I have previously posted (under the MANTP thread of my tour of the T2X construction site and this time my little group were to experience Pier One. However there is currently an embargo on the posting of photos until after the facility opens on Monday 1st April.
We were due to meet with our host at Olympic House at 1.30, but instead we were initially met by OPS3 who is one of the operations managers and taken down to the staff channel within the Terminal 1 baggage hall. Problem one encountered - our passes were not airside ones and so we had to head back over to the security office to get those issued!! It was at this point that we actually met our host. With that overcome we were then taken back through the staff channel and out onto the apron at stand 16 where OPS3 had an Ops car waiting for us. Time to pause as we then had to wait for a Stobart ATR to push off stand.
Off we go again - free-ranging - around the end of Pier B, across to stand 101, down taxiway D and then around onto taxiway NA before going back to D and around the back of Pier One to stand 105 - having past the 5 TUI 737-MAX.
Now it's into Pier One for our first opinions. Okay, there are a number of steps (plainly concrete, that have to be climbed or descended depending on your direction of travel - actually it's only really descent as you would be coming down from the departure level of the PIer to the airbridge, whilst if arriving you get switched to the arrivals corridor as soon as you come off the airbridge. Anyway I am rambling. Once we entered the departure level of the Pier it was immediately striking as to how warm the facility is and this is because of the use of ground level heaters (that look like rubbish bins) but are actually quite functional. There didn't appear to be any artificial lighting on, but there was sufficient natural light and the general feeling was of an airy structure with plenty of space and room. The windows are practically floor to ceiling and, whilst talking of ceilings you can see all the air conditioning through the battens and this is something that I initially was not too happy with, but it also is used throughout the link corridor.
Toilets - There are 2 blocks of toilets and each has the normal set of Ladies, Gents and Disables/Baby Change. I'm reliably informed that the Ladies have 7 cubicles and the Gents 2 adult and 1 child urinal, so you can double up that up number. Apparently there are no toilets on the arrivals level - or at least until you get to immigration, as the airport wants to get people off the Pier as soon as possible.
As has been previously said in forums, there are no catering facilities within the Pier, although there are water fountains by each toilet block and there is a capability to return from the Pier to the Terminal. So at this point let's start as if we were coming down the temporary corridor from Terminal 2. On the left hand side there are glazed windows overlooking the apron with a temporary wall on the right. Once having walked the width of T2X you then come to where stairs can be seen coming down from the airline lounge level of T2X and you then enter the link-connect corridor through to the Pier - this has 2 travellators to cover the distance and a reasonable width of walking space at its side, with smaller windows along its full length. Throughout its full length there are signs giving the walking time to the furthest gate, although we considered that the timings had possibly been set at the walking speed of an rather slow walking passenger (better safe than sorry?)
Back to the start of Pier One with it's superb views of the apron and then down to our transport. Once again we set off along the West Apron taxiways before cutting through D4 and onto Bravo and then down Taxiway Juliet to J2 - how about a Runway Inspection - now who would say no to that silly question? We held at J2 whilst 2 Ryanair aircraft landed and one departed and then we entered 23R ahead of a Flybe E195 and did a full run of the 2 mile runway and exited at A1 before working our way back up the the work on new Taxiway Echo before heading back to Terminal 1.
Once 1st April has gone I will post Pier One photos on the MANTP thread. Unfortunately MAG has a blanket ban on air-side photography therefore, although I have pictures for my personal use, I will not be able to post them on any Social Media sites.
