WHAT’S GONE WRONG AT THE AIRPORT?
● LONG SECURITY QUEUE CONCERNS ● CHARGING TO DROP OFF PASSENGERS ● MEET & GREET PARKING PROBLEMS
IT’S a question posed to us by M.E.N readers after a series of issues this summer.
Lengthy security queues, new drop-off charges, and cars being broken into on official parking sites have all been flagged to us by travellers along with a host of other complaints
A new survey has shown Manchester’s passengers are the unhappiest of any major airport when it comes to security screening. And it’s been labelled the least accessible airport in the country for disabled travellers.
The airport itself recorded 1,613 complaints in June, up from 1,119 in May - and there have even been threats to strike from security staff over rostering issues.
All this comes at a time of success - passengers have increased by 6.5 per cent, with 27.9m people travelling through over the last year, and the dividend from Manchester Airports Group to shareholders, including Manchester councils, is up by 17.8pc.
So, as Manchester Airport heads into its busiest season, in its 80th anniversary year, the Manchester Evening News looks at the issues that are winding passengers up - and asks bosses what they are doing to sort them out.
First, the good news. Huge improvements are promised with the arrival of a high-tech super terminal - a £1bn commitment to improving the passenger experience.
Set for completion in 2023, the project will see T2 link with T3 and get a 900,000sq ft extension. T1 will be scrapped.
The plan comes with the promise of faster check-in and security checks, as well as a speedier journey through immigration and baggage claim.
With major changes to be noticeable as early as next year, it’s the transformation passengers have been waiting for, as older facilities appear to creak under the strain of growing numbers.
Airlines have faith too - easyJet has announced plans to launch five new routes in November, adding 1.5m passengers a year along with 1,500 jobs as part of its ‘biggest ever Manchester expansion.’
However some claim that the price of that long-term benefit has been customer satisfaction in the nearterm.
Neville Duncan, nominated by Which? magazine to represent passenger interests at Manchester Airport, warned last summer that bosses were not paying enough attention to customer service AHEAD of terminal expansion - and says the fall-out can be seen in recent issues.
However, airport bosses insist they are focused on customer happiness both in the short and longterm.
A spokesman said: “As well as focussing on the long term, we are firmly committed to maximising service in the meantime.
“Working alongside the many partner organisations that operate at Manchester Airport, we continue to invest in improvements. This includes recruiting 200 extra security staff across the terminals, increasing free WiFi from one hour to four, investing in our cleaning services and adding extra seating to T3.”
Here’s an in-depth look at the issues you have flagged up to us.
SECURITY QUEUES
This is probably the thing that upsets travellers the most. M.E.N. readers have described queues as ‘chaos’ and complained that staff have not been polite.
Manchester Airport have a security queue target - that no more than 8pc of passengers should wait more than 15 minutes to clear security. It missed this in June.
Last month, 13.2pc of passengers waited longer than 15 minutes. That’s worse than June 2017, when 11pc of passengers waited too long.
T1 is the worst on the most recent figures, with 18.3pc of passengers waiting longer than the 15 minutes.
And last month, passengers at Manchester Airport were revealed to be the ‘unhappiest in the country’ of all the major hubs when it came to their security screening experience. THE AIRPORT SAYS: A spokesman told us a ‘drop in performance’ in June, was caused by changes to staff roster patterns. These changes had been the subject of industrial dispute, which is now said to have been resolved.
The spokesman told us that airport security is ‘complex’ and said the safety and security of passengers was always a priority’. They point to Friday, July 20 - when waiting targets were hit in T1 and T2, as a success.
A spokesman said: “At the same time, we always strive to process passengers as quickly as possible and our ultimate aim is that no customers have to experience lengthy queues.
“There are a number of factors, some beyond our control, that can increase wait times, ranging from high volumes of trays being rejected due to liquids not being correctly packed or electrical items not being removed, to staff absences and technical faults.
“We also acknowledge that some aspects of our infrastructure need updating and were not designed to handle the number of passengers they do today, which is one of the primary drivers of the large-scale investment we are making in Manchester Airport.”
“We apologise to any customers impacted,” the spokesman added. “We are pleased to see that in July so far, 93.9pc of all passengers experienced a queue of 15 minutes or less and we are confident a number of other measures we have put in place to improve the operation will deliver further improvements.” WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT? A spokesman told us they have recruited 200 extra security staff, to add to the regular complement of 850, to deal with summer demand, and had also converted part-time roles to full-time.
“The total number of security staff in summer 2018 is 17.63pc more than the number we had in 2017, which is reflective of the increase in demand we have seen at the airport”, he added
DROP-OFF CHARGES
THE new ‘kiss and fly’ drop-off charges have been controversial, even though other airports have had them in place for some time. Some M.E.N readers have told us they feel ‘ripped
off’ and that the system causes delays.
Drivers dropping travellers at the terminals must now pay £3 for five minutes or £4 for 10 minutes. Airport bosses say the charges are aimed at easing congestion and highlight that there is also a free off-site drop-off car park.
Meanwhile, all money earned from the new charging, bosses say, will be invested into a public transport fund to improve access to the hub.
When the M.E.N. visited the airport to test out the new drop-off bays, they did appear to run reasonably smoothly minus a minor lane glitch, and we met some passengers who approved of the new system.
But there have been teething problems, with reports of drivers being charged £25 following long waits.
There are has also been a dispute with hackney drivers as the new drop-off bays have enforced the removal of their permanent T3 rank. Some cabbies argue this impacts negatively on access for disabled passengers.
THE AIRPORT SAYS: A spokesman said: “The aim of the (drop-off) scheme is to reduce the extreme congestion outside our terminals.
“There is a free drop-off area option a short bus ride from the terminals, and we also have an on-site station with bus, train, tram and coach options to get to and from the airport.
“The free drop off area has been modelled to handle peak summer capacity. A number of pre-paid spaces were taken off sale to create the new free drop off area at Jet Parks 1, there is also the flexibility to increase the size of the space.
“As with any new schemes there is always a transition period and some early teething problems. However, the scheme is working well and we have seen congestion on our forecourts reduce already.” WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT? A spokesman told us they have had ‘ongoing dialogue’ with ‘the Hackney Carriage community’ and agreed the use of four bays on the forecourt. “We are constantly reviewing the situation and have consulted with all 26 user groups on their disabled access needs”, he added.
MEET AND GREET PARKING PROBLEMS
A spate of car break-ins have occurred at Manchester Airport’s own official parking. In the first two weeks of July, 90 complaints of vehicle damage were made to police, and the M.E.N. has heard from a number of holidaymakers who have returned to Manchester to find their cars have been broken into.
These passengers have complained of paying ‘expensive’ fees at the car parks, only to return to a vandalised, ransacked car. THE AIRPORT SAYS: Airport police say they have ‘significantly increased’ patrols around car parks and are ‘closely monitoring’ the area.
Chief Inspector Andrew Sutcliffe of GMP’s Airport division, said: “Working closely with the airport, we have introduced a range of additional security measures but would advise any passengers using the car parks not to leave valuables on display.”
People with information are asked to call 101.
On parking charges, an airport spokesman added: “We benchmark our pricing across the industry and always recommend passengers book online in advance to get the best deal. Also, we are often better value than our on-site competitors.” WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT? Three 15-year-old boys and one 14-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of theft and have since been bailed pending further enquiries. Police are appealing for people with information to contact police. Reports can also be made anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
DISABILITY ACCESS
A new report from the Civil Aviation Authority has branded Manchester’s disability access as poor.
Deborah Rae-Taylor, 56, suffers with osteoarthritis and post-traumatic stress syndrome after a 2009 street attack.
Making her way out of the airport after landing on the way back from holiday, she says she was kept waiting for two hours at the bottom of a staircase in T2, because an escalator wasn’t in operation, there was no answer to a helpline, and staff didn’t know how to use a stairlift.
“I had repeated panic attacks while we waited because there were so many people moving around me. It was horrendous,” she said.
“The first staff member we stopped just shouted at me that we should have waited at the plane.
“But we hadn’t pre-booked assistance, we thought we’d be able to (get to the exit) with me and my walking stick. I was hysterical by the time a staff member finally helped us.”
In the end, assistance firm OCS was contacted and Deborah says the service was good. But the wait she endured has left her scarred.
THE AIRPORT SAYS: “We acknowledge the findings of the CAA’s Accessibility Report and are committed to making further improvements to ensure we meet the required standards for passengers who require special assistance.
“We continue to work closely with the CAA on meeting the commitments we have made, and reducing the time it takes for those with restricted mobility to travel through the airport.” WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT? The airport’s spokesman said that in the last twelve months, as highlighted by the report, the airport has taken some positive steps - introducing a Sunflower Lanyard for customers with ‘hidden disabilities’ and setting up an airport Disability Engagement Forum, which it says is ‘playing an important role in developing our plan to improve performance.’
“We have also worked with our service provider, OCS, and our airline partners to invest in the provision of additional resources and equipment across the airport.
“Our passenger survey results for the last year have demonstrated the benefits of this investment and highlighted a high level of satisfaction with the level of customer service and friendliness of the assistance team.”