRoute -NERL) after submitting some minor clarifications to the CAA. Edinburgh Airport postponed the submission of their second attempt at Stage 3 (should have been February) with a new date yet to be identified. Glasgow Airport and NERL will need to pause and wait for Edinburgh to catch them up.
In the Manchester TMA, Leeds Bradford Airport have again postponed the submission their third attempt at the Stage 2 Gateway (should have been April) with a new date yet to be identified. London Gatwick Airport (having postponed their Stage 3 submission for London Airport South (LAS) pending further options analysis and environmental assessment work) have agreed a new Stage 3 Gateway of 26th September 2025. Aberdeen Airport has now progressed to Stage 5 ‘Decide’ with their Gateway due 27th June 2025.
The aspiration of London Heathrow Airport for a third runway and London Gatwick Airport to convert their standby runway for routine use have further confused timelines for the London TMA whilst the results of the joint CAA/DfT UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) consultation are compiled.
Reduction for the need for Non-Standard Departures (NSDs)
Non-Standard Departures are special instructions to fly outside of the tolerances of the Preferred Noise Routes and historically have been required:
• To maintain separation from aircraft such as Police or Air Ambulance.
• To direct aircraft away from poor weather.
• In the event of equipment outage of a ground based navigational aid (to provide the initial routing and separation).
Aircraft following NSDs fly outside the areas one would usually expect to experience aircraft overflight. As such NSDs can cause disturbance to those communities close to Manchester Airport. As of 10th February 2025, should a ground based navigational aid be unserviceable then it will be assumed the aircraft can still fly the route, using an overlay, unless the pilot states otherwise. This means the aircraft will fly the usual departure route and not be issued a non-standard departure instruction. This is a significant step forward for Manchester Airport that will benefit our neighbouring communities and airlines. The change will enable NATS Air Traffic Controllers to continue to safely and efficiently depart aircraft while causing the least disturbance possible through current navigational techniques.
The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23)
As members are aware, in the Manchester Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) there are Airspace Change Processes underway (between ground and 7,000ft) at Manchester (MAN), East Midlands (EMA), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) and Leeds Bradford (LBA) Airports. NATS En Route Ltd (NERL) are undertaking works above 7,000ft.
As previously reported although Manchester/East Midlands Airports have made a great deal of progress on the Stage 3 design and preparation for evaluation requirements other airports in the Manchester TMA cluster have not progressed at the same pace. The Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG) are producing a revised programme for the cluster sponsors to feed into and then agree. Of course, once we have an agreed new gateway date, we will communicate it to Members.
We continue to make steady progress in developing and appraising our designs and further refine our consultation strategy. In January we met with our Stakeholder Reference Group and have another meeting planned for June to further develop/inform our Consultation Strategy. Over the coming months we will also be intensifying our communications in order to ‘prepare the ground’ for consultation.
Projects to remove reliance on the MCT DVOR
As previously reported, the existing departure and arrival procedures are dependent upon national assets (provided by NATS En Route Ltd) scheduled to be removed from service on 1st January 2026. The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23) will provide the long-term solution, entirely replacing dependency on ground based navigational aids with Satellite navigation. Two projects will ‘bridge’ the gap between removal of the ground based navigational aids and the delivery ACP-2019-23:
• ACP-2024-002 Contingency RNP approaches for Runway 23R, Runway 05L & Runway 05R.
• ACP-2024-007 RNAV Substitution of Eligible Conventional Procedures.
We made our final submissions (to the CAA) for both ACP-2024-002 and ACP-2024-007 in 2024. Unfortunately, the CAA are no longer able to make their assessments according to the timescales that they had originally agreed. We are now working with our CAA colleagues to target the resources they have available on removing dependency on the MCT DVOR before the end of 2025. The MCT DME will continue to be available into 2026 and so these dependencies are not so urgent.
Anyway, enjoy and I'm sorry of it is a little long!!
Before posting the majority of the report from Chris Woodroofe I thought that I would add a few additional comments that he made at the start of his presentation:
- Figures are standing (on 25th April) at plus 9% year of year and with a rolling annual passenger count of 31.3m.
- Ryanair are scheduled to move to Terminal 1 at the end of the year.
- IndiGo will be serving Delhi
- Terminal 2 Zone B check-in will open in mid-May
Manchester Airport Consultative Committee
Meeting Date – Friday 25th April 2025
REPORT OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
1. INTRODUCTION
Manchester Airport has kick-started the first quarter of 2025 on a very strong note. During the period from January to March 2025, Manchester Airport served a total of over 6 million passengers (6,089,880) reflecting a 4.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The individual monthly breakdown is as follows, January (1,940,632), February (2,012,134) and March (2,239,812). This reflects the busiest start to a year recorded in Manchester Airport’s history. Therefore, this has resulted in Manchester Airport’s 12 month rolling total being over 31 million passengers (31,136,769).
During the first quarter of 2025, Manchester Airport’s security and operations performance continued to be strong, improving from the last quarter of 2024. 99.3% of passengers were processed through security in 15 minutes or less, which is above our target of 95%. 93% of our inbound baggage met the waiting time service level agreement, and our on-time performance for this quarter was 74.5%, which is above our 72% target.
Throughout the first quarter of 2025, Manchester Airport’s media team have made several announcements on the growth of the airport’s route network, including the announcement of an IndiGo service from Manchester to India. This is the airline’s first UK service, and Manchester Airport’s first direct route to India post pandemic.
This sits alongside two new Loganair domestic routes to Southampton and Exeter, and Ryanair’s route to Rabat in Morocco. Ethiopian Airlines also announced an increase in frequency with daily flights to Addis Ababa.
In addition to these new route announcements, Manchester Airport also effectively communicated changes to the passenger experience, including barrierless drop-off, and highlighted our community outreach efforts including the Manchester Airport jobs fair in Wythenshawe, our Meet the Buyer’s event, and promoting the latest round of donations made by the Community Trust Fund.
In conclusion, the first quarter of 2025 has been another period of remarkable success for Manchester Airport.
This strong momentum sets the stage for what promises to be our busiest summer yet—an opportunity we eagerly anticipate.
2. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY
a) National Political Engagement
Bee Network
The start of January marked a significant milestone for public transport across Greater Manchester, with the launch of the third tranche of the Bee Network. A celebratory event was held at Wythenshawe Interchange and attended by senior stakeholders from Manchester Airport, as well as the newly appointed Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, who joined Mayor Andy Burnham in person at the event. Following a positive engagement at the event, an invitation was extended to Heidi to visit Manchester Airport. We are now working closely with her team to arrange a suitable date for this visit.
In March, tap and go technology launched across Bee Network bus and tram travel. The launch marked a huge step towards an integrated transport system across Greater Manchester. Manchester Airport was pleased to celebrate the launch by hosting a roundtable with key stakeholders from across the city region, including Mayor Andy Burnham. The Bee Network closely aligns to Manchester Airport’s ambitions to grow public transport usage across passengers and colleagues. In support of Bee Network rollout, Manchester Airport has implemented a series of enhancements to the Ground Transport Interchange including improved wayfinding and the installation of new screens displaying real-time tram and bus timetables. These upgrades are designed to improve the overall passenger experience, making public transport to and from the airport more accessible, intuitive, and user-friendly.
Manchester Airport looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester and other key travel partners and organisations to enhance transport infrastructure across the North, with a particular focus on rail integration and simplified ticketing solutions. Together, we are committed to promoting sustainable, reliable, and affordable transport solutions for all.
Parliamentary engagement day in London
On the 29th of January, the Manchester Airport public affairs team accompanied Managing Director Chris
Woodroofe to Parliament for a full day of face-to-face engagement with Members of Parliament.
The team held constructive meetings with Nav Mishra, MP for Stockport Central; Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington; and Christian Wakeford, MP for Bury North. These discussions were highly positive and productive, helping to further strengthen our relationships with key local stakeholders and identify opportunities to collaborate on policies which seek to grow our region.
The day concluded with an evening dinner with Mike Kane, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, in his capacity as the airport’s constituency MP. Conversations spanned a range of important topics, including Manchester Airport’s commitment to increasing the proportion of passengers using public transport, as well as efforts to improve wayfinding on pedestrian routes from Wythenshawe to the airport.
MP visits to Manchester Airport
In addition to parliamentary engagement in London, Manchester Airport also welcomed several Members of Parliament on-site for visits. This included Jo Platt, MP for Leigh and Atherton, and Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford. Each visit featured an airside tour of Terminal 2, offering firsthand insight into the airport’s ongoing transformation, followed by detailed policy discussions focused on both constituency concerns and wider business priorities for the airport.
Following her visit, Jo Platt has remained actively engaged on airport-related matters and has been particularly vocal in championing the need for improved public transport connectivity across the Northwest in Parliament, a priority area for Manchester Airport and one we work closely to improve.
Civil servant delegations
Between January and March, Manchester Airport hosted several teams of civil servants for on-site visits. These included guided tours of Terminal 2, as well as in-depth policy discussions and presentations focused on the airport’s operations and strategic priorities.
The visiting departments included the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Transport, and HM Treasury. These engagements provided a valuable opportunity to showcase the scale and significance of Manchester Airport’s contribution to the regional and national economy, discuss policy solutions which serve our region, and foster stronger working relationships across government departments.
Supporting constituency events
Manchester Airport was proud to sponsor and support two key community events in Mike Kane’s constituency earlier this year.
In February, we sponsored Mike Kane’s Apprenticeship Fair, where Manchester Airports Group (MAG) also
hosted a stand to showcase current and future career opportunities available at the airport. Manchester Airport is active in future skills development; our involvement in activities such as the Apprenticeship Fair highlight the roles available at Manchester Airport and encourage our local communities to explore career opportunities within the organisation.
In March, we were pleased to support Mike Kane’s International Women’s Day event, which brought together local schoolgirls to hear from a panel of inspirational women. As part of the programme, Zanele Shumba, a senior quantity surveyor at MAG, shared her career journey and experiences working in the aviation sector—offering valuable insight and inspiration to the next generation.
Both events were highly positive and well-received, and we look forward to continuing our support of these important initiatives within our local constituency, as part of our ongoing commitment to giving back to the communities we serve and value.
Jet Zero Task Force
The Jet Zero Task Force (JZTF) has been reestablished to accelerate efforts towards sustainable aviation, for which MAG CEO Ken O’Toole is one of two airport members and active participants in the various ‘task & finish’ group established by JZTF. Following our JZ Charter pledge, we have now initiated the first of three PhD positions, Nick Barrows, who joins us from the CAA to begin his PhD with MMU.
DEFRA ARP4 & DfT Climate Adaptation Advice
In January we issued our response to DEFRA’s fourth round of climate change adaptation reporting (ARP4), detailing the current and future projected impacts of climate change, as well as the proposed approach to climate adaptation and implementation progress. Subsequently we have been engaging with the Department for Transport on the development of their now published advice on adaptation planning in transport.
Greater Manchester and Wider Northern engagement
Manchester Airport appearance at the Environment, Climate Change and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee
In February, Neil Robinson, Chief Sustainability Officer attended the Manchester City Council Scrutiny Committee session for Environment, Climate Change and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee. This provided the annual opportunity to engage with local leaders, outline our strategic priorities, and address key questions around airport operations, sustainability, and our wider community impact.
The session was constructive and well-received, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and collaboration with stakeholders. Following this appearance, discussions are now underway about how best to evolve Manchester Airport’s future scrutiny committee appearances, exploring the potential to merge future Scrutiny Committee appearances into a single, dedicated Manchester Airports Group session. This would allow for a more streamlined and strategic discussion, ensuring consistency across the Group while maintaining a strong focus on
local accountability. As opposed to the current format, which consists of Manchester Airports Group appearing at two separate scrutiny sessions.
3. PLANNING MATTERS
Changes to National Planning Policy:
The new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which aims to speed up and streamline the planning process and the delivery of new housing and critical national infrastructure, was introduced into Parliament on 11 March. It is central to the Government’s plan to “get Britain building again” and deliver economic growth. The Bill has 5 overarching objectives: 1) Delivering a faster and more certain consenting process for critical infrastructure; 2) Introducing a more strategic approach to nature recovery; 3) Improving certainty and decision-making in the
planning system; 4) Unlocking land and securing public value for large scale investment; and 5) Introducing effective new mechanisms for cross-boundary strategic planning.
Local Planning Policy:
The Airport continues to liaise with Manchester City Council on their drafting of the new Manchester Local Plan, the replacement for the current adopted development plan that was adopted in 2012 and runs to 2027. A public
consultation on the draft Manchester Local Plan is anticipated to start in late summer. New Local Plans for both Trafford and Stockport are also under preparation and further phases of public consultation on each of these is
expected imminently. Trafford will be consulting on draft Local Plan polices between April and June, and Stockport will be consulting on their draft Local Plan between May and June. We will be reviewing these documents and will make representations where appropriate.
Cheshire East have launched a consultation on the vision and priorities for their next Local Transport Plan. The consultation runs until 21 April and the Airport will be making representations.
Airport or near Airport developments:
• Sydney Avenue replacement – Construction works continue on-site and are expected to be complete by the end of May 2025. At that point the existing Sydney Avenue highway will be closed with only pedestrian and cycle access maintained.
• Airport Car Parking – Construction works have started on the Clough Bank B site (close to the Runway Visitor Park) for additional Meet and Greet storage parking following the completion of enabling works that included demolition of the former residential properties collectively known as Vicarage Cottages
(which proceeded under a Natural England European Protected Species Mitigation Licence) and the construction of the bat barn that will compensate for the bat roosts lost within the cottages. The new car parking spaces will be delivered in several phases throughout 2025.
• Airport Hotels – Construction has commenced on the 7-storey, 154-bedroom Dakota brand hotel off Bailey Lane, close to the former Etrop Grange hotel. This development is being led by a third party rather than MAG. The planning application for a new 9-storey, 276-bedroom Premier Inn hotel (the largest in
the North West) on land between the Voyager office building and the new Tribe hotel was granted planning permission in February. Construction is anticipated to start in the summer following the discharge of pre-commencement conditions.
4. MANCHESTER AIRPORT TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME (MAN-TP)
We continue to make good progress on Phase Two of MAN-TP - our £1.3billion transformation programme to revolutionise the customer, colleague, and partner experience.
Landside: We recently celebrated going live with our brand new digital gantry (overhead road signage) on World Way with a digital ribbon cutting! The dynamic signage will help motorists navigate to the T2 forecourt when we
introduce upper and lower levels in May, directing people to where there is the most available space, improving traffic flow and reducing wait times. Work to construct Sydney Avenue - a new 200metre link road - is ongoing.
T2 Check-in East: We have recently opened Zone B of T2 Check-in East, with 12 check-in desks available for temporary check-in baggage injection only. Over the past two weeks, we’ve been carrying out controlled flight trials with Virgin and TUI. The remaining 14 check-in desks will be available from 14th April for full operational use. Alongside this, we’re introducing 30 Self-Service Kiosks and 6 integrated referral desks (two per kiosk cluster) to further support the passenger experience. In June, we’ll open T2 Check-in Zone C (12 desks), and at this point we will remove the temporary check-in area and transition to full Zone B and Zone C check-in operations.
T2 Security East: The next major piece of infrastructure to be delivered as part of Phase Two of MAN-TP is the T2 Security East area in April. It will mirror the look and feel of T2 Security West, and we’ll be opening five of the ten brand new next-generation Security lanes to support passenger demand. The new T2 Security East will feature floor to ceiling windows to maintain the bright and airy feel of T2 West. As part of ‘handover 1’ we’ll also be opening new landside public toilet facilities and four new office spaces. We’ve been holding several ‘Open Days’ as part of our operational readiness activity where colleagues and the airport community have been invited to attend to familiarise themselves with the area ahead of it going live to passengers.
T2 International Departure Lounge East: Work is ongoing on levels 20 and 30 to progress this area with tiling being laid throughout the passenger walking route and retailers such as Joe and the Juice, Starbucks, UpperCrust
and Lego underway with their internal fit-out.
Airfield: Taxiway Charlie has been repaired with 3600sqm of pavement, helping to support airfield capacity over the summer. Construction of the new Taxiway Echo is ongoing, and we are moving into the testing and commissioning phase of the new aeronautical ground lighting that will service the new taxiway infrastructure.
Pier 2: The FLANs (fixed links and nodes) installation programme is in the latter stages, with the steelworks complete, ready for the delivery and installation of airbridges. Internal fittings continue to be installed. Pier 2 will significantly increase the number of aircraft that can operate from the brand-new terminal while offering passengers more space while they wait. Pier 2 will offer 13 contact stands hosting a flexible arrangement for both wide and narrow-bodied aircraft.
5. OPERATIONAL DATA
On Time Performance (OTP)
Departure on-time performance depends on several factors including weather, airfield operations, and technical issues. Monthly performance for the past financial year across all flight types are outlined below:
6. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT – ROUTES AND SERVICES UPDATE
FY25 Update:
• In FY25, April 2024 - March 2025, Manchester Airport delivered 31.1m passengers.
• This was another record breaking year for the airport with passenger numbers increasing by +2.4m versus the previous year.
Quarter 4 Update:
• During the 4th Quarter (January – March 2025), 6.2m passengers travelled through Manchester Airport.
• The delivery of 6.2m passengers was an increase of 6% on 2024 levels (+8% in January, +6% in February and +4% in March).
• Year-on-year passenger growth continues to be driven by low-cost carriers. Ryanair (+13%) and easyJet’s (+5%) collective growth added +253k passengers versus the previous year.
• In addition to the growth above, there was also significant YoY growth from numerous other carriers including Hainan Airlines (+134%), Etihad (+38%), Cathay Pacific (+31%), Saudia (+29%), Gulf Air (+26%) and the Aer Lingus Long-haul service to North America (+12%), amongst many others.
There have been numerous developments to Manchester Airport’s network in the Quarter, including:
• IndiGo have announced they are entering the European market in Summer 25 and Manchester-India will be one of their launch routes. It is fantastic to have this strategic unserved market secured and is expected to launch this summer.
• Etihad increasing their schedule at Manchester to 10 x weekly, with the carrier planning to further increase their schedule to double-daily in Summer 25.
• Iberia increasing the Manchester - Madrid service to daily, allowing for improved connectivity to their onwards network in South America.
• Juneyao confirming they would increase frequency to a daily Manchester – Shanghai service in Summer 25 due to strong demand on the route. With Hainan Airlines operating their Manchester –Beijing flight daily and Cathay Pacific their Hong Kong flight daily, this means that Manchester will have up to 3 x daily flights to China and Hong in Summer 25.
• Loganair announcing they will launch a new Exeter and Southampton service from October 25, providing crucial domestic connectivity to Manchester Airport and which will also help feed the airport's long-haul network.
• Ethiopian Airlines announcing they would increase their Manchester – Addis Ababa service from 5 x weekly to daily from July 25.
• Saudia announced they would increase their Manchester – Jeddah service to daily in Summer 25.
• Turkish Airlines going on sale with a 28 x weekly program in Summer 25, the carrier’s largest ever schedule from Manchester Airport.
7. CAR PARKING & SURFACE ACCESS
• Landside Operations: Call volumes have remained constant compared to the same period last year and traffic volumes have been slightly higher based on the same period last year. M&G volumes have continued to exceed budgeted forecasts in the final quarter of FY25. The landside control room assisted 265,589 customers via our car park/forecourt intercoms during Jan 25 - Mar 25, up from 242,543 for the same period in 2024. Landside NPS continues to remain high when compared across the group, currently running at 52.4%, up from 47.5% on the previous quarter, against a target of 41.0%. Barrierless forecourts went live on Terminal 2 and Station on Wednesday 26th March 2025, and for Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 on Wednesday 2nd April 2025.
• Customer Transport: Customer Transport delivered average airfield coaching SLA performance across the quarter of 90% with performance affected by substantial adverse weather events in January. Landside services continued to perform strongly, supporting a robust and above target NPS performance throughout the quarter. JetParks 1 opened earlier than planned to support passenger growth heading into the next quarter. Recruitment activity Jan-Mar was elevated to support the growth in both airfield coaching and landside bussing, with over 50 external and 30 internal offers made in the period.
• Car Parking: Car park occupancy averaged 99% throughout the quarter, across all self-park and Meet & Greet products, with both self-park and Meet & Greet continuing to perform very well. NPS has been sustained at record high levels, averaging 68 vs. target 41 and in some products continued to perform as well as 70. Capacity balancing continued across the estate to mitigate the space loss of T1MSCP. Cloud migration for ParkIT, as referenced in the previous quarter was completed for all products, improving the reliability of the system and offering service enhancements from a reporting perspective.
• Manchester Airport Ground Transport Group: This group of internal stakeholders continues to meet to discuss how we can work collaboratively to enhance ground transport/surface access to the airport site. A pipeline of potential schemes which can be considered forsupport from the sustainable transport fund is being developed.
• Bee Network Round Table Discussions: A roundtable discussion was held at Manchester Airport with Mayor Andy Burnham on the 26th March. This event offered an opportunity to showcase the recent upgrades made at the Ground Transport Interchange. The meeting sought to promote the benefits of the Bee Network and to explore collaboratively the process of planning for future enhancement/improvements to the Ground Transport Interchange.
• Ground Transport Interchange Master Planning Activity: The GTI handles some 4 million passenger movements annually, and with the airport’s forecast growth, we are keen to increase mode-share and enhance the transport connections to those which might be expected at a major international airport.
The GTI opened in 2004, and other than the addition of two additional rail platforms and Metrolink, the overall facility has remained largely untouched. Work is underway on the overall scope of a master plan for the GTI, covering not just the facility requirements and opportunities but the wider surface access strategy for Manchester, and the fit with the wider Manchester master plan. The first iteration details both a strategic commitment and expectation that through the development of rail, coach, tram, and bus services there is an opportunity to increase the percentage of passenger trips to and from the airport that use public transport
• Collaboration with Flixbus: Flix Bus has recently committed to new coach services at the airport. These new services will strengthen the coach offer to Liverpool, while opening up new routes to Hull and London (via Birmingham) for passengers.
• Platform Lengthening Scheme: We are continuing to support Network Rail with the preparation of a business case (for submission to the Department of Transport), which seeks funding to lengthen the platforms at Manchester Airport Station. If funding is approved, it could see the platforms lengthened (by 2030), which will allow us to receive longer passenger trains, hence increasing rail passenger capacity. Site visits have been facilitated to explore the feasibility of works and we expect these to continue over coming months.
8. MOBILITY SERVICES
CAA rating: We have seen extremely strong performance across all our key measures for Special Assistance services. Our key performance measures for the Civil Aviation Authority to assist pre-booked arriving passengers within 20 minutes, and non-booked arriving passengers within 45 minutes, are at 99.64% and 99.99% respectively for the financial year ending in March, this surpasses the threshold for a ‘Very Good’ rating from the CAA, and is despite the fact that every month in 2024/5 has seen growth for PRM’s at Manchester, with our busiest ever months in September and October. PRM satisfaction ended FY25 at 4.17/5, which again exceeds target of 4/5 for a ‘Very Good’ rating.
Passenger experience: Strong performance in all our key measures has been seen throughout the year to date, customer feedback is also performing strongly with satisfaction scores exceeding CAA target for a ‘Very Good’ rating and a year-on-year reduction in the number of complaints.
12. FUTURE AIRSPACE The ERG323 North West Transit Corridor (NWTC)
The Manchester Low Level Route (MLLR) evolved into the North West Transit Corridor (NWTC) on Thursday 20th February 2025. The NWTC is classified as ‘Class G’ (was Class D), has a ceiling of 1,500ft (was 1,300ft) and is now wider (towards Manchester Airport). On Monday 10th March, in collaboration with NATS, CAA and Barton Aerodrome, MAG hosted an aviation safety evening at the Runway Visitor Park. The event attracted more than 75 pilots from Barton Aerodrome, Blackpool Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Teesside International Airport and Clacton Airport. Presentations were made on:
• Airspace infringement prevention, outlining the tools and awareness needed to be used by all and
• A particular focus on local infringement hotspots
• The new NWTC emphasising local landmarks useful for visual reference in establishing the parameters of the Corridor.
The evening concluded with Q&A Panel addressing questions that had been posed through the evening. By working together with our NATS, CAA and Barton Aerodrome colleagues, we delivered an informative event that highlighted the parameters of the NWTC and promoted aviation safety for the General Aviation community.
Wider Airspace Modernisation update
In the Scottish Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) Glasgow Airport has passed through the Stage 3 Gateway (joining NATS EnRoute -NERL) after submitting some minor clarifications to the CAA. Edinburgh Airport postponed the submission of their second attempt at Stage 3 (should have been February) with a new date yet to be identified. Glasgow Airport and NERL will need to pause and wait for Edinburgh to catch them up.
In the Manchester TMA, Leeds Bradford Airport have again postponed the submission their third attempt at the Stage 2 Gateway (should have been April) with a new date yet to be identified. London Gatwick Airport (having postponed their Stage 3 submission for London Airport South (LAS) pending further options analysis and environmental assessment work) have agreed a new Stage 3 Gateway of 26th September 2025. Aberdeen Airport has now progressed to Stage 5 ‘Decide’ with their Gateway due 27th June 2025.
The aspiration of London Heathrow Airport for a third runway and London Gatwick Airport to convert their standby runway for routine use have further confused timelines for the London TMA whilst the results of the joint CAA/DfT UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) consultation are compiled.
Reduction for the need for Non-Standard Departures (NSDs)
Non-Standard Departures are special instructions to fly outside of the tolerances of the Preferred Noise Routes and historically have been required:
• To maintain separation from aircraft such as Police or Air Ambulance.
• To direct aircraft away from poor weather.
• In the event of equipment outage of a ground based navigational aid (to provide the initial routing and separation).
Aircraft following NSDs fly outside the areas one would usually expect to experience aircraft overflight. As such NSDs can cause disturbance to those communities close to Manchester Airport. As of 10th February 2025, should a ground based navigational aid be unserviceable then it will be assumed the aircraft can still fly the route, using an overlay, unless the pilot states otherwise. This means the aircraft will fly the usual departure route and not be issued a non-standard departure instruction. This is a significant step forward for Manchester Airport that will benefit our neighbouring communities and airlines. The change will enable NATS Air Traffic Controllers to continue to safely and efficiently depart aircraft while causing the least disturbance possible through current navigational techniques.
The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23)
As members are aware, in the Manchester Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) there are Airspace Change Processes underway (between ground and 7,000ft) at Manchester (MAN), East Midlands (EMA), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) and Leeds Bradford (LBA) Airports. NATS En Route Ltd (NERL) are undertaking works above 7,000ft.
As previously reported although Manchester/East Midlands Airports have made a great deal of progress on the Stage 3 design and preparation for evaluation requirements other airports in the Manchester TMA cluster have not progressed at the same pace. The Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG) are producing a revised programme for the cluster sponsors to feed into and then agree. Of course, once we have an agreed new gateway date, we will communicate it to Members.
We continue to make steady progress in developing and appraising our designs and further refine our consultation strategy. In January we met with our Stakeholder Reference Group and have another meeting planned for June to further develop/inform our Consultation Strategy. Over the coming months we will also be intensifying our communications in order to ‘prepare the ground’ for consultation.
Projects to remove reliance on the MCT DVOR
As previously reported, the existing departure and arrival procedures are dependent upon national assets (provided by NATS En Route Ltd) scheduled to be removed from service on 1st January 2026. The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23) will provide the long-term solution, entirely replacing dependency on ground based navigational aids with Satellite navigation. Two projects will ‘bridge’ the gap between removal of the ground based navigational aids and the delivery ACP-2019-23:
• ACP-2024-002 Contingency RNP approaches for Runway 23R, Runway 05L & Runway 05R.
• ACP-2024-007 RNAV Substitution of Eligible Conventional Procedures.
We made our final submissions (to the CAA) for both ACP-2024-002 and ACP-2024-007 in 2024. Unfortunately, the CAA are no longer able to make their assessments according to the timescales that they had originally agreed. We are now working with our CAA colleagues to target the resources they have available on removing dependency on the MCT DVOR before the end of 2025. The MCT DME will continue to be available into 2026 and so these dependencies are not so urgent.
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marni1971
Well-Known Member
“The dynamic signage will help motorists navigate to the T2 forecourt when we
introduce upper and lower levels in May, directing people to where there is the most available space, improving traffic flow and reducing wait times. ”
Would this mean I wonder if the original arrivals pick up at ground level will also now be used for drop off? That could get messy with traffic flows.
Also note Security East was planned to partially open in April (did it?) - with the legacy departure area still being finished, this suggests a connection between the two, although maybe only temporary.
introduce upper and lower levels in May, directing people to where there is the most available space, improving traffic flow and reducing wait times. ”
Would this mean I wonder if the original arrivals pick up at ground level will also now be used for drop off? That could get messy with traffic flows.
Also note Security East was planned to partially open in April (did it?) - with the legacy departure area still being finished, this suggests a connection between the two, although maybe only temporary.
Having recently stayed at the Ibis next to T2, the work on-going at ground level outside arrivals looks like this area will be used for drop off too, and there are lifts next this area.
jamesg4568
Member
Second this. Stayed last week. The entrance to the ground level arrivals area of the East MSCP has been re-surfaced with markings for drop off, new digital signage for which zone has available spaces and green/red overhead lights to indicate vacant bays. It will be interesting to see if they use the new digital signage to highlight which airlines are checking in at which zone, so that you can be dropped off as close as possible. For example, will the sign the ground level drop off for the ground level check in airlines?
Are they replacing the old ground level check in with a new area? I was under the impression all check in would be on the departure level…?
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Well it looks like I'm off to Australia and New Zealand next year! Booked with BA from Manchester via Heathrow with a stop in Singapore and returning with Air New Zealand and BA via LAX to Heathrow. Will circumnavigate the globe and be my first trans-Pacific flight. First long haul flight with BA as well and of course Air NZ.
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