Trifter

Once voted amongst the top airports in the world, Manchester airport has seen a slow and awkward decline in recent years as other; smaller regional airports start to emerge with more appealing facilities and airlines. We cannot, however take away from the airport, that it still offers more destinations than any other airport in the UK – short of the world by Paris and Frankfurt, yet it’s passengers continue to fall. However – could the next five years be the making of Manchester airport?

While Airbus have been focusing their efforts over the past decade and prior on the A380, Boeing have been looking more for a long range replacement of the 757 and 767 in the form of the 787. The aircraft has been marketed by Boeing to be the aircraft to connect some of the thinner routes across the globe that current aircraft would not be able to economically operate. Now I personally can think of many that would fit the bill from Manchester – Los Angeles, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Delhi and Beijing are just a number that spring to mind.

Ryanair recently stated that it would reduce expansion at most of it’s UK airport’s due to the rise in government tax yet Manchester remained one of the few that was spared this threat by the airline and only today has O’Leary announced the company will cut flights even further than the previous winter from it’s main base at Stansted by a staggering 40%. What could be the future for Manchester in Ryanair’s book? Only time will tell.

EasyJet are expected to increase their based aircraft to five within the next two years while other airlines already flying from the airport are happily increasing their offerings from Jet2 to Icelandair.

The airport has taken quite a hitting in the charter market as the XL Airways has only been partially filled and the TUI group are to remove four aircraft this summer from the field. Loads are looking strong and while we sit in a terrible time for the industry, the planes are still flying with very commendable loads across the charter market. This is mainly down to holidaymakers realising that with a strong Euro, the cheapest option has now become the charter markets once again. How long this will last though is uncertain.

Having spent hundreds of millions of pounds over the past few years, Manchester is starting to show the signs of it’s former self. Newly developed security and departure lounges have helped make the experience more appealing. The future of Manchester International Airport looks rosy as the aviation industry sits on it’s knees. Watch this space…