Manchester Airport is introducing charges for drivers dropping passengers off at all three terminals.
The new arrangements will go live in early June in order to alleviate the congestion which has been developing in recent years because of the high volume of "kiss and fly" and also because of recirculation. At peak times, one in five cars hits the forecourts at least twice.
From June, drivers will be charged an express drop-off fee of £3 for staying up to five minutes or £4 for six to ten minutes.
Manchester Airport is introducing a new dedicated drop-off site, which will be part of Jet Parks 1 (see map above), from where a free shuttle service will operate to all three terminals.
There will be no change to arrangements for picking passengers up, it will remain £4 for 30 minutes in the multi-storey car park.
Additionally a scheme for people working on site, who aren't provided with a car parking space, will give them free access and there will be a discount scheme for taxis who are regular users of Manchester Airport.
Tricia Williams, Chief Operating Officer for Manchester Airport, said: "Manchester Airport has seen a significant increase in passenger volumes over the past five years and is making a major investment in driving further growth and improvements to the customer experience.
"As passenger numbers have grown, we have increasingly experienced major congestion problems on our terminal forecourts, exacerbated by a high percentage of visitors repeatedly recirculating at peak times.
"This is despite efforts in recent years to increase capacity as much as possible in these highly constrained parts of our site.
"It is clear as we continue to grow that we need to take a more proactive approach to managing this congestion, which has a knock-on effect on the wider airport estate and a significant impact on our operations and customer service levels.
"The simple fact is our forecourts were not designed to handle the number of vehicles they do today and do not have the capacity to cope with any further growth in the number of people being dropped-off immediately outside our terminals.
"That is why we are investing in a dedicated drop-off site, from where a free shuttle service will operate to all three terminals. It is hoped this will contribute to a major reduction in the number of individual vehicles trying to access the most congested parts of our campus.
"In parallel, an Express Drop-off charge will be introduced in the areas directly outside our three terminals and Ground Transport Interchange, similar to those introduced at most UK airports in recent years.
"We have been working with our Passenger User Group on these plans in recent months, as well as engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in the community and wider region. This has enabled us to respond to their concerns and feedback wherever possible.
"As part of our efforts to reduce on-site congestion, we are also creating a brand new Public Transport Development Fund, overseen by newly-formed body made up of representatives from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Cheshire East Council and Transport for Greater Manchester.
"It will work to identify and support initiatives that will improve access to Manchester Airport for passengers and colleagues."
Comments
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Tricia Williams, COO, congestion doesn’t just stop at your ‘gates’
Given that a part of the new runway is within the Wilmslow Parish boundary, it’s plain wrong that to date the Airport Authority have done nothing for CEC or WTC to mitigate the problems that people suffer daily. HAs anyone ever asked?
CEC are in a position to sort this out for us. If either they don’t care or fail, then it tells you something.
It is time for the management team of Manchester to do a benchmark with other airport and start to plan correctly. I was las week in Vienna airport and there is so much to be learnt there!
- UK - highest European - on the day ticket & commuter season ticket rail fare charges.
- UK - near highest transport fuel duty charge.
- UK APD - the highest European aviation tax for short haul and long haul flights by a long way.
- UK APD - the highest rate of tax for long haul flights in the both the OECD and rest of the world.
- It seems if it moves & increasingly if it then stops - tax it!!
Given that the border between CEC and that Manchester seems to be about a quarter of the way thro' tunnel one, the onus would appear to be on Manchester to widen the road and ease our pain but which CEC Councillor has responsibility (but next to no electors) in that area? No doubt I'll answer my own question at some point.
It’s just another way of stitching passengers up, to squeeze a few more £’s out of them!
YOU ARE A DISGRACE.
This is easily "earned" money, and is so addictive, so it's hard to give up.
They'll learn lessons from, say, Vienna, or any other airport, then they'll just do what they want.
Why they have not built remote drop off/pick up points with light rail link/covered walkway is beyond me (and them).
The continued self back slapping and boasting about retail and food outlets instead of concentrating on the job in hand is nauseating. Compounded by the Chinese freight city bunged up on greenbelt.
A train every two hours from/to Wilmslow on a Sunday!!!!!!
Blood boiling.