Route Development & Rumours

[Sherburnflyer92]

Lisbon could be on our Yorkshire based airlines radar. Eventually.

As for Istanbul - its a shame we cannot attract Turkish or Peagsus. Turkish would be a lot better due to the network of connections they are able to offer. And they are able to do the flight on a narrow body therefore Yields & Revenue would be better over a wide body from ME3 carriers. I think the MAX issues are causing Turkish a little nightmare at the moment and their own route growth has probably stagnated for now.

 

[Jerry]

It's amazing FR or LS don't serve Madrid...

No it isn't. I think it's a hard destination to make money on from the UK regions as a destination I think it only appeals to a certain type of traveller and I think Lisbon comes under the same category.
If APD weren't there then it might be a bit different and higher yielding as routes.

 

[jason1-11]

It's amazing FR or LS don't serve Madrid...

All those destinations are served from Manchester and therein lies the problem for LBA.

 

[LBA8098]

I don't see any problem at all. LBA has a huge catchment area, a catxhment which currently have to traipse over the Pennines.

 

[Jerry]

I don't see any problem at all. LBA has a huge catchment area, a catxhment which currently have to traipse over the Pennines.

It may have that but it doesn't seem to have the airlines willing to operate routes like that especially it's biggest airline Jet2.

 

[KARFA]

I don't see any problem at all. LBA has a huge catchment area, a catxhment which currently have to traipse over the Pennines.

Due to the poor transport links to LBA most of that catchment area can get to MAN in about the same time they can get to LBA though. LBA is convenient if you live in north Leeds, not so much if you don't.

 

[White Heather]

Due to the poor transport links to LBA most of that catchment area can get to MAN in about the same time they can get to LBA though. LBA is convenient if you live in north Leeds, not so much if you don't.

I still would argue that is most definitely NOT the case. Travel time to MAN is getting longer and especially by road, your chances of getting there on time are diminishing, given the frequency of incidents on the motorway network between here and there. In fact, at last weeks consultative meeting, airport management stated that the argument that it is easier to get to MAN than to LBA due to the poor surface links is a fallacy. The new CEO said that actually, surface links to the airport and travel time from the catchment area is by no means as bad as some people claim. Certainly if you live anywhere in Leeds (not just North Leeds) you can get to LBA quicker than to MAN. There are various routes to take, perhaps not always the most direct, but it is certainly possible to get to LBA in good time if you do your homework on which routes are less liable to delays.

 

[rmac]

Last week I drove to LBA from the White Rose shopping centre in about 30mins, I don't think I would have got to MAN in that time. Also yesterday I drove from the M606 to LBA in about 25 mins. Re: transport links -the757 Leeds to LBA is fairly quick - better than train or M62 to MAN. Granted these were times out of rush hour times but MAN also will have congested times too.

 

[KARFA]

I still would argue that is most definitely NOT the case. Travel time to MAN is getting longer and especially by road, your chances of getting there on time are diminishing, given the frequency of incidents on the motorway network between here and there. In fact, at last weeks consultative meeting, airport management stated that the argument that it is easier to get to MAN than to LBA due to the poor surface links is a fallacy. The new CEO said that actually, surface links to the airport and travel time from the catchment area is by no means as bad as some people claim. Certainly if you live anywhere in Leeds (not just North Leeds) you can get to LBA quicker than to MAN. There are various routes to take, perhaps not always the most direct, but it is certainly possible to get to LBA in good time if you do your homework on which routes are less liable to delays.

respectfully i disagree. this sounds like the kind of thing said by people who don't actually regularly travel to LBA and MAN by road.

 

[White Heather]

respectfully i disagree. this sounds like the kind of thing said by people who don't actually regularly travel to LBA and MAN by road.

You are entitled to your view Karfa, but I have driven around the Leeds area for many years and know very well how long it can take from various parts of Leeds, and the Yorkshire Region to get from A to B. It was something I did every day in my job. I have also driven many times to MAN - or at least to the M56 right next to it, as I used to travel regularly to Altrincham from both Leeds and from Sheffield. My experiences of driving to, and from MAN are such that I would never book from there if there was an LBA option, as I have regularly been stuck in long tailbacks, diverted through Halifax and Sowerby Bridge etc and taken as long as 4 hours to get back to Leeds because of it.

Please don't suggest therefore that I don't know the travel times. I have been driving around here and often 'over there' for 42 years! If you can get to MAN quicker than LBA, then I would suggest you are not finding the quickest route. When it takes longest to get to LBA, it also takes longest to get to MAN for the same reasons! The M60 is often a complete nightmare at busy times of day.

 

[KARFA]

You are entitled to your view Karfa, but I have driven around the Leeds area for many years and know very well how long it can take from various parts of Leeds, and the Yorkshire Region to get from A to B. It was something I did every day in my job. I have also driven many times to MAN - or at least to the M56 right next to it, as I used to travel regularly to Altrincham from both Leeds and from Sheffield. My experiences of driving to, and from MAN are such that I would never book from there if there was an LBA option, as I have regularly been stuck in long tailbacks, diverted through Halifax and Sowerby Bridge etc and taken as long as 4 hours to get back to Leeds because of it.

Please don't suggest therefore that I don't know the travel times. I have been driving around here and often 'over there' for 42 years! If you can get to MAN quicker than LBA, then I would suggest you are not finding the quickest route. When it takes longest to get to LBA, it also takes longest to get to MAN for the same reasons! The M60 is often a complete nightmare at busy times of day.

And yet people from the region keep going to MAN instead of LBA.

Unfortunately there is a clear general point that LBA continues to underperform based on the theoretical catchment area. Transport (private & public) is clearly one of the reasons why. I wasn't having a go at you, but the comments from the CEO saying the surface links to the airport aren't as bad as some claim, it's kind of damning with faint praise. With attitudes like this we will never make any breakthroughs with new routes. In terms of public transport I am not sure how it remotely comparable between the two airports, MAN is miles ahead.

 

[Deleted member 82]

We seem to recycle the same stuff on here. As I have previously said, I used to live next to the M62 as near to Lancashire as you can get and the amount of times the motorway was closed, backed up, lanes closed makes the route unreliable. Even at the extremity of the region, LBA was as easy to get to as MAN. Re MAD the amount of traffic from my employer alone could fill at least one flight a week in each direction and I’m sure our HR have raised this with airlines, so they are missing a trick.

 

[KARFA]

We seem to recycle the same stuff on here.

You are right we keep having the same discussion because nothing changes. In 5 years time we will still be here scratching our heads wondering why airlines aren't coming. It is frustrating. CEOs come and make the right noises but no new airlines come.

I appreciate your comment that your employer has 160 people travelling in each direction to MAD every week but the airlines don't seem to think there is a viable route there otherwise someone would have picked it up by now.

 

[Deleted member 82]

Hopefully the route development team can keep chipping away. I hope they share information from chambers of trade and labour the point on local demographics to flag up routes that will work.

 

[LBA8098]

I am extremely frustrated as so many other LBA supporters are with the lack of new routes. I do however believe the eastern end terminal extension combined with the western end check in area extension will prove valuable in attracting new routes/ airlines. A more positive local press would help matters too.

 

[Aviador]

The majority of flights from LBA are outside rush hour times so I disagree with comments about the length of time it takes to get to LBA. I frequently travel to Manchester from close to LBA and I can get to within the Greater Manchester area within 40 minutes for the majority of the time.

 

[Jerry]

Transport infrastructure and journey times will only go so far. An airport can have the best connections in the world but if it doesn't have the airlines and routes then people will go elsewhere. My sister lives 5 minutes away from LBA and for work mostly uses MAN and LHR because they have the flights routes and airlines she needs. If you look down here Bristol isn't exactly easy to get to but has the airlines and routes, people moan about the transport links but still find a way to get to the airport!

 

[Seasider]

The majority of regular uses of the airport (business people) travel by car to the airport so it's the roads that need improving.

 

[LBA4EVER]

If you live anywhere in west Yorkshire its quicker and easier to get to LBA, end of! I find it amazing how some think its more convenient to get to MAN! its just laughable!

 

[Aviador]

It takes 20 minutes from Ilkley to LBA and yes you really can reach Greater Manchester from LBA in 40-45 minute. Oldham, Rochdale and Middleton subject to no snarl ups on the M62.