Route Development & Rumours

[White Heather]

Aspro are not a good example to use. For the first month of their ops at LBA every Sunday night flight to Paphos operated from MAN because they missed the night deadline, including mine. The schedules allowed no time at all for any delays, and after the Thursday to Sunday period that they based here, they picked up delays every time and the whole thing was a mess.

 

[Aviador]

Aspro are not a good example to use. For the first month of their ops at LBA every Sunday night flight to Paphos operated from MAN because they missed the night deadline, including mine. The schedules allowed no time at all for any delays, and after the Thursday to Sunday period that they based here, they picked up delays every time and the whole thing was a mess.

They also didn't have any spare aircraft based at Leeds.

 

[BCFC]

Its going to be a good 2025 im sure, with the regen program under way is this finally a turning point for LBA moving upto the next level!
Although we have growth from FR it would be great to see a 4th based aircraft at the airport with new destinations
Like mentioned in previous posts pax figures for wizz are very healthy esp since they moved their operation from a certain airport south east of LBA, so i do feel the airline could increase their presence at LBA, a decent sized east of england ops would work very well, decent aircraft too with the larger A321 ideal for LBA and more pax!

Can't see FR basing a 4th aircraft at LBA as they are struggling to get them but who knows?, WIZZ could be the answer.

 

[lbaspotter]

Can't see FR basing a 4th aircraft at LBA as they are struggling to get them but who knows?, WIZZ could be the answer.

Well if you hadn’t noticed we’ve already got a 4th based Ryanair aircraft at LBA sat around acting as a spare back up.

 

[White Heather]

Well if you hadn’t noticed we’ve already got a 4th based Ryanair aircraft at LBA sat around acting as a spare back up.

Ideal in case of delays and helps avoid the risk of late night diverts due to the runway works.

 

[oldendays]

Well if you hadn’t noticed we’ve already got a 4th based Ryanair aircraft at LBA sat around acting as a spare back up.

It's probably the one that was towed from stand 19 to a terminal stand about an hour ago. This is quite a rare occurrence for both Ryanair and Swissport.

 

[BCFC]

Well if you hadn’t noticed we’ve already got a 4th based Ryanair aircraft at LBA sat around acting as a spare back up.

No, I never knew.

 

[BCFC]

Well if you hadn’t noticed we’ve already got a 4th based Ryanair aircraft at LBA sat around acting as a spare back up.

So…its offical that we now have a 4th based Ryanair aircraft?

 

[lbaspotter]

What’s On The Horizon For: Leeds Bradford Airport​

What’s On The Horizon For: Leeds Bradford Airport | Aviation Week Network

Chief executive officer at Leeds Bradford Airport spoke to Routes about the infrastructure developments at the airport and the release of its Vision 2030 strategy.

aviationweek.com

 

[mdobuk21]

Seems to be a real push towards a Middle Eastern route. Time will tell.

 

[Finger66]

D'you buy into that?

 

[BCFC]

I honestly wouldn't fancy flying anything over 4 hours on an A321XLR (I’m sure it's a superb plane) if it was to Doha or Dubai I would rather travel over the hill and go on something bigger for a 6-7 hour flight or to connect to the Far East.

 

[oldendays]

I'm not sure we have enough runway for even the most capable A321 to the Middle East. I'd like to be wrong.

 

[White Heather]

I'm not sure we have enough runway for even the most capable A321 to the Middle East. I'd like to be wrong.

According to LBA management, you are.
Wrong, that is.

 

[gulftraveller]

The published figures for the A321 Neo family suggest otherwise. With LBA’s elevation, I think that the runway is short by about 1000ft. The 737 Max needs about the same. Of course, it could be done, but with load penalties, making the route less attractive. Also not sure who would be operating this, given FDB is, so far, excluded from UK.

 

[Aviador]

But would a load penalty really be required? There is always an assumption any A321 flight would be operating in full economy class with maximum passengers and fuel. Let's not forget the aircraft would likely be operating mixed configuration and wouldn't require maximum fuel for a flight to Doha or any other similar length sector.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks @David_itl @LBAYORKIE the example just given doesn't have to arrive before 07:00 it all depends on the destinations served.

Following on from a conversation on here regarding sunseeker leisure and aspro holidays program of flights during 1993 from LBA i dug out my air supply timetables from that year, i actually have every single timetable winter and summer from 1991 until 2004/5 if anyone is interested?
I've shared a couple of images from Saturday and sunday from summer 1993! Sorry about the fluorescent pen marks but i was only young at the time! Great to see a balkan tu154 and a caledonian b757 landing pretty much the same time on sat mornings and never actually realised inter european used their b757s into LBA, the sunseeker flights were those air foyle b737, were they not subbed from BA?
Also note the entire amount of departing flights in 1993 on the Saturday or sunday, we have that amount of flights depart in just 2 hrs in 2024 between 6 and 8am!!View attachment 31670View attachment 31671

Note the Kos out at 21:30 and back at 07:00. A programme like this would require a small number of night quota slots to cover for delays but it proves it is, possible.

 

[Starflyer]

Note the Kos out at 21:30 and back at 07:00. A programme like this would require a small number of night quota slots to cover for delays but it proves it is, possible.

It's absolutely possible - but the number of "deep night" leisure flights nowadays is a fraction of what it used to be. If you take the example of Manchester, it has two late-night Friday departures in summer 2024 - a TUI to Corfu and a Sun Express to Dalaman - where it had 32 flights in the same time span (going into the early hours of Saturday morning) back in 1994. The leisure airline pattern is much more a two-rotation day finishing up by 1am/2am than the three-rotation days of old.

 

[Aviador]

It's absolutely possible - but the number of "deep night" leisure flights nowadays is a fraction of what it used to be. If you take the example of Manchester, it has two late-night Friday departures in summer 2024 - a TUI to Corfu and a Sun Express to Dalaman - where it had 32 flights in the same time span (going into the early hours of Saturday morning) back in 1994. The leisure airline pattern is much more a two-rotation day finishing up by 1am/2am than the three-rotation days of old.

I absolutely don't disagree. For Leeds though it would be a way of utilising fewer night slots. Hopefully we won't require these kind of movements but it demonstrates you can operate more flights outside of the restrictive night hours if necessary.

 

[LBA4EVER]

I absolutely don't disagree. For Leeds though it would be a way of utilising fewer night slots. Hopefully we won't require these kind of movements but it demonstrates you can operate more flights outside of the restrictive night hours if necessary.

Its not a good passenger experience though turning up at the resort at 3/4am and returning passengers arriving at the airport at an awful time as well!
Public transport may be limited at those hours, out of hours car hire charges etc