Future Infrastructure Developments

[eastcoaster]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Some of the masterplan parking is achievable, as the official plan shows additional parking areas. A few extra stands could still be built, just not the masses of 757 stands that are shown on some of the more optimistic diagrams of our members! While looking possible at a first glance, the stands would not have the maximum permitted larteral wing clearances for taxying, let alone the the tails falling into the restricted CAT3 areas. Maybe allowing only 737/320 types in the new centre areas would work, while re ligning the main 7 to 18 stands for any larger types 757/767/787/a330 which would reduce the number of stands on the main apron, or in fact doing what they do at some other airports, have say stand number X for a large aircraft, and split it into stand Xa and Xb two for smaller types for example.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Interestinig posts Eastcoaster, so in view of this, I once again find myself thinking that extending the existing terminal doesn't go far enough as it continues to restrict future aircraft parking, which in turn prevents airport expansion beyond a set limit. Building a new terminal where the existing short stay car park is, demolishing the existing one, and expanding the apron northwards towards the new terminal, seems the only viable way of seriously expanding the stands available at LBA, and at the same time removing all (rather than some) of the obvious issues within the current terminal. I can't help thinking that Bridgepoint have missed an opportunity here. Had a major airport operator (rather than a capital investment company) bought LBA, with the intention of holding on to it long term, I think the outcome could have been very different.

 

[eastcoaster]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Basically you hit the nail on the head Whiteheather, exactly so!

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Here's my version of the masterplan taking into account the points eastcoaster has raised.

 

[rhinoscrazy]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Here's my version of the masterplan taking into account the points eastcoaster has raised.

you could have a big hanger where the old north south runway pan is but just to pick a small negative out the terminal looks to small to handle all them paking spaces but apart from that it looks brill.
i think the airport should get rid of all the parking spaces and expand the terminal and aircraft parking spaces and build a multi story car park

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

With the latest passenger figures due for release by the CAA, it makes me wonder if the airport is waiting until the year on year passenger numbers pass three million mark. The reason I say this is because I understand that at least 3 million passengers annually are required to achieve critical mass. A large percentage of the square footage of the new development is aimed at retail, so I guess it makes sense not to go ahead with the development until the passenger totals pass the three million mark. In a recent article by the YEP, it suggested that JP the CEO of the airport quoted that the airport would be handling around 3.3 million passengers by march of next year. If this is the case then the development is unlikely to be postponed any further beyond this date.

 

[Bigman]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

They said years ago that 2m passengers would be the point at which they would look at a rail link. Still waiting!!!!!!

 

[White Heather]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Not really the same thing though Bigman as the airport do not have direct control over the provision of a rail link. They do have control over when the terminal is built. Given that we already know of additional Ryanair routes, which are quite likely to operate through next summer in addition to what we already have, and with Jet2 more or less staying unchanged, it is reasonable to assume that there will be another increase in pax for summer 2011 and again in 2012, which is the year the extension is scheduled to be ready. The airport board need to be timing it so that the terminal is ready for when we hit 3m pax, not waiting until we get there before even starting the development.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

The airport board need to be timing it so that the terminal is ready for when we hit 3m pax, not waiting until we get there before even starting the development.

The CEO JP is quoted to have said that he expects the rolling year passenger totals to hit 3.3m by March of next year.

I'll have a delve and try to find the original quote.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I knew i'd seen it somewhere!

He said the airport was one of the few in the UK growing during the recession. Up to March this year 2.5 million passengers used the airport and the figures are predicted to increase to 3.3 million by March next year.

Source

So I assume the board need get a move on and set a date for the work to begin.

 

[User0001]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

The 'critical mass' is a point usually made in terms of retail. Above a certain level of passenger numbers (about 4 million) it is easier to attract bigger brands and charge higher rents.

In terms of adding more terminal space, the usual approach is to work out what you need in the busiest hours of opeation not annual passenger numbers which are a completely misleading average for this purpose. The consideration for the LBA team is not whether they are handling 2.5m, 3m or 3.3m, but how that demand is spread around key hours, within key days, within key months. The first Friday of the summer school holidays between 05 and 09am is very different to say 11 - 1pm on a Wednesday in January. The first team of people involved in the teminal design work after the airport was sold showed me some of the computer modelling they do to work this out and very sophisticated it is too. They also told me that it would be unfeasible and too expensive to try and provide enough space to deal with the all of the very busiest peaks, so like most airports they would work on the basis of providing enough space so that 90% of the busiest hours can be dealt with and you live with the other 10% (I can't remember the exact % here, but you get the point I hope).
Obvioulsy the airport have the benefit of understanding queue lengths in the terminal, bag wating times and they get this information every day. They also have much more visibility on what is coming down the line in tems of new services or more capacity and can use their simulation models to determine the impact on queue lengths and bag wait times. I'd be pretty certain that information like this along with all of the practical considerations of trying to run an airport in the midst of a major building programme are what the airport will be using to make a call on when to start the construction

 

[lbia]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

The only form of queue management I saw when I worked for the airport company was that only one out of the four duty managers would put the days stats given by Jet2 and (sometimes) by servisair into a simple line graph to guess when the peak times would be, other dm's would simply see that a 757 was checking in and think sh*t better do something with the tenseta barriers. (by which time the queue had formed)

No doubt the guys upstairs do have sophisticated models but it would help if they discussed these issues of queues and passenger volumes with the staff that actually run the place!

So if its going to start in 'spring' what can we actually expect? They have at most 2 months before the summer kicks in, realistically we can probably see ground preparation work carried out along with drainage and water. Actual construction would have to wait until winter 2011. All sounds slightly promising, we shall see... :aggressive:

 

[brtitania020]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I understood that ground breaking preparation work was due to start in October/November this winter as passenger numbers decline a little over the winter months, with a view to the building work begining in March onwards.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

It will be 'ground breaking' to see it happen. I hope you're right!

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

The 'critical mass' is a point usually made in terms of retail. Above a certain level of passenger numbers (about 4 million) it is easier to attract bigger brands and charge higher rents.

In terms of adding more terminal space, the usual approach is to work out what you need in the busiest hours of opeation not annual passenger numbers which are a completely misleading average for this purpose. The consideration for the LBA team is not whether they are handling 2.5m, 3m or 3.3m, but how that demand is spread around key hours, within key days, within key months. The first Friday of the summer school holidays between 05 and 09am is very different to say 11 - 1pm on a Wednesday in January. The first team of people involved in the teminal design work after the airport was sold showed me some of the computer modelling they do to work this out and very sophisticated it is too. They also told me that it would be unfeasible and too expensive to try and provide enough space to deal with the all of the very busiest peaks, so like most airports they would work on the basis of providing enough space so that 90% of the busiest hours can be dealt with and you live with the other 10% (I can't remember the exact % here, but you get the point I hope).
Obvioulsy the airport have the benefit of understanding queue lengths in the terminal, bag wating times and they get this information every day. They also have much more visibility on what is coming down the line in tems of new services or more capacity and can use their simulation models to determine the impact on queue lengths and bag wait times. I'd be pretty certain that information like this along with all of the practical considerations of trying to run an airport in the midst of a major building programme are what the airport will be using to make a call on when to start the construction

Thanks LS16 that was an interesting read. I did mean retail when I was referring to the airports critical mass in my previous post. A few years ago under the previous council administration I was told this figure was 3 mppa but I understand your reasoning. It would be unrealistic to expect the likes of Boots, Starbucks & Next until critical mass has been achieved.

 

[rhinoscrazy]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

so LS16 we could be seeing the likes of costa coffee and peacocks? and more? and instead of burgerking upgraded to mc donalds?

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Hi Some more pictures have now appeared on facebook of the new Terminal Extension to be built at LBA from Next Year hopefully.

This will form part of the new airport terminal entrance ready to welcome both our new and existing

Entry to new Central Search Zone

Central Search Zone

Terminal from above

Terminal front at night

 

[brtitania020]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Well done 'lba spotter' The pictures look very impressive i am looking forward to seeing the new terminal when it is finished as you say let's hope they start soon. It will certainly be an impressive airport and gateway to the region when finished,

 

[masere]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Interesting how there's no security personnel in the newly named "search zone". Might be worth trying to sneak my 200ml deodorant and 500ml mouthwash through!!!!

 

[dispext]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Are there no plans to replace the 'temporary' check-in hall B?