KLM

[LBAYORKIE]

KLM don’t have a choice at BRS, NWI, HUY, MME, ABZ, SOU, LCY & INV.

But the fact they are prepared to pay suggests they think its important.

 

[Len Fish]

I doubt whether the lack of an air bridge would deter them from flying into an airport without one if the route is profitable and feeds their long haul destinations to/from Amsterdam.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I doubt whether the lack of an air bridge would deter them from flying into an airport without one if the route is profitable and feeds their long haul destinations to/from Amsterdam.

I agree, but it has more passenger appeal and the customer needs to be facilitated.

 

[jason1-11]

I see that KLM Cityhopper are operational today from almost all their UK destinations. The obvious exception is LBA.

 

[markietg]

I was just looking at that too Jason. Out of the UK’s top 20 airports only LBA & LCY are closed. LPL… sorry I mean LBA Terminal 2 has 3 WIZZ flights this morning. MME HUY CWL NWI all have KLM ops today. EXT BOH & NWI have their TUI flights but we are shut.

 

[White Heather]

I was just looking at that too Jason. Out of the UK’s top 20 airports only LBA & LCY are closed. LPL… sorry I mean LBA Terminal 2 has 3 WIZZ flights this morning. MME HUY CWL NWI all have KLM ops today. EXT BOH & NWI have their TUI flights but we are shut.

I'm sure the staff at LBA are very grateful for that too. Even if KLM were operational, chances are they'd have cancelled it!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I'm sure the staff at LBA are very grateful for that too. Even if KLM were operational, chances are they'd have cancelled it!

No KLM cancellations at other airports so so far. I think we had this conversation last year!

 

[oldendays]

Leeds Bradford has for some years now been rather hit and miss regarding Christmas Day operations. I worked the day about five or six years ago and we had two return Monarch flights, two return KLM and a Thomson Tenerife turnround. We actually had more flights on Christmas Day than East Midlands! Today there's nothing. I would be interested to know who or what decides whether our airport will be open on CD. Is it purely an LBA board matter or do any airlines have a say ? Perhaps some consistency is required.

 

[Silvercity]

I was just looking at that too Jason. Out of the UK’s top 20 airports only LBA & LCY are closed. LPL… sorry I mean LBA Terminal 2 has 3 WIZZ flights this morning. MME HUY CWL NWI all have KLM ops today. EXT BOH & NWI have their TUI flights but we are shut.

LPL was open today

 

[Finger66]

I think there are two ways of looking at this. Yes why should LBA close when other airports are open, especially when we have been open before on Xmas Day. But on the other hand why shouldn’t staff be entitled to a day off - like the vast majority of us. In fact many more supermarkets are closed Boxing Day this year to give the staff an extra day. In fact my wife and I were in one of the big supermarkets on Friday night and the guy on the till was telling us about a very disgruntled customer who wanted to come and do their shopping on Xmas Day but couldn’t because the supermarket was closed. No thought for those that would have had to work. Tricky one all round me thinks.

 

[gulftraveller]

Agreed. The issue, I suppose, is that the supermarket would likely not be closed if all their competitors are open.

The question for me is not why LBA was closed but why these other regional airports bother to open when there is so little traffic. It will cost a lot to employ staff on Christmas Day.

 

[Finger66]

@gulftraveller you may have hit the nail on the head there. Would it cost LBA more to open than they would recoup. Especially at a time when they are investing so much in the infrastructure. Once that is all in place it could be a different story with KLM et al possibly demanding airport availability on the big day. Anyway subject to the wind, Boxing Day looks busy

 

[White Heather]

Agreed. The issue, I suppose, is that the supermarket would likely not be closed if all their competitors are open.

The question for me is not why LBA was closed but why these other regional airports bother to open when there is so little traffic. It will cost a lot to employ staff on Christmas Day.

It's not just a question of the airport staff. They cannot operate without Border Force being available. If the local Home Office say no, then it's a no go for opening, and is it worth sending staff to LBA for a solitary KLM Embraer, if it turns up. Same with the Police Force located there. Then there's the cost of employing everyone to sit there twiddling their thumbs most of the time. If Jet2 or Ryanair were operating, then maybe it's worthwhile, but not just for KLM.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

@gulftraveller you may have hit the nail on the head there. Would it cost LBA more to open than they would recoup. Especially at a time when they are investing so much in the infrastructure. Once that is all in place it could be a different story with KLM et al possibly demanding airport availability on the big day. Anyway subject to the wind, Boxing Day looks busy

Does look s bit poor though that both HUY and MME were prepared to open.

Neither Ryanair nor Jet2 had flights out of Manchester yesterday incidentally.

 

[White Heather]

Does look s bit poor though that both HUY and MME were prepared to open.

Neither Ryanair nor Jet2 had flights out of Manchester yesterday incidentally.

Both airports desperate for every flight they can get. I'll bet the airport staff are less than impressed at having to go into work yesterday for very little action and with no public transport to get there. Personally I think LBA are to be applauded or standing their ground on this, allowing their staff, Border Force and Police to enjoy Christmas and the neighbours to have a peaceful day .

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Both airports desperate for every flight they can get. I'll bet the airport staff are less than impressed at having to go into work yesterday for very little action and with no public transport to get there. Personally I think LBA are to be applauded or standing their ground on this, allowing their staff, Border Force and Police to enjoy Christmas and the neighbours to have a peaceful day .

MME and HUY must have lost money too as must NWI and a few others but they obviously see things differently perhaps from a passenger perspective?

Anyway its no big deal.

 

[markietg]

It's not just a question of the airport staff. They cannot operate without Border Force being available. If the local Home Office say no, then it's a no go for opening, and is it worth sending staff to LBA for a solitary KLM Embraer, if it turns up. Same with the Police Force located there. Then there's the cost of employing everyone to sit there twiddling their thumbs most of the time. If Jet2 or Ryanair were operating, then maybe it's worthwhile, but not just for KLM.

I don’t think it would have been just KLM. WIZZ operate 5 flights on Mondays. As I said earlier LPL had 3 Wizz flights yesterday morning, so did BHX LTN & LGW. So I would assume if LBA had bothered to open on Christmas Day then Wizz would have operated their 5 Monday flights. If you work at an airport, like I have in the past at LBA, LHR & MAN you know that you work unsocial hours…it’s part of the job.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I don’t think it would have been just KLM. WIZZ operate 5 flights on Mondays. As I said earlier LPL had 3 Wizz flights yesterday morning, so did BHX LTN & LGW. So I would assume if LBA had bothered to open on Christmas Day then Wizz would have operated their 5 Monday flights. If you work at an airport, like I have in the past at LBA, LHR & MAN you know that you work unsocial hours…it’s part of the job.

Good point about Wizz and their possible contribution. Leeds definitely stands out as the only KLM served airport that wasnt open yesterday.

 

[CM.]

Hardly

SOU,LCY,BHD,DUB we’re all closed yesterday with no KLM flights so how does Leeds stand out? And with the winds yesterday the chances are they’d of probably cancelled flights.

Maybe as mentioned the staff will have been grateful to enjoy Xmas day off

 

[Aviador]

Good point about Wizz and their possible contribution. Leeds definitely stands out as the only KLM served airport that wasnt open yesterday.

Have you ever actually worked Christmas Day? We seem to have this conversation every year now.

Sat in the comfort of your own home in front of the fire in your best attire awaiting the arrival of family and friends. The fizz is popping, and you're all rocking, and tucking into your turkey and sprouts.

Spare a thought for those who have to work Christmas and for those who don't have to but do.

It is my understanding that airlines such as Jet2 and Ryanair don't schedule flights on Christmas Day. As Leeds' largest operators, its no wonder LBA doesn't open on Christmas Day.

Airlines like Tui do fly on Christmas Day and I would imagine if they decided to operate a based unit from LBA they would almost certainly demand the airport was open.