Manchester Airport Transformation Programme

[marni1971]

Domestic neither pass through immigration or customs, hence why a separate route is required. What’s unclear is if all domestic arrivals will be bussed to the VCC or with time there would be a segregated walking route from some stands (Presumably 307/308).

This has been discussed elsewhere, apparently BA domestic will be using some new pier contact gates. Which makes any fully segregated routes odd.

 

[joshl257]

Maybe the false wall on arrivals level is staying, that is currently used to ferry passengers between the new departure lounge in the legacy gates. it was right in front of the circulation core from memory so you could exit at arrivals level but then be pushed into the circulation core as long as it is gate D7 or D8. Just a thought,

 

[Land23R]

Airport Lounges: Apart from MAN's own lounges in T2, the only confirmed airline/alliance lounge as far as I know is for Emirates on the arrival level of Pier2. On another forum, there is now mention of QR wanting a lounge.
Is there any substance to this? A while back, there was a rumour of One World taking the space no longer required for a Virgin Clubhouse.
Personally, I think it would be disappointing if MAN ended up with just the EK lounge.

 

[marni1971]

Airport Lounges: Apart from MAN's own lounges in T2, the only confirmed airline/alliance lounge as far as I know is for Emirates on the arrival level of Pier2. On another forum, there is now mention of QR wanting a lounge.
Is there any substance to this? A while back, there was a rumour of One World taking the space no longer required for a Virgin Clubhouse.
Personally, I think it would be disappointing if MAN ended up with just the EK lounge.

Aside from the clubhouse, I don’t know of any significant space left suitable for a lounge. There is talk of a reconfiguration of all the lounges* including 1903 at the airport. Maybe there will be some amalgamation if true.

*not Aspire but they couldn’t find a worse location if they tried. Unless QR kick up a fuss and get this location.

 

[KARFA]

This has been discussed elsewhere, apparently BA domestic will be using some new pier contact gates. Which makes any fully segregated routes odd.

yes that is what i had heard too. ba will use the low numbered a gates on pier 1 - which means mixing with international arrivals and going thro the farce of biometrics on arrival. no other UK airport does CTA/UK arrivals this way with biometric capture on exit from the jetbridge and again at immigration.

it is not the case that CTA and domestic routes must be separate - they can be the same as long as there is provision for customs which is often just the red phone for declarations. in many places they are the same route (NCL, and currently in T3 for example), but unfortunately it seems there are no jetbridges with access to the internal route for domestic arrivals.

this is one of the things that is defintely a downside of moving from T3 to T2 unfortunately.

 

[jamesg4568]

yes that is what i had heard too. ba will use the low numbered a gates on pier 1 - which means mixing with international arrivals and going thro the farce of biometrics on arrival. no other UK airport does CTA/UK arrivals this way with biometric capture on exit from the jetbridge and again at immigration.

it is not the case that CTA and domestic routes must be separate - they can be the same as long as there is provision for customs which is often just the red phone for declarations. in many places they are the same route (NCL, and currently in T3 for example), but unfortunately it seems there are no jetbridges with access to the internal route for domestic arrivals.

this is one of the things that is defintely a downside of moving from T3 to T2 unfortunately.

I think earlier on in this thread there was discussion about bussing the domestic arrivals over so maybe that's the plan if using the low numbered A gates?

 

[KARFA]

I think earlier on in this thread there was discussion about bussing the domestic arrivals over so maybe that's the plan if using the low numbered A gates?

i don't think that is the plan. but if it was it would be even worse!

 

[LS@MAN]

For the majority of CTA and domestic arrivals, bussing will be required anyway and as stated earlier in the thread by @CCGE29 the future plan for domestics is to enter the terminal via the VCC building, which will have a separate route into the domestic baggage hall and then a separate UK arrivals exit.

Let's have a breakdown of both CTA and domestic arrivals by airline...

CTA:
Loganair - ATR's and Embraer's are used so therefore no airbridge, which would mean bussing anyway.
Aer Lingus - same for the ATR's, for the A320 bussing is used today from Pier B in T1, so no issue with doing the same in T2.
EasyJet - again, today's arrivals from Jersey for example are bussed from Pier B in T1 to a separate baggage hall area.

Domestic:
Loganair - ATR's and Embraer's are used so therefore no airbridge, which would mean bussing anyway.
Aer Lingus - as per above, same for the ATR's.
EasyJet - again, today's arrivals from Belfast for example are bussed from Pier B in T1 to a separate baggage hall area.
And finally BA - I've also heard gates/stands like A1 will be used on Pier 1. But there has been some work on the arrivals level next to stands 307/308 (gates D7 & D8) recently and suggestions have been made that these stands could be used by BA and others, with a new walking route direct in the arrivals level to the CTA/domestic baggage hall?
But on the flip side, I have seen the biometrics installed in Pier 1 at various gates, at both departure and arrival levels, which sounds like Pier 1 will be used too, but surely this can only be for BA and Aer Lingus with their Airbus narrowbody aircraft?

 

[KARFA]

For the majority of CTA and domestic arrivals, bussing will be required anyway and as stated earlier in the thread by @CCGE29 ....the future plan for domestics is to enter the terminal via the VCC building, which will have a separate route into the domestic baggage hall and then a separate UK arrivals exit.

the critical point being that would always have to be bussed to the VCC building - which is why i was asking the question earlier in the thread.

so you either park on a remote stand and bus arrivals and departing passengers, or park on the jetbridge and have to bus arriving passengers but board departing from the jetbridge.

none of this is better than T3, it very clearly worse.

 

[MannyJon]

Staff open days and orientation on now. Went the other day, impressive.

 

[MKY661]

Arrived back at T1 for potentially the last time yesterday, however I did notice outside stand 8 that Pier B seemed to have had a bit of work done to the exterior. Not sure when it was done but looks fairly recent as I hadn't recognised it before, plus surely if it's only going to be mothballed after November then they wouldn't have done anything to it?
View attachment 32666

 

[CCGE29]

Arrived back at T1 for potentially the last time yesterday, however I did notice outside stand 8 that Pier B seemed to have had a bit of work done to the exterior. Not sure when it was done but looks fairly recent as I hadn't recognised it before, plus surely if it's only going to be mothballed after November then they wouldn't have done anything to it?
View attachment 32666

Pier B is not being mothballed - will be used by FR/RK from November.

The windows have been cleaned and it’s in the process of being repainted black from the washed out grey look. Currently they’ve completed stand 10-6 and were up to stand 4 yesterday. During this work they are also using the time to re-paint the lines on the apron.

CCGE29

 

[marni1971]

Pier B is not being mothballed - will be used by FR/RK from November.

The windows have been cleaned and it’s in the process of being repainted black from the washed out grey look. Currently they’ve completed stand 10-6 and were up to stand 4 yesterday. During this work they are also using the time to re-paint the lines on the apron.

CCGE29

I saw a recent YouTube video inside pier B. Got to say it did look bright and fresh (all the glass undoubtedly helped too)

For better or for worse we’ll see it for ourselves soon.

 

[LS@MAN]

Pier B is not being mothballed - will be used by FR/RK from November.

The windows have been cleaned and it’s in the process of being repainted black from the washed out grey look. Currently they’ve completed stand 10-6 and were up to stand 4 yesterday. During this work they are also using the time to re-paint the lines on the apron.

CCGE29

Interesting…so used as in boarding and de-boarding within pier B?
So Pier B will become part of T3?

I saw a recent YouTube video inside pier B. Got to say it did look bright and fresh (all the glass undoubtedly helped too)

For better or for worse we’ll see it for ourselves soon.

Do you have a link? Last time I was there about 18 months ago, yes it was bright, but needs a lot of work doing inside! Especially the arrivals at ground level!

 

[marni1971]

Interesting…so used as in boarding and de-boarding within pier B?
So Pier B will become part of T3?



Do you have a link? Last time I was there about 18 months ago, yes it was bright, but needs a lot of work doing inside! Especially the arrivals at ground level!

I don’t I’m afraid. We watched quite a few in quick succession (380 reviews) and it was only departures. I’ll aim to get some footage myself.

 

[MKY661]

Pier B is not being mothballed - will be used by FR/RK from November.

The windows have been cleaned and it’s in the process of being repainted black from the washed out grey look. Currently they’ve completed stand 10-6 and were up to stand 4 yesterday. During this work they are also using the time to re-paint the lines on the apron.

CCGE29

Oh wow thank you for the update. I would assume arrivals from Pier B would head through into the T3 baggage hall somehow? Will be interesting to see how that works, unless they plan on using T1s immigration and baggage hall as well for the time being?

Also with Pier B and T3 I count 31 stands for Ryanair to use exclusively. That seems quite a lot for an airline that isn't the biggest operator at MAN in terms of based aircraft, unless this is going to be a temporary measure in case some T3 stands can't be used? (I remember hearing about the removal of airbridges so could be a good time to do that?)

Do you have a link? Last time I was there about 18 months ago, yes it was bright, but needs a lot of work doing inside! Especially the arrivals at ground level!

Not the best quality sadly but I took these on my recent trip, one from my departure and the other from yesterday. Not much has changed inside tbh, but still pleasant (only issue is the steps and queues that form from these when arriving due to wheely suitcases). Also with the arrivals at ground level, are you referring to the small areas with the steps to the gates?

 

[LS@MAN]

@MKY661 yes, the arrivals level. Especially on the west facing side, we arrived back from Kos in June on stand 6 or 8 and entered into a narrow corridor, turned left to go up the steps and then the walk to immigration, it was like stepping back in time!
I just hope Ryanair won’t be using this bit for arrivals!

 

[Trumpington]

All airbridges likely to be removed or mothballed on T1 and T3. No one will eventually be using airbridges on Pier A. Pier B and C likely to be exclusively used by Easyjet, as remote stands, passengers bussed to T2. This arrangement surely won't last, as eventually Pier C will go and Pier B likely rebuilt and integrated into T3. Hopefully T3 will become new T1. Old T1 buildings hopefully demolished (inc old towers) and what ever replaces it forms part of new T1 complex!?

 

[marni1971]

All airbridges likely to be removed or mothballed on T1 and T3. No one will eventually be using airbridges on Pier A. Pier B and C likely to be exclusively used by Easyjet, as remote stands, passengers bussed to T2. This arrangement surely won't last, as eventually Pier C will go and Pier B likely rebuilt and integrated into T3. Hopefully T3 will become new T1. Old T1 buildings hopefully demolished (inc old towers) and what ever replaces it forms part of new T1 complex!?

Pier C air bridges are remaining as they are now. That’s why they’ve just removed two.

 

[Trumpington]

Pier C air bridges are remaining as they are now. That’s why they’ve just removed two.

But once T1 closes, where will passengers go. Through airbridges into Pier C, downstairs onto coaches to T2? Assuming Easyjet will occupy all Pier C stands. Assuming Ryan and Easy ultimately be only airlines using Piers A, B and C once everything else moved to T2. Can anyone shed any light?