Manchester Airport Consultative Committee (MACC) - Minutes

[Scottie Dog]

Why is USPBC considered a 'no-goer'?

Basically, from what I understand, there are 2 reasons.

Firstly Manchester has a shortage of space for the facility. You have to remember that the gates that are use by USPBC have to operate under a quarantined environment. Under the new MANTP scheme there will only be 2 piers and that would mean a loss of too many contact stands.

Secondly, from what I have been told, the American passport/immigration control at their main airports has become better organised and delays have been reduced - it is over 3 decades since I last flew into America and therefore my experience is rather dated.

 

[LS@MAN]

Thanks @Scottie Dog for all the info as always.
I must say the resilience team at the airport are a welcome asset and something to be applauded.
Nothing will ever be perfect, but you can see the improvements that have been made!

 

[Ben Speck]

Was there anything on target figures or will it be in the master plan?

 

[Scottie Dog]

Was there anything on target figures or will it be in the master plan?

Nothing mentioned.

 

[Ben Speck]

That's a shame, cheers though

 

[Scottie Dog]

The next meeting of the MACC is this Friday and, weather permitting , I'll be attending as an observer.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Extract from the Manchester Airport Consultative Committee held on Friday 19th January 2024.

REPORT OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

1. INTRODUCTION

In October 2023, Manchester Airport surpassed 2019 passenger levels for the first time. This trend continued to
the end of the year through November and December with a total of 6.5m passengers travelling through
Manchester Airport, 103% of 2019 levels and an increase of 15% compared to 2022. December 2023 was
Manchester Airport’s busiest December on record, with us serving more than 2 million passengers.
Operational performance remained high, and our security colleagues delivered an excellent performance with
99% of passengers going through security in under 15 minutes, improving on an already great performance from
the Summer. We have also seen an improvement with On Time Performance (OTP), peaking at 73% in November
2023.
In addition, services for passengers with reduce mobility continued to perform well following the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) visit in the previous quarter. Our key performance measures are to assist pre-booked arriving
passengers within 20 minutes, and non-booked arriving passengers within 45 minutes. These are at 99.4% and
99.93% respectively for the financial year to date, surpassing the threshold for a ‘Very Good’ rating from the
CAA.
In this quarter, we have also seen Eurowings announce in December that they will launch 4 x weekly service to
both Stuttgart and Hamburg from Summer 2024, building on their existing Dusseldorf service. At the same time,
long haul services expanded with Qatar Airways increasing their service to Doha to 3 x daily, their largest ever
schedule from Manchester and services to Canada were boosted by Air Transat operating an increased schedule
to Toronto, operating 3 x weekly in Winter 2023.
In December, we launched the Manchester Airport TikTok account as a creative way to engage with our
passengers and bolster positive sentiment towards the airport. We have also continued to proactively engage
with our local, regional, and national stakeholders to promote the important role Manchester Airport has as an
economic enabler, job creator and community neighbour.
As we enter 2024, we are committed to building upon a successful 2023 continuing the growth in passenger
numbers and an increase in routes. There will be a considerable amount of work on our assets over this year as
we continue to deliver the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme including repairing the travelators,
all of which is underpinned with a focus on delivering an excellent service to passengers.

2. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY

Government update: In November 2023, the UK Government undertook a reshuffle after a selection of
resignations. As part of the reshuffle, the then Aviation Minister, Baroness Vere, was re-appointed as
Parliamentary Secretary to HM Treasury. Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, Anthony Browne was
appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Transport with responsibility for
aviation, transport decarbonisation, air quality and aviation accessibility. MAG’s Chief of Staff, Tim Hawkins met
with the newly appointed minister at the beginning of January 2024.

Rail / Surface Access: Following the cancellation of HS2, we hosted the Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, where he
outlined his view that Manchester Airport was viewed as an important northern leader which needed to be at
the core of any high speed rail network. MAG Chief of Staff, Tim Hawkins led the meeting and discussed the
airport’s role in connecting northern conurbations and driving economic growth and the future of east–west
links across the North, including proposals for the Liverpool to Manchester line. In addition, Manchester Airport
hosted its annual Transport Forum which included an ’In Conversation with Andy Burnham’ update on his
priorities for the Bee Network and how the airport will play its own role as the network continues its rollout.

Real Living Wage: In this quarter, MAG has been officially accredited as a Real Living Wage (RLW) employer. The
accreditation – from the Living Wage Foundation - recognises our ongoing commitment to ensuring all colleagues
receive an income that covers the cost of living in real terms. MAG has been paying colleagues the RLW since
September 2022 and the accreditation formalises MAG’s commitment and matching future increases. The
accreditation is recognition of the fact that all 7,000 people directly employed by MAG will now, and in the future
continue to receive at least the RLW. MAG’s commitment to RLW extends to several on site partners, such as
our cleaning contractor.

Economic and social contribution of the airport: We commissioned a report with ARUP that explores the role of
Manchester Airport in supporting economies and communities across the North. The report was completed in
November and brings together a compelling narrative and evidence-led story on the impact the airport provides
locally, regionally, and nationally. The report puts forward how Government can support the airport and how we
can drive increased prosperity. A series of roundtables are being arranged to introduce the report to local,
regional and national stakeholders. The first was held in Manchester and included representatives from
Manchester City Council, University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Marketing
Manchester, MIDAS, KPMG, Aecom and Amazon. The next roundtables are being held in Leeds and Sheffield in
early 2024.

Route Development: We have been working with several organisations over the last quarter to raise awareness
of Manchester Airport’s unserved markets. The Aviation Business Development team joined a Greater
Manchester delegation to Japan, attending meetings in Tokyo with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, the Leader
of Manchester City Council and national tourism bodies. We also hosted Visit Britain including their CEO, Patricia
Yates, for a tour of Terminal 2 and an update on Manchester Airport’s connectivity that was led by Commercial
Director, Stephen Turner. We have also hosted the Manchester Consular Association which includes diplomatic
representatives from Belgium, Greece, Germany, Spain and Norway, amongst others, highlighting the important
role Manchester Airport has in connectivity in the North.

Sustainability: This quarter we have published the North West Hydrogen Aviation opportunity map in
partnership with North West Hydrogen Alliance. Head of ESG and Environmental Strategy, Adam Freeman joined
a panel event with Progressive Energy, Cadent and Sustainable Aviation to talk through how the North West can
capitalise on the opportunity. In partnership with North West Business Leadership, we wrote to the Department
for Transport and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero calling for the acceleration of the consultation
on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) price stability mechanism and to review the waste hierarchy to allow waste
to be converted to SAF. We have also hosted visits with the Leader of Trafford Council, Cllr Tom Ross in his
capacity as Executive Member for Green City Region for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Airport Slots: Available capacity for airlines to operate flights at constrained airports such as Manchester and
Heathrow are managed through a system known as slots. Following the UK’s departure from the European Union,
the slots system is now the responsibility of UK government. A consultation is currently underway around
potential reforms to this system which we are currently engaging with. Significant changes are only being
proposed for new slots, so the overall impact may be relatively small. Any changes could in principle apply to
new capacity created by the Manchester Transformation Programme, though in practice the legislative process
is long, and this capacity may be in the system by the time any new legislation is in place. We are assessing the
potential impacts of changes at present and will engage DfT directly to ensure that any changes are appropriate
for Manchester Airport and its passengers.

3. PLANNING MATTERS

Changes to the Planning System: Immediately prior to Christmas, Government launched a new National Planning
Policy Framework. The changes were predominantly focussed on delivering more housing development, but
there are a couple of aspects that should be noted. Government seems to be more ready and willing to intervene
in accelerating Local Plan production. One of the ways they believe plans can be accelerated is through the
introduction of National Development Management Policies (NDMP) leaving plans to deal with ‘locally
important’ matters and thereby reducing the scope and amount of evidence that will require examination.
Details are all still at a very high level, we still do not know the scope of NDMPs and therefore what will be left
as ‘locally important’ matters and similarly which evidence base documents will be able to reduce in scope. It is
suggested that all regulations, policies, and guidance for the new plan making system will be in place by Autumn
2024. Local Authorities will then have a 30-month time-limit to get new plans adopted.

A further change has been to ‘lock down’ Green Belt boundaries. There is no longer an implied requirement for
Local Planning Authorities to review Green Belt boundaries at Local Plan preparation stage.

Places for Everyone: MAG submitted a response expressing disappointment at the removal of the Global logistics
2 allocation and questioning the transport proposals required to support the Timperley Wedge / MediPark
allocation. The Inspectors who presided over the Examination will now examine all the responses to the Main
Modifications consultation to determine if they need to have any further Examination sitting days.

Environment Act / Biodiversity Net Gain
We have previously reported on the legal requirement for developments to now deliver bio-diversity net gain
(BNG). The guidance and regulations as to how this will operate have now come into force and it is pleasing to
announce that, after persistent communication from the airport, the role of aerodrome safeguarding has been
acknowledged and the need to engage with safeguarded aerodromes as part of the delivery of BNG is now
expressed in the guidance and regulations.

Airport or near Airport developments: There has been some updates on developments across the site and
adjacent to the site, these include:
• A planning application to vary the conditions attached to the permission for the T3 security box has been
submitted to MCC to reflect minor design changes made post approval.
• A planning application has been submitted for a net 214-bedroom extension to the Clayton Hotel
(138586/FO/2023) to mirror the design of the extension that abuts Outwood Lane. Target date for MCC
decision is 19th February.
• CTI submitted a planning application to redevelop the site of Hangar 4 for an airport-related freight and
logistics unit (136879/FO/2023). This scheme was approved at the beginning of December.
• The planning application for the redevelopment of the former Ferranti site for approximately 360,000
sq. ft of logistics floorspace (MCC reference 135952/FO/2023) was refused by Manchester City Council.
One of the reasons for refusal was unacceptable effects on the safe operation of the airport. We await
to see if an appeal will be lodged by the applicant.
• Active discussions taking place with Network Rail and the Department for Transport to lengthen three of
the rail platforms at the airport station to increase capacity and to improve resilience. Start on-site likely
to be 2026, but finalising designs to cement the business case.

4. MANCHESTER AIRPORT TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME (MAN-TP)

Phase two of MAN-TP - our £1.3billion transformation programme to revolutionise the customer and colleague
experience - is making good progress. In November 2023 we reached one million working hours on Phase two
and on 25th January we’ll be celebrating one year since Phase Two of the programme was announced.

Pier 2: The piling and foundation work on Pier 2 have progressed well ahead of the scheduled arrival of the shell
and core contractor in early February. Offsite, there has been progress on the manufacture of the shell and core
steelwork, cladding systems, airbridges, and the fixed link and nodes components.

East Check-in Hall: Work is well underway to refurbish T2 East Check-in Hall to the same high quality as the T2
extension (West), creating a stylish and modern welcome to Manchester Airport. Teams have been busy stripping
out the old baggage system, removing the check-in desks and starting the removal of the old ceiling. Bright and
engaging hoarding has been installed around the construction works to give passengers an insight into what else
is to come as part of the airport transformation.

Baggage and Reclaim Hall: The new substation that provides power for the extended baggage system and
terminal is now live. Additionally, work to create a new Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) facility above the East
Reclaim Hall is complete. The new baggage system (also known as PP40) that is fed from T2 West Check-in has
entered the end-to-end testing phase ready for a March go-live. Once complete, the baggage team will move
onto modernising the baggage system behind T2 East Check-in Hall. The East Reclaim Hall is now closed off with
hoarding as we refurbish the area.

International Departures Lounge: The T2 Refurbishment (T2R) works are progressing well. The steelworks across
the site are ongoing with the first set nearing completion. Once the steelwork is finalised, the concrete infill will
start. This will create two new areas: the new security hall and an extension to the international departure
lounge. Work in the East Arrivals Hall is ongoing with the strip out of the old check-in desks complete. The South
VCC steelwork installation (outside) is ongoing creating the shell of the infrastructure. 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.

Airfield: Construction will shortly commence on the airfield works packages, beginning with Taxiway Echo on 22
January. This is a key component of the dual taxiway concept which will increase capacity across the airfield.

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:
View attachment 30148

6. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT – ROUTES AND SERVICES UPDATE

Passenger numbers:
During the quarter, 6.5m passengers travelled through Manchester Airport. This is 103% of 2019 levels and
increase of 824K passengers, or 15%, compared to 2022. This year’s passenger numbers translate to 105% of
2019 levels in October, 102% in November and 103% in December. Notably, October was the first month since
the pandemic that passenger numbers exceed 2019 levels and this trend continued across the quarter. The
passenger recovery continued to be driven by low-cost carriers, Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2, as the short-haul
markets they serve continue to recover ahead of long-haul markets, however, increasing numbers of other airline
partners delivered passenger numbers significantly above 2019 levels. These include Qatar Airways, Turkish
Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines.

There have been several developments for Manchester Airport’s network in the Quarter, including:

• Royal Jordanian confirming that they will launch a new 3 x weekly service to Amman from March 2024.
Royal Jordanian have not served Manchester Airport previously.
• Luxair confirming they will start a 3 x weekly service to Luxembourg from Summer 24.
• Maleth commencing weekly operations to Bridgetown and Antigua, both of which will run until the end
of the Winter season, in March 2024. This is in addition to Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus and TUI who will
also operate the route through Winter 23.
• Hainan Airlines announced they will increase their Beijing service to daily in June 2024
• Eurowings announcing in December that they will launch 4 x weekly services to both Stuttgart and
Hamburg from Summer 2024, building on their existing Dusseldorf service.
• Ryanair adding 5 new routes for the Winter 23 season and who will now serve Belfast, Plovdiv, Tirana,
Venice and Warsaw.
• Ryanair also announcing the launch a new Manchester – Tangier service from Summer 24.
• Jet2 announcing they will start new routes to the Moroccan cities of Marrakech and Agadir from October
2024.
• Qatar Airways increased their service to Doha to 3 x daily, their largest ever schedule from Manchester.
• Services to Canada were boosted by Air Transat operating an increased schedule to Toronto, operating
3 x weekly in Winter 23.
• Following a successful launch in July, EgyptAir now plan to increase their schedule to 6 x weekly in
Summer 24 whilst also adding more capacity by up gauging their operations to A321neo from 2023.
• Connections to Latin America have been strengthened with Iberia increasing their Madrid service to
three times weekly in Winter 23 with schedules designed to offer seamless connections.

7. CAR PARKING & SURFACE ACCESS

Landside Operations: PAX and call volumes have decreased since the summer peaks; however, the volumes are
still high based on previous years. M&G volumes have continued to exceed budgeted forecasts. The landside
control room assisted 257,846 customers via our car park/forecourt intercoms during Oct 23 – Dec 23,
representing an 5% increase on the same period in 2022. Landside NPS continues to remain high when compared
across the group, currently running at 48.8%, down from 50.9% on the previous quarter.

Customer Transport: Customer Transport performance settled in the period, with car parking rebalancing across
different products, and the closure of Jet Parks 1 for the winter. Airside bussing performance also improved with
the overall reduction in volume and increased number of trained drivers. Regulatory training to maintain
competence began in the period and is due to be complete by March ’24. In addition, further training
opportunities to increase driver capability landside and airside were undertaken.

Car Parking: Car park occupancy averaged 96%+ throughout the quarter, across all self-park and Meet & Greet
products, with self-park products particularly highly utilized, though Meet & Greet and Drop & Go remain a
popular choice with customers. NPS continued to reflect a high level of satisfaction, exceeding internal targets
and an improvement of 7% year on year for M&G and D&G.
The self-service kiosks in T2 came online in the period and these have enhanced the customer experience whilst
also enabling the team to better support those customers who require additional help with the check-in process.

Rail

Ticket office closures: Following a national public consultation in August, industry plans to close or reduce the
availability of ticket offices across the rail network, including at Manchester Airport, were shelved. Though it
should be noted that the ticket office at Manchester Airport station, operated by Transpennine Express (TPE) has
been closed for operational reasons for several weeks. MAG continue to push the industry to provide appropriate
staffing to assist passengers, particularly as, given the nature of airports, passengers may not be familiar with
the British rail system and/or may not be able to speak English. We are working with the rail industry and TfGM
on plans to improve the overall offer of the rail station and better integrate it the other modes of surface
transport available from the interchange and will come back to MACC with further details as these are developed.
In parallel, the rail industry continues to work on proposals to extend the platforms at the station, which could
in principle enhance the rail services available at the station if deliverable, and again we will report back to MACC
any further developments.

Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR): Whilst the delivery of HS2 to Manchester via the Airport has been formally
cancelled by government, there remains the aspiration to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) east to west
across the North of England. We are currently working with Northern leaders and government to explore the
delivery of the proposed section of HS2 from Manchester Piccadilly to High Legh via a new high-speed station at
the Airport to support the delivery of the first phase of NPR from Manchester to Liverpool, and ultimately onto
Hull and Newcastle via Leeds. The delivery of faster and higher capacity rail services across the North is something
MAG continues to support, and we are supporting efforts to see whether this delivery can be accelerated. Though
it should be noted that new high-speed rail services to the airport are unlikely to be in place for around two
decades. We will continue to report back to MACC on developments with NPR.

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 99.4% and 99.93% respectively
for the financial year to date, surpassing the threshold for a ‘Very Good’ rating. PRM satisfaction is currently
3.81/5, marginally below target of 4/5 for a ‘Very Good’ rating, with focus being applied to improve this score
for the remainder of the financial year.

Customer Experience: Summer level headcounts have been retained through winter; we currently have our
highest ever winter headcount for Special Assistance. Recruitment has started again to further build on this for
resilience ahead of Summer 2024. We have recently launched ‘Try the airport’ tours for prospective passengers
requiring assistance who may be unsure/nervous of travelling to help alleviate their concerns and show what
facilities we have at Manchester.
PRM Volumes (Year to Date)

View attachment 30149
ECAC Performance (Year to Date)

View attachment 30150

9. STAFFING

View attachment 30151

10. CUSTOMER INSIGHT & SECURITY ISSUES

Customer Feedback
During the reporting period, Manchester has seen a decrease in feedback across the months as expected with
passenger volumes decreasing during the winter period. The team received a total of 5,236 cases during the
reporting period, a considerable decrease from 9,002 in the previous July to September period, with a decrease
from 5,593 during the same period last year. The data insights have been shared with the local teams to facilitate
improvements.

View attachment 30152


Social Media:
Over the reporting period, our social media channels have received 12,844 messages and welcomed 10,833 new
followers across our social media platforms (Twitter, ***Links to other Social Media platforms are not permitted***-, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok). Unfortunately,
the sentiment analysis shows that the predominant sentiment was Negative (comments relating to Baggage
Reclaim / Security and Drop off & Pick up Tariffs). The main campaigns during this period were: the publication
of MAG’s annual CSR Report, the launch of the Jet Zero Curriculum in the Aerozone, Runway Run, Christmas
campaign and passenger security prep, and the launch of TikTok!

Security GSS
The performance for passengers transiting security in 15-minutes or less for the 2023 is detailed below:


View attachment 30153

11. COMMUNITY MATTERS
The Community Engagement team have had so much activity to report on this quarter, we’ve provided a
detailed report as an addendum to this report.

Manchester Airport Academy
In 2023 the Airport Academy team trained 292 jobs seekers and post the course helped 133 leaners to secure a
role on-site. In total the team engaged with 980 adults in the GM area and attended 107 local recruitment and
skills events.

On 8th November the Academy hosted a jobs fair in Wythenshawe. The event was delivered in partnership with
Manchester City Council and DWP and showcased a wide range of airport careers, with more than 20
employers. Around 500 roles were on offer at the event, including around 200 with MAG.
Other employers represented at the fair included:
• Restaurant and retail operators such as Wagamama, Costa Coffee, Pret a Manger, Boots, SSP, The
Restaurant Group (TRG) and HMSHost.
• Airlines and aviation service providers, including Jet2.com, CAVU, Swissport, DNATA, AF Blakemore and
Bethell.
• Construction giants MACE, who are the lead contractors on the second phase of the £1.3bn project to
transform Terminal Two, and engineering experts NG Baily.
There were stalls offering guidance and support to jobseekers, including those who might need specific and
tailored support to return to work. These included.
• Smart Works, which supports women who are referred from job centres, mental health charities,
women’s refuges, homeless shelters, the prison service, care service and youth organisations, as they
seek employment.
• The Manchester Airport Academy, which specialises in finding work on the airport site for those who
have been long-term unemployed, helping them brush up their CVs, identifying their strengths and
helping them to sell these to prospective employers. The event was attended by over 450 local jobs
seekers.

Education / AeroZone
The AeroZone is fully booked until the end of this school year up to July 2024 and for the full year we are
expecting approximately 3,000 students to visit.

In October we launched the first phase of our ‘Jet Zero Curriculum’ This is part of the Group’s Jet Zero Education
pledge – one of five made in July 2022 when the UK Government published its Jet Zero Strategy. The interactive
game, which is delivered in AeroZone, on state-of-the-art touchscreens, teaches young people about Sustainable
Aviation Fuel (SAF) – how it is made, and how it can be used by the aviation sector to reach MAG’s target of net
zero by 2038 and the UK industry target of 2050.

Our onsite, supported internship, run by Pure Innovations, welcomed a new cohort of students in September.
Eight young people, with special educational needs, have joined the course which involves a combination of
classroom learning and work experience placements, to support them into employment by the end of the course.
In October, we met the students and welcomed them to Manchester Airport by taking them on an airside/airfield
tour to bring the airport to life.

In December, we also conducted a full day airside/airfield tour for The Manchester College’s Aviation students.
This is part of a year-long programme of support that we offer these students. This tour was a critical part of
their course, as it brings their classroom learning to life, by seeing a live airport operation. It is also a great way
to highlight the hundreds of jobs that they can do when they finish college.

MAG’s new work experience policy launched in December. We will support students from each of our partner
schools and colleges, which include the three Wythenshawe high schools, Knutsford Academy, Trafford College
Altrincham, and The Manchester College Wythenshawe. Colleagues will also be able to host their dependants
and relatives in their own departments to give them an insight into their role.

Finally, we have hosted many specialist days for local students in AeroZone, including:
• Get Hired – run by the People team.
• Cool Aeronautics – a collaborative event with the Royal Aeronautical Society.
• A Day in the Sky – a collaborative event with GM Higher.
• Technology Day – one of five events run by MAG Technology

Finally, please see below a summary of feedback quotes from teachers who have visited AeroZone recently.

“I cannot thank the staff at the Aerozone enough for our visit. We had the best day - as a teacher, this is the best
educational trip I have been on in my 7 year long career.”

“Eileen was just BRILLIANT so engaging and interesting. Worked really well with our students and got them
involved. Was amazing all round - answered their questions brilliantly.”

“Amazing, all the resources were fantastic and allowed the students to get super stuck in. they were engaging
and easy to follow and really let everyone immerse themselves in the experience.”

“Engaging, insightful and a lovely visit. Joanna is amazing!”

12. FUTURE AIRSPACE

Wider Airspace Modernisation update
In March 2023, the CAA completed a consultation on proposals for amends to CAP1616 (the CAA’s guidance on
the regulatory process for airspace change). The revised CAP1616 (version 5) was published in October and came
into force on 2nd January 2024. Any airspace change proposals commenced on or after 2nd January 2024 will be
assessed against version 5 requirements. A presentation on the changes to the CAP1616 process was delivered
to Technical Advisory Group in December.

The CAA have advised that the Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (reference ACP-2019-23) will remain
as a Level 1 Airspace Change and going forward will be subject to the requirements of CAP1616 Version 5. The
work submitted so far and our progression through the Stage 2 Gateway remains valid but fulfilment of Stages 3
to 7 will need to conform to CAP1616 Version 5 requirements.

The Manchester Airport Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23)
In the Manchester Terminal Manoeuvring Area (MTMA) there are Airspace Change Processes underway
(between ground and 7,000ft) at Manchester (MAN), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL), East Midlands (EMA) and
Leeds Bradford (LBA) Airport. NATS En Route Ltd (NERL) are undertaking works above 7,000ft. LPL and EMA have
now passed through the Stage 2 Gateway and have joined MAN and NERL on working on Stage 3 activities. LBA
failed their Stage 2 Gateway in July 2023 and are working towards a new Gateway (February 2024).

Now MAN and LPL are both at Stage 3 we have been able to continue to progress work to assess which different
combinations of routes provide the best solution to the interactions identified in 2022. We will assess these
combinations together in a similar way to the Initial Options Appraisal we each carried out in Stage 2. This will
be a Cumulative Assessment Framework (CAF) and will identify which combinations are the most advantageous
‘overall’.

In December 2023 we (along with EMA, LPL. LBA and NERL) submitted proposed ‘systemised’ networks for
simulation in summer 2024.

DVOR Project

All the existing departure and arrival procedures are dependent upon national assets (provided by NATS En Route
Ltd) that are now scheduled to be removed from service on 1st January 2026. The Manchester Airport Future
Airspace project will provide the long-term solution, replacing dependency on ground based navigational aids
with Satellite navigation. In April 2023 MAG commenced a project to ensure the continuity of operations until
the Future Airspace project is realised. An ‘Impact Assessment’ (IA) was submitted to the CAA in June and a
revised version in November (based on feedback provided in October). In the IA each of the arrival/departure
procedures was analysed to consider the most appropriate solution. We await CAA feedback and approval to
progress the solutions identified, ‘Substitution’ of 20 departure and eight arrival procedures. These proposed
substitutions (alongside three RNAV Arrival Contingency Procedures) will ensure that no change is made to the
existing path (horizontal or vertical) of arrivals/departures. Using these procedures will provide continuity until
the Manchester Airport Future Airspace project is realised. We completed the process to remove the four unused
MONTY Standard Instrument Departures on 28th December 2023 (ACP-2023-035) and commenced the process
to provide three RNAV Arrival Contingency Procedures on 3rd January 2024 (ACP-2024-002).

13. MANCHESTER AIRPORT IN THE NEWS

In Q4, the Press Office proactively published a variety of content promoting additions to the route network and
passenger-facing guidance, along with inviting broadcast media to site to cover stories including architectural
recognition for the new Terminal Two, and the Christmas getaway.

October saw TV coverage from BBC North West, and radio coverage from BBC Radio Manchester, of a dinner
marking 20 years since the retirement of Concorde, evoking nostalgia, and the benefits of the airport to the wider
region. We proactively issued releases on the SAF curriculum launch and jobs fair and dealt with a number of
queries regarding the cancellation of HS2. We also dealt with several reactive queries around a bomb threat on
an Emirates aircraft.

In November, we announced Terminal Two’s nomination as one of the world’s most beautiful airports, as part
of the UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles architecture awards. Broadcast coverage was again secured on BBC North
West Tonight and BBC Radio Manchester, with passengers complimentary about their surroundings, and
supporting interviews from Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director Manchester Airport and James Rogers, a
Director at architects Pascall + Watson, who designed the new building. The story also attracted print coverage
in the Manchester Evening News and online coverage from numerous regional and trade media.

Other key stories from November for which the Press Office secured media coverage include Hainan Airlines’
plans for a daily flight to Beijing from next summer, more than £16k of funding from the airport’s Community
Trust Fund allocated at its latest meeting, a surprise Disney trip for a child with a serious illness, supported by
airport colleagues, and our monthly traffic stats for October, which saw us overtake pre-pandemic figures for the
first time.

On 20th December, we hosted BBC Radio Manchester for a four-hour live broadcast, ‘Flying Home for Christmas’,
which saw interviews with passengers and with more than a dozen colleagues from various roles across the
airport. The show gave us an opportunity to demonstrate the airport in full working order ahead of the busy
festive season and was supplemented by a BBC North West Tonight report. Earlier in the month, we ran a feature
on the top ski destinations served from Manchester, shared a story on the Christmas present appeal organised
by MAN colleagues, and announced a couple of new routes with Royal Jordanian to Amman and Eurowings to
Stuttgart. All these stories garnered local media coverage.

Looking ahead to Q1 2024, the Press Office will be publishing new instalments in its Life at MAN series, in the
form of Q&As with colleagues from various parts of the business and producing a round-up feature looking at
new routes coming in 2024. We will also support the Education, Skills and Employment team with promoting the
apprenticeship scheme and a spring jobs fair and will also promote CSR activity including the next round of
Community Trust Fund donations.

 

[Land23R]

"Looking ahead to Q1 2024, the Press Office will be publishing new instalments in its Life at MAN series, in the form of Q&As with colleagues from various parts of the business and producing a round-up feature looking at new routes coming in 2024"

That could be quite interesting. How do you read the Q & As?
Will the questions be from outsiders with answers by appropriate colleagues. Or will they be internally generated but selected questions as a means of getting particular information out?

 

[LS@MAN]

Thanks @Scottie Dog as always for providing the info from the MACC

A few items that were previously discussed have seemed to gone off the agenda (unless I missed them!).
* T3 improvements - it was previously mentioned we should see investment in T3 including the new security area and a timeline for the expected opening of the new security area.
* Internal transport between the station and terminals for passengers not able to walk the skylink.

I would be interested to know if MAN/MAG have any recent updates to these items...?

Many thanks.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Thanks for those comments and I'll try to get answers for you over the next few days.

SD

 

[Scottie Dog]

Thanks for those comments and I'll try to get answers for you over the next few days.

SD

Regrettably the "new" MANTP team don't appear to be very good at responding to enquiries.

 

[LS@MAN]

Hi, when is the next MACC scheduled for?
Thanks

 

[Scottie Dog]

Next meeting is Friday 26th April - venue to be confirmed but likely to be the Hilton at Manchester Airport.

I'll post an update when I receive more information.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Just to confirm that the next meeting of the MACC is to be held at the Hilton Hotel, Manchester airport on Friday 26th April at 10:00.

All are welcome to attend as 'observers' however no input is permitted from ourselves.

I will be there and look forward to possibly meeting with a few of you - please let me know if you will be going and then I can keep my eyes open for you.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Today saw the latest MACC meeting which was an event that I, once again, was fortunate enough to be able to attend. I have copied the airport's managing directors report for your information - together with some more up to date news that I was given after the meeting.

Manchester Airport Consultative Committee
Meeting Date – Friday 26th April 2024
REPORT OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

1. INTRODUCTION
Our latest traffic figures show that Manchester Airport served a total of 28.7m passengers in the 2023/24
financial year, which is Manchester’s busiest ever year. This has firmly cemented Manchester’s position as the
UK’s third busiest airport, after Heathrow and Gatwick. The start of 2024 has seen particularly strong
performance, with each of January (1.8 million passengers), February (1.9 million) and March (2.15 million) being
the busiest on record for each of those months. In total, 5.84 million passengers travelled through Manchester
Airport in the first quarter of this year, a 12% increase over the same period in 2023.
Our security colleagues have helped ensure these record numbers are served while maintaining very high
standards of operational performance. Between January and March 2024, 99.8% of passengers passed through
security in 15 minutes or less, and 98.9% in 10 minutes or less, with February seeing a milestone achieved with
100% of passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less. The On Time Performance of our airlines
across this period also increased, to 74.4% compared to 71.2% in 2023.
Manchester Airport has also been able to announce continued improvements to our aviation offer. In February,
EgyptAir announced it would increase its Cairo operation to daily from this summer. Royal Jordanian also
announced the commencement of a service to Amman three times a week from March 2024. In March, Luxair
commenced its new three-times-weekly operation to connect Manchester and Luxembourg; and Royal Air Maroc
announced it would begin a new three-times-weekly operation to Casablanca from June, focused on onward
connectivity to West Africa. And finally, Juneyao Airlines announced a direct route between Shanghai and
Manchester Airport, beginning this summer and running three times a week. This is a very significant milestone
for the airport and will establish the first-ever direct air link to Shanghai from the North of England, promising
substantial economic and cultural advantages, as seen with the launch of the route to Beijing in 2016.
We continue to make significant progress in our investment to transform the experience for future passengers
and support the next phase of airport’s growth. We have already celebrated several key milestones in our
Manchester Airport Transformation Programme this year, including marking one year into Phase Two of the
programme in January.
One of our priorities is to work with our local, regional, and national stakeholders, so that together we can
maximise our vital role as an economic catalyst, job creator, and integral member of the community. One notable
example of our ongoing engagement with our local communities was at Mike Kane MP’s apprenticeship fair in
Wythenshawe in February, in support of our commitment to nurturing local talent and providing opportunities
for skill development and career advancement within the community. This quarter we have also met with local
Members of Parliament to showcase the success of Community Trust Fund projects in supporting and enhancing
their local communities. For example, the Cheadle Eco-Garden grand opening in March 2024 brought together a
wide range of local stakeholders and was the lead story in local media. This collaborative approach fosters a
sense of partnership and mutual understanding, paving the way for continued cooperation and shared success.
In addition to these local efforts, we have continued to contribute to various conferences and events across the
North of England, such as the Northern Transport Summit held at the airport on 21 March. By participating in
these events, the airport not only contributes to discussions surrounding key issues and opportunities in the
region but also reaffirms its commitment to being an active and engaged stakeholder in driving economic growth
and development.
We have delivered a strong Easter period in the airport and, as we enter the busy summer months, we are
confident across our team that we are ready to deliver excellent customer service in what we expect to be strong
summer.

2. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY
Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR):
In March, the Secretary of State for Transport made a statement confirming the Government’s intention to invest
£12billion in the section of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester and Liverpool, including serving
Manchester Airport. A statement was provided by MAG CEO, Ken O’Toole, in support of the official
announcement by DfT, emphasising its importance in unlocking the full potential of the Northern economy and
delivering transformational growth across the region.
NPR, if delivered effectively, could significantly reduce journey times for millions of passengers across the North,
in areas such as Hull, Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford, in particular improving the speed and reliability of rail access
to Manchester Airport, consolidating its role as the international gateway for the North. We continue to work
closely with Government and regional partners on the development of the project as a whole, and the Airport
station in particular, and will report back further developments to MACC.
Economic and social contribution of the airport:
Between January and April 2024, we have been carrying out a series of regional roundtables with key
stakeholders to discuss our work with ARUP on how Manchester Airport can drive economic growth and
rebalancing. Events in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield have provided valuable insights from our regional
neighbours regarding their perspectives on Manchester Airport, their current usage patterns, and suggestions
for strengthening our collaborative efforts moving forward. The feedback received has not only improved our
understanding of the insights from ARUP report but also reinforced stakeholder support for Manchester Airport's
growth initiatives and the importance of enhancing regional connectivity to the airport. We are organising to
hold a further event in Liverpool and will then consider how best to engage national stakeholders in London
during the summer.
We officially published the ARUP report on 18th March, which supported the case for the airport to be integrated
into any new national transport infrastructure, such as Northern Powerhouse Rail. The headline findings
demonstrated that Manchester Airport, could more than double the number of jobs it supports from 80,000 to
165,000, and see its contribution to the UK economy grow to £18.9bn.
These findings formed the news angle for a press release which was picked up by several key regional, business
and trade outlets including the MEN, City AM and Travel Weekly. We also secured broadcast coverage in the
form of an interview with Manchester Airports Managing Director, Chris Woodroofe on BBC Radio 4. This
positive press coverage has generated stronger interest for the report and support for Manchester Airport’s
future. Since the Arup reports release, we have continued to receive strong positive feedback from our partners.
Route Development:
Throughout this quarter we have held meetings with the general consul teams from Romania and Moldova,
which have been incredibly productive. These discussions have significantly strengthened our working
relationships and highlighted Manchester Airport as a premier destination of choice for travellers from these
regions. Through open dialogues and constructive exchanges, we have emphasized our commitment to providing
exceptional services, convenient connections, and a welcoming atmosphere for passengers flying to and from
Romania and Moldova. These engagements underscore our dedication to fostering international partnerships
and ensuring that Manchester Airport remains a preferred hub for travellers worldwide.
Sustainability:
We have begun the process of refreshing our sustainability strategy, ahead of publishing our next version in 2025.
The first step of this is to engage internal and external stakeholders, including members of MACC, through a
materiality study. This will help us to understand stakeholders’ perspective on Manchester Airport. The
contribution our stakeholders make will help ensure our strategy responds to the issues that matter most to our
business and its stakeholders.
We have started work to prepare our climate adaptation risk assessment, which will contribute to the
government national climate change resilience planning. We have confirmed we will submit our report by the
end of this calendar year. Additionally, Manchester Airport’s focus on hydrogen initiatives has continued. MA
participated in the launch of an EasyJet-led industry report on hydrogen in aviation , and attended a summit on
hydrogen use in airport hubs at Glasgow airport, supported by the Scottish government.
Airport Slots:
Available capacity for airlines to operate flights at constrained airports such as Manchester and Stansted are
managed through a system known as slots and are central to the fair allocation of scarce capacity amongst
airlines and to provide predictability for the airport’s operations. Following the UK’s departure from the
European Union, the slots system is now the sole responsibility of the UK government. MAG responded to a
Department for Transport (DfT) consultation in early March concerning potential reforms to this system, as
originally promised in the Aviation White Paper published pre-COVID.
The reforms under consideration are broad, ranging from adjustments to the current system in line with changes
in the global regulatory framework (which we were supportive of) through to fundamental changes to how new
slots are allocated, such as those that are being created by the Manchester Transformation Programme. Whilst
we recognised the case for reform to the system, we do not accept that wholesale, radical change is required
and were concerned that the proposals as drafted would create uncertainty for our investments in new capacity
at Manchester and Stansted.
We engaged widely with relevant stakeholders, including DfT officials, other airports and airport representative
bodies to formulate a considered response. As such, we not only held discussions with DfT and formally
responded to the consultation, but also inputted into responses by ACI Europe, and collaborated with Heathrow
and Gatwick Airports to provide a joint position. We will maintain this engagement as the consultation process
continues. The next steps would be the publication of a formal policy proposal that would be subject to further
industry consultation and in practice the timescales for this are likely to be affected by the General Election
process. We will report back to MACC with further updates as these emerge.

3. PLANNING MATTERS
Changes to the Planning System: Prior to Christmas, Government launched a new National Planning Policy
Framework that includes some changes that are focussed on delivering more housing development. There are
also some changes intended to speed up the Local Plan process. One of the proposed changes is the introduction
of standardised Development Management Policies (NDMP). These will mean that plans can better deal with
‘locally important’ matters and thereby reducing the scope and amount of evidence that will require
examination. Details on the scope of the NDMPs and what will be left as ‘locally important’ matters are still to
be released, but it is understood that all regulations, policies, and guidance for the new plan making system will
be in place by Autumn 2024. Local Authorities will then have a 30-month time-limit to get new plans adopted.
Places for Everyone: Following publication of the Inspectors' Report in February, all nine Places for Everyone
Councils considered the Inspectors’ recommendations and related documentation and resolved to adopt the
Plan. The Places for Everyone Plan (PfE) took effect and became part of the statutory development plan for each
of the nine PfE authorities on 21st March 2024. As previously reported, the Global Logistics 2 (GL2) site allocation
has been removed from the Plan.
Cheshire East New Local Plan: Cheshire East Council are to prepare a new style local plan and are currently
consulting on an issues paper that sets out the various matters that the new local plan should consider, and the
supporting reports that will inform future consultation stages. MAG will be engaging with the consultation and
submitting representations, which runs until 1st July 2024.
Environment Act / Biodiversity Net Gain: Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is now mandatory for major
developments. It became mandatory for small sites from 2nd April 2024 and will be a requirement for Nationally
Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from November 2025. Under the statutory framework for BNG, every
planning permission is deemed to be subject to a general biodiversity gain condition that must be discharged
before development can begin. MAG has had a very positive input on the published BNG guidance. It is very
welcome that air safety and the process of aerodrome safeguarding now features explicitly, and in detail, within
Planning Practice Guidance in relation to on-site biodiversity gains, and in the guidance on legal agreements and
guidance for local planning authorities in relation to off-site gains. MAG will be carefully monitoring the start-up
of the BNG system and will continue to lobby for the protection of aviation interests where appropriate and
necessary.
Airport or near Airport developments: There has been some updates on developments across the site and
adjacent to the airport that include:
• Consent was secured for a replacement security search facility for T3 in September 2023 that would
have involved building out over an existing area of apron (resulting in the loss of 1 aircraft stand).
However, it has been decided not to progress with this scheme and the application that MAG
submitted to vary conditions attached to the planning permission to allow for design revisions has
been withdrawn. Further master planning options are being considered for the works to accommodate
the DfT security search upgrades, along with opportunities to remove the current circulation
constraints of T3, and improvements to the departure lounge.
• Road traffic modelling has shown that the current Sydney Avenue exit from T2 onto Thorley Lane will
create significant congestion at peak times both within the airport campus and on the external network
when T2 is fully opened in Spring 2025. The proposed solution is to create a new entry/exit onto
Thorley Lane and new link within the T2 site to the ‘West’ roundabout to replace the existing Sydney
Avenue. This will allow for a greater queuing length to be accommodated within the airport site, and
the introduction of traffic light controls at the new entry/exit point on Thorley Lane will allow traffic
flows to be metered. An Environmental Impact Screening request for the works was submitted to MCC
in November 2023, and the Council have confirmed that the scheme does not trigger a requirement for
Environmental Impact Assessment. A planning application is currently being prepared to be submitted
in April / May.
• A planning application has been submitted for a net 214-bedroom extension to the Clayton Hotel
(138586/FO/2023) to mirror the design of the extension that abuts Outwood Lane. An extension of
time for determination has been agreed until Friday 19th April.
• A scheme to redevelop the site of Hangar 4 for an airport-related freight and logistics unit
(136879/FO/2023) was approved in December 2023. Applications to discharge the requirements of the
pre-commencement planning conditions are now being made.
• The planning application for the redevelopment of the former Ferranti site adjacent to the Atlas
Business Park for approximately 360,000 sq. ft of logistics floorspace (MCC reference 135952/FO/2023)
was refused by Manchester City Council in November 2023. One of the reasons for refusal was
unacceptable effects on the safe operation of the airport. We await to see if an appeal will be lodged
by the applicant.
• Active discussions taking place with Network Rail and the DfT to lengthen three of the rail platforms at
the airport station to increase capacity and to improve network resilience. Subject to detailed design
and a confirmed business case, these works could be undertaken in 2026.

4. MANCHESTER AIRPORT TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME (MAN-TP)
Phase two of MAN-TP - our £1.3billion transformation programme to revolutionise the customer and colleague
experience - is making good progress. We’ve celebrated several key milestones already this year, including one
year into Phase Two of MAN-TP in January, where we took the opportunity to reflect on everything that had been
achieved in the last 12 months.
Airfield: In January we broke ground on the airfield which marked the start of the dual taxiway works. The
changes to the airfield will increase capacity and allow the A380 to pass side by side as they taxi to and from
Terminal 2. The changes will remove a bottleneck that meant the airfield could not be used to its full capacity and
optimise the airport’s dual runway operation.
Pier 2: We also celebrated the installation of the first steelwork for Pier 2. 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. 150 pre-cast piles have already been successfully installed to support the pier which has enabled
the start of the steelwork installation. Pier 2 will offer 13 contact stands hosting a flexible arrangement for both
wide and narrow-bodied aircraft. Offsite, there has been progress on the manufacture of the shell and core
steelwork, cladding systems, airbridges, and the fixed link and nodes components.
Baggage System: At the end of March, our brand new state-of-the-art baggage system went live in Terminal Two,
marking the first major milestone delivered as part of Phase Two of MAN-TP. The baggage system doubles the
capacity and increases the efficiency and resilience of the T2 Baggage Hall which is a significant step to enabling
70% of our passengers to move over to T2 in 2025 and cementing the terminal as the airport’s main centre of
gravity.
East Check-in Hall: Work is well underway to refurbish T2 East Check-in Hall to the same high quality as the T2
extension (West), creating a stylish and modern welcome to Manchester Airport.
In preparation for the opening of the 32 new temporary check-in desks in Zone B, we have been carrying out a
number of live flight trials with the support of our airline and ground handling partners. The trials have gone well,
and we are using the learnings to make improvements to the product ready for go live on 9th April 2024.
International Departures Lounge: The T2 Refurbishment works are progressing well. The steelworks on the left
hand side are now complete with the concrete infill also complete, creating a new floor. This has enabled the
work to start on the right hand side with steelwork being installed to create the structure for the champagne
bar. The overall works will create two new areas: the new security hall and an extension to the international
departure lounge. The South Vertical Circulation Core (SVCC) initial steelwork has been complete and now the
secondary steel frame is being installed. 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 old escalators commencing soon. This will eventually
allow for an additional seven retail and food and beverage units to be added.

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:
Omitted as appears in a format that does not copy in an easy manner
6. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT – ROUTES AND SERVICES UPDATE
During the quarter January – March 2024, 5.8m passengers travelled through Manchester Airport. This is an
increase on the prior year of 628k, or 12%. Each month in the quarter saw significant passenger growth compared
to 2023 (+10% in January, +14% in February, and +12% in March).
The delivery of 5.8m passengers in the quarter meant that across the Financial Year, April 2023 – March 2024,
28.7m passengers travelled through Manchester Airport. This was the busiest ever Financial Year at Manchester
Airport and secured the airport’s place as the 3rd busiest in the UK.
Year on year passenger growth continued to be driven by low-cost carriers, most notably easyJet and Ryanair
who increased by +20% and +9% respectively, versus 2023. TUI and Jet2 also saw significant increases in their
passenger volumes of +11% and +8% during the quarter.
In addition to the continued growth from the low-cost carriers, increasing numbers of full-service carriers
delivered passenger volumes significantly above prior year including Cathay Pacific, Hainan Airlines, Gulf Air,
Singapore Airlines and Qatar to highlight a few.
There have been numerous developments for Manchester Airport’s network in the Quarter, including:
• Juneyao Airlines confirming they will commence a 3 x weekly Manchester – Shanghai flight from July
2024, the first time Manchester has had a direct connection to Shanghai.
• Royal Air Maroc announcing they plan to start a 3 x weekly service to Casablanca from Manchester in
June 2024.
• Royal Jordanian commencing their 3 x weekly Amman service in March. Royal Jordanian had not
operated to Manchester Airport previously.
• Luxair launching their 3 x weekly service between Manchester and Luxembourg in March.
• In March, Singapore increased the frequency on their Manchester and Houston service from 3 x weekly
to 5 x weekly, in addition to maintaining their 5 x weekly service to Singapore.
• EgyptAir confirmed in February they would increase their schedule to daily in Summer 24, up from 5 x
weekly in Summer 23, due to strong demand.
• Saudia announcing in March that they would increase their schedule from Manchester to Jeddah from 5
x weekly to 6 x weekly from May.
• In February, Turkish Airlines also announced they would add an additional 4 x weekly frequencies to their
Summer schedule from Manchester, bringing their total number of flights up to 25 from the 21 previously
offered.
• The launch of a new 4 x weekly Eurowings service to Hamburg, in addition to their existing 13 x weekly
Dusseldorf operation.
• In January, easyJet announced they would start a new 2 x weekly operation to Bodrum from May 2024.
• In the Quarter, Finnair celebrated their 30th Anniversary of direct flight operations from Manchester and
confirmed their plans to increase their flying schedule back to 14 x weekly from Winter 24.
7. CAR PARKING & SURFACE ACCESS
Landside Operations: PAX and call volumes have increased since the winter period, and volumes have been high
on the approach to Easter, consistent with previous years. M&G volumes have continued to exceed budgeted
forecasts in the final quarter of FY24. The landside control room assisted 226,603 customers via our car
park/forecourt intercoms during Jan 24 -Mar 24, representing a 4% increase on the same period in 2023.
Landside NPS continues to remain high when compared across the group, currently running at 51.9%, up from
48.8% on the previous quarter.
Customer Transport: Customer Transport continued to perform well, with JetParks 1 and JetParks Ringway
reopening at the back end of March ’24 in readiness for the summer operation. Airside bussing continued to
perform well, operating at 97% on time to SLA. Regulatory training to maintain competence was complete to
plan, and new starters have joined the business and undergoing training to prepare for the summer.
Car Parking: Car park occupancy averaged 97%+ throughout the quarter, across all self-park and Meet & Greet
products, with both self-park and Meet & Greet performing well across the period. NPS finished the year well
above internal targets, at 48.1 vs. target of 41. Claims for damage saw a reduction in the period vs. the same
period last year.
Works to improve the condition of car parks were completed in the period, with JetParks Ringway extension
ready to open by end of March, introducing a further 1000 self-park spaces. T3 pick up area designs have also
been agreed and will enhance the pick-up experience once complete in the next quarter.
New bus services: FlixBus, a major European and global intercity bus operator, who also own the US’ Greyhound
buses, launched services Manchester Airport on the 28March, expanding and diversifying access for passengers.
The new route to Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham serves the airport twice a day.
Rail industrial action: The rail industry continues to experience a range of industrial action, from national strikes
through to action short of a strike, which has the potential to cause short notice disruption. This has disrupted
surface access into the airport, with both Northern and TPE having days with no services in operation and will
continue to do so until industrial action is resolved. We continue to provide information to ensure passengers
are aware of upcoming disruption.
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 99.52% and 99.95%
respectively for the financial year FY24 that ended in March, this surpasses the threshold for a ‘Very Good’ rating
from the CAA. PRM satisfaction for FY24 was 4.17/5, which again exceeds target of 4/5 for a ‘Very Good’ rating,
we also achieved a high response rate compared to other UK airports with focus being applied to continue the
strong response rate going forward.
Passenger experience: Headcount for Summer 2024 has already been achieved with the correct number of heads
in the business, in addition, as a higher headcount was retained through winter, the workforce is more
experienced going into this summer than in previous years; giving us a higher confidence level. Despite
headcount already having been achieved additional recruitment days are planned in over the coming months to
ensure we have resilience. We have held two of the recently launched ‘Try the airport’ tours for prospective
passengers requiring assistance who may be unsure/nervous of travelling to help alleviate their concerns and
show what facilities we have at Manchester; feedback has been extremely positive that anxieties have been
eased by coming on the visits.

9. STAFFING
Omitted as appears in a format that does not copy in an easy manner

10. CUSTOMER INSIGHT & SECURITY ISSUES
Customer Feedback
During the reporting period, Manchester has seen a decrease in feedback across the months as expected with
passenger volumes decreasing during the winter period. The team received a total of 4,942 cases during the
reporting period, a slight decrease from 5,236 in the previous October to December period, with a decrease from
5,494 during the same period last year. The data insights have been shared with the local teams to facilitate
improvements.
Social Media:
Over the reporting period, our social media channels received 29,013 messages and welcomed 14,334 new
followers across Twitter (X), ***Links to other Social Media platforms are not permitted***-, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. Analysis shows that the predominant
sentiment was Negative. The top areas of issue related to security staff, drop off and pick up tariffs, travellators
and terminal facilities including cleanliness. The main campaigns during this period were;
• Celebrating one year since the announcement of Phase Two of MANTP and marking major milestones
including the start of airfield works to create a dual taxiway, pier two construction and the chandeliers
survey.
• New route announcements including Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca and Juneyao Airlines to Shanghai.
• National Days including Valentines Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, Employee Appreciation Day,
International Women’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.

11. COMMUNITY MATTERS
Manchester Airport Academy
In FY 2023/2024 the Airport Academy team supported 909 engaged with individuals and attended 129 local
recruitment and skills events. The team have trained 323 jobseekersin total, with 132 of these going on to secure
full-time employment with MAG or one of our on-site business partners.
On 6th March the Airport Academy hosted a jobs fair in Wythenshawe. The event was delivered in partnership
with Manchester City Council and DWP and showcased a wide range of airport careers, with more than 20
employers. Around 700 roles were on offer at the event, including around 270 with MAG.
Other employers represented at the fair included:
• Restaurant and retail operators such as Wagamama, Costa Coffee, Pret a Manger, Boots, SSP, The
Restaurant Group (TRG) and HMSHost.
• Airlines and aviation service providers, including Jet2.com, Swissport, DNATA
• Construction giants MACE, who are the lead contractors on the second phase of the £1.3bn project to
transform Terminal Two.
There were stalls offering guidance and support to jobseekers, including those who might need specific and
tailored support to return to work. These included.
• Smart Works, which supports women who are referred from job centres, mental health charities,
women’s refuges, homeless shelters, the prison service, care service and youth organisations, as they
seek employment.
• The Manchester Airport Academy, which specialises in finding work on the airport site for those who
have been long-term unemployed, helping them brush up their CVs, identifying their strengths and
helping them to sell these to prospective employers. The event was attended by over 450 local jobs
seekers.
Education / AeroZone
In FY 23/24 we supported 8,731 young people through our education programmes. 2,165 of these young people
were supported via our AeroZone education centre.
The AeroZone is incredibly popular and is fully booked until the end of July 2024. We have over 200 schools and
colleges on our waiting list.
Next year's academic years booking system will open in May 2024 and we will prioritise our most local schools
within a 10 mile radius. If any slots remain, these will be offered to all schools within a 15 mile radius and then a
20 mile radius.
British Science Week
In March, we celebrated British Science Week by conducting an interactive Science session for Manor Park
school in Knutsford. Starting in the AeroZone, Year 6 students learnt about the science behind security, in an
interactive session delivered by Aviation Security Officer, Eillen Edwards. The afternoon was spent at Motor
Transport, where the team lead a tour of their workshop including opportunities for students to see inside
vehicle engines, go underneath a bus in the inspection pit and drive the floor cleaners that were in the
workshop for their MOT.
The Headteacher at Manor Park, who attended the session feedback...
“I want to thank you and on behalf of our children and staff for the tremendous day yesterday. Both morning and afternoon sessions
were superb, and the children were buzzing when we got back to school. There was so much that we will draw on in future lessons in school it was amazing.
an you also thank your team and the team in the engineering department. To a person they were brilliant with the children and
really brought their world of work to life.”
International Women’s Day
We also celebrated International Women’s Day in March. Pupils from Parrs Wood High School in Didsbury
enjoyed a day at AeroZone, learning about careers in aviation from female airport colleagues.
More than a dozen colleagues from a wide variety of roles took part in Q&As with the pupils, including women
working in airport security, airfield operations, procurement, hospitality, HR, Technology and CAVU, in addition
to colleagues from partners DHL and Greater Manchester Police.
The pupils also had the chance to explore AeroZone’s interactive education zones and try their hand at some of
the jobs they heard about.
In the afternoon, a Terminal 2 tour was led by Jane Daintith, the Head of Terminal Operations, who explained
what goes into keeping a busy airport terminal running smoothly and outlined the improvement work taking
place as part of the airport’s £1.3bn transformation programme.
It was a privilege to welcome these students to the airport for the day and offer some insight into the wide
variety of career opportunities available at our airport. This is all part of our vision to empower women to seek
out the roles and careers that they want to go for, while ensuring that those careers are accessible for all and
that we provide a welcoming and inclusive environment.
World Book Day
To celebrate World Book Day, the education team launched the annual writing competition, which gives local
schools an opportunity to see their short stories or poems published in our ‘Little Book of Travel Tales’.
We will select the winning entriesin in June and the completed book will be available free of charge to passengers
traveling through our airport in the summer holidays.
In addition to this, 17 colleagues from across the business visited local primary schools in Wythenshawe and
Knutsford to share their love for reading by reading to 620 children.
Finally, we have hosted many specialist days for local students in AeroZone and within the community including:
• A second ‘Get Hired’ session – run by the People team.
• Technology Day – one of five events run by MAG Technology
• Supported 8 school/college career events.

12. FUTURE AIRSPACE
Wider Airspace Modernisation update
In February the Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG) commenced two Public Engagement Exercises(known
as PEX) on their overall strategic plan (or Masterplan). ACOG are seeking stakeholders’ views on the principles
that will guide how the airports and NERL will consult on proposed changes, in a coordinated way, for the London
Airspace South (LAS) and Scottish Terminal Manoeuvring Areas (ScTMA). ACOG were not engaging on the details
of the proposed route design options/airspace structures these, and their appraisal, are still under development
by the airports/NATS Enroute Limited. Both consultations were completed in March and received mixed media
coverage in the Scotsman, Saturday Times, The Sunday Times and Sunday Sun. Completion of PEX puts the ScTMA
and LAS on schedule for the airports involved (Gatwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow) to submit for their Stage 3
Gateway in the summer.
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), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL), East
Midlands (EMA) and Leeds Bradford (LBA) Airports. NATS En Route Ltd (NERL) are undertaking works above
7,000ft. In December we LBA, LPL, EMA and NERL submitted a first concept ‘systemised’ network for simulation
this summer. All parties submitted just one system of routes for simulation, and alternative systems will be
developed and evaluated later in the year. In March ‘manned’ data tests of the submitted systemised networks
were completed at Prestwick and involved Air Traffic Control (ATC) staff from NERL and all the MTMA airports.
Once you include the pseudo pilots and other support staff, each session had around 30 people in the room.
These were tests of whether the data within the scenarios planned for simulation worked correctly, e.g. whether
the traffic is balanced on the routes and whether aircraft parameters such as climb rates and speeds were
realistic. The tests were not just for the benefit of the MTMA airports, but also the en route sectors that manage
the traffic above 7,000ft with eight enroute sectors being staffed up in each run.
Although it was not the purpose of these tests to evaluate the proposed ‘systems’ inevitably all parties were
keen to get a feel for whether or not the systems worked. Overall, these test simulations proved very promising.
All parties now have some ‘homework’ to complete before the next testing sessions in late April and May, ahead
of the full-scale summer simulations.
DVOR Project
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 principally the Manchester (MCT) Doppler VHF
Omni Directional Range (DVOR) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). The Manchester Airport Future
Airspace project will provide the long-term solution, replacing dependency on ground based navigational aids
with Satellite navigation. We need to ‘bridge’ the gap between the removal of these ground based navigational
aids and the delivery of the Future Airspace project (ACP-2019-23). In February the CAA accepted the conclusions
of the ‘Impact Assessment’ (submitted in June 2023) in compliance with CAP1781. It is agreed the solution is
‘Substitution’ of the 20 departure and eight arrival procedures to ensure no change to the existing path
(horizontal or vertical) of arrivals/departures. We have commenced Airspace Change process ACP-2024-007 and
await an assessment meeting with the CAA to determine the suitable CAP1616 ‘Level’ of change for engagement
and delivery.
Withdrawal of the MCT DVOR and DME will also remove the ‘VOR/DME’ approaches used as a contingency when
the Instrument Landing System (ILS) is not available. Such arrivals accounted for just 1.8% of approaches in 2023.
Although accepting new ‘contingency RNP approaches’ were required the CAA specified that this change should
be independent of the CAP1781 substitution project outlined above. As reported to members in January a
CAP1616 Airspace Change process has commenced to deliver contingency RNP approaches to Runway 23R,
Runway 05L and Runway 05R (ACP-2024-002). The CAA need to determine the suitable CAP1616 ‘Level’ of change
for engagement and delivery at an assessment meeting. We presented proposals for these RNP approaches to
our stakeholders at the Flight Operators Safety Committee (FLOPSC) in February and the Technical Advisory
Group (TAG) in March. These stakeholders were unanimous that the proposed RNP Approaches were preferable
to the current VOR/DME contingency approaches, and a ‘Level 3 Airspace’ (the lightest touch) change would be
appropriate. On Friday 12th April we presented at the ACP-2024-002 CAA Assessment meeting and made our case
(and conveyed the views of our stakeholders), we await their decision on the level of change and progression.

My personal comments

Reference is made in Section 3 (Planning Matters) to the fact that the plan to build a separate structure for the new scanners in Terminal 3 having been discarded. The plan for now appears to be that work will be undertaken to combine parts of terminals 1 & 3 to enable the new scanners to be installed in a section of Terminal 1 and which will then serve both terminals. More details will be available in time for the next MACC meeting that is scheduled for 19th July.

As usual, all are invited to attend as observers and I will post more information when I receive it.