Airport.

[asitis]

I know that the pilots here who are qualified for GPS procedures renew their ratings at Blackpool.

[snowman]

Jersey has zero APD and better hotels. Both help to boost passenger numbers 

[0bserver]

1 hour ago, NoTailT said:

If the goal is 1mln pax/year, then we need to prepare for it, not be reactionary as always.

Look at BHD: Small WH Smiths, a bar that serves hot food, a cafe and a massive business lounds. We just need to look at that, trim it down slightly and adjust. We all know the big area before departures with the cafe and WH Smiths should be integrated in to the wider departures and create more seating.

A remodel is needed. Somewhere serving proper food is needed too.

Problem is the current 'terminal' is shite. It's a weirdly shaped building and not really suited to be a modern terminal. 

I've travelled through a good number of regional airports in Europe. Some of them in the Nordic countries and Spain are relatively modern, small, well designed places. 

A square check-in hall that flows into security and straight into departures. No up and down stairs or pissing back and forth through a weird old building. 

The simple and economic solution would be demo the current terminal and replace it with a modern simple facility.... but this is IOM Government so it would end up costing £150m

[asitis]

1 hour ago, NoTailT said:

f the goal is 1mln pax/year, then we need to prepare for it, not be reactionary as always.

Hang on Annie promised 2.5m LOL !

[asitis]

5 minutes ago, 0bserver said:

The simple and economic solution would be demo the current terminal and replace it with a modern simple facility.... but this is IOM Government so it would end up costing £150m

That's all Spake spoke about and I understand the subject of discussion again.

You can build as many terminals as you want, but until you improve flights and reasons to attract customers it's cart before the horse. Throwing money at something isn't always the answer, in fact here it has been far from the answer on many occasions. Start managing the terminal and improve what you have, before you blame the facility for current problems. If you put people in charge who couldn't run a tap, this is how you end up.

[finlo]

11 minutes ago, 0bserver said:

 

The simple and economic solution would be demo the current terminal and replace it with a modern simple facility...

Preferably down north!

[NoTailT]

19 minutes ago, 0bserver said:

Problem is the current 'terminal' is shite. It's a weirdly shaped building and not really suited to be a modern terminal. 

I've travelled through a good number of regional airports in Europe. Some of them in the Nordic countries and Spain are relatively modern, small, well designed places. 

A square check-in hall that flows into security and straight into departures. No up and down stairs or pissing back and forth through a weird old building. 

The simple and economic solution would be demo the current terminal and replace it with a modern simple facility.... but this is IOM Government so it would end up costing £150m

How about a ramp like Manchester T1 for vehicles? Move all departures incl check in upstairs. Mezzanine over existing check in area.

Move all all Gate holding and improved baggage downstairs. Passenger pick up downstairs only. Will reduce congestion for vehicles too.

Edited March 17, 2023 by NoTailT

[Two-lane]

You people are just so demanding. A mere half-a-century ago I flew to somewhere in Greece where was no airport terminal. You got off the aircraft and had to stand in a queue outside waiting to go into a concrete bunker where your passport got stamped - guarded by men with guns in case anyone objected.

This will no doubt prompt responses from people who have been to places where passport control was a tin shed.

 

[NoTailT]

3 minutes ago, Two-lane said:

You people are just so demanding. A mere half-a-century ago I flew to somewhere in Greece where was no airport terminal. You got off the aircraft and had to stand in a queue outside waiting to go into a concrete bunker where your passport got stamped - guarded by men with guns in case anyone objected.

This will no doubt prompt responses from people who have been to places where passport control was a tin shed.

 

Don't miss your time in the military then?

[Two-lane]

3 minutes ago, NoTailT said:

Don't miss your time in the military then?

You are correct, it was a military airfield but it was being used for tourist flights. I recall we were on our way to Paxos. Maybe that was early tourist days for that area.

[Two-lane]

The opinion that Ronaldsway is deficient in terms of its departure lounge is a bit extreme. At Gatwick, landside before baggage control, is a large area - but there are no seats whatsoever there. Bristol airport (some years ago) was just a box with very few windows, and if you wanted to look out of a window you had to sit in a bar or restaurant. Seating was very limited. The easiest way I could find to get a seat was to pay so that I could put my feet in a bucket of water while fish nibbled at my toe-nails. I declined. Bristol is far worse than Ronaldsway.

[Non-Believer]

29 minutes ago, Two-lane said:

This will no doubt prompt responses from people who have been to places where passport control was a tin shed.

Gibraltar, not so long ago 😂

[Max Power]

3 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

Gibraltar, not so long ago 😂

Gibraltar managed with a small terminal, no multi million pound perimeter fence and traffic lights to stop vehicles and pedestrians as flights landed. It seemed a lot busier than Ronaldsway!

[Roxanne]

The most important question about the airport is, did Bees make it to see Harry Potter? 

[genericUserName]

1 hour ago, 0bserver said:

Problem is the current 'terminal' is shite. It's a weirdly shaped building and not really suited to be a modern terminal. 

I've travelled through a good number of regional airports in Europe. Some of them in the Nordic countries and Spain are relatively modern, small, well designed places. 

A square check-in hall that flows into security and straight into departures. No up and down stairs or pissing back and forth through a weird old building. 

The simple and economic solution would be demo the current terminal and replace it with a modern simple facility.... but this is IOM Government so it would end up costing £150m

This surprises me - given that you are normally so opposed to pointless government spending.

You are wrong. We need the bare minimum terminal. IOM is not an international destination. It's a tiny regional airfield. We basically need a shed (and bring your own sandwiches). We certainly don't need a whole new building. Let's just make do with what we already have - which is already way more than we need.

In terms of services we are going to be looking at the flight equivalent of National Express - so Easyjet or whoever else can fit IOM into their schedule as a way of taking up slack. And realistically there is likely to be less and less traffic over time - given that business travel is gradually being phased out.

My impression is that far too many have a build-it-and-they-will-come mentality. They won't. What matters is data. We won't need to be moving people about much.