Leeds Bradford: Infrastructure & Construction Updates

[Aviador]

I've heard a couple of dates banded about. The first was the 11th May and the second date was the 18th. I think the 11th May is when they plan to turn the former landside area into an airside location and I think the 18th is when they plan to fully open it. These dates are subject to change as it depends on the completion of various bits of work that are still ongoing. It maybe that they can open the area to the public sooner.

As for the remaining infill work. The girders have been fitted and the corrugated base has been fitted ready for the concrete pour which I believe is scheduled for this evening. By Monday the area will be ready to lay the new floor tiles.

As I previously mentioned, the WHSmith store is nearing completion so it is probable they will open by this weekend. Work is still progressing on the new family lounge and it is likely this work will continue after the former landside area opens. Once that area is open work can begin on the Saltaire Bar and other areas of the departure lounge.

 

[Aviador]

Update:

The concrete pour took place as planned on Friday evening so it should be ready to lay flooring later this week.

I visited the Vue Cinema at The Rock in Bury last night and noticed they had a similar style ceiling as what LBA are planning around the new Saltaire Bar to be located in this area.

Here's how it looks at the Vue Cinema at The Rock in Bury.

Vue Cinema at The Rock in Bury

I think the intention is to make it feel more specious with a higher ceiling but in reverse with the main walkway as the lower part of the ceiling with the Saltaire Bar ceiling appearing higher.

 

[wawkrk]

I passed through arrivals again this week and it's starting to look like a serious airport at last, it looks very nice. All that is missing now are escalators for a smooth flow up from the ramp.

 

[Aviador]

I passed through arrivals again this week and it's starting to look like a serious airport at last, it looks very nice. All that is missing now are escalators for a smooth flow up from the ramp.

I would agree with that. We've had such a long wait but the finished product is gradually being reviled and it's of a high standard so well done LBA!

As Nicholas1992 has pointed out in the retail thread, the airport is saying Camden Foods will open on Monday the 14th May.

The Camden Food Co. outlet, which has seating for approx. 160 people, will open at Leeds Bradford Airport on Monday 14th May

That's excellent news and sooner than we'd expected but World Duty Free are saying the 18th of May so I'm curious as to how they can open the Camden Foods without the 'walk through' duty free being open?

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Signs like the ones they've done for superdrug? Keep food village open too! Whats interesting is that they have not mentioned when burger king will open.

 

[EX9]

I assume what will happen is that either the walkway that has just been filled in will open up allowing access from the area in which the photos show the the far left side. Or the walkway that us having the tiling/walls finished off from the gate 10/superdrug/whsmiths side. As until they open camden they cant even begin to shut down the Food Village area.

 

[Aviador]

Nicholas1992

Good point about Burger King, very little has been said about them. Burger King is of course staying in the same place as before. It's had a full makeover like the rest of the area with new lighting and flooring.

Else where the small World Duty Free shop has now been stripped of stock and closed ready for the big move to the new large store which is coming on nicely with the actual shop fittings now being installed. The store is expected to be handed over to staff within days ready for the big opening at 03:00 on Friday the 18th May.(subject to everything going to plan)

Work is continuing on laying flooring near the entrance to the Yorkshire Premier Lounge. Hoardings have been taken down in the check-in hall but the ceiling remains unfinished for the time being, as does the flooring. I understand the flooring in the check-in area will be patched-up at first with major floor fitting scheduled for later in the year.

WHSmith's are now saying they expect to open their new store next Monday but the opening date keeps changing but the store is almost fully stocked now.

 

[Aviador]

I expect the ceiling will be completed as it's part of the new build. I agree with your comments about the flooring needing to look good but it will be problematic resurfacing it during the busiest time of the year with check-in open between the hours of 03:30 and 21:00 daily. The winter months will be significantly quieter so I imagine that would be the best time to lay the new flooring. The quality of the new flooring may depend on future plans and I expect they wont want to spend £££'s on high quality flooring if there's a chance it's going to be pulled up during future terminal alterations.

 

[wawkrk]

With the increase in flights, how long before more parking stands need to be created.
I assume these need to be planned a long time in advance.

 

[Aviador]

With the increase in flights, how long before more parking stands need to be created.
I assume these need to be planned a long time in advance.

That's a good question and one that might be better placed in the Consultative Committee Questions [LBASG] thread. Other than that we might be nearer to knowing the answer when the airport releases it's updated Masterplan.

 

[White Heather]

If the Monarch flights are W leg, they are likely to be at LBA at the quieter times of the day, so more stands might not be essential yet, and if we have lost the Thomas Cook programme, that is one less aircraft to accommodate. Even so, the airport are going to have to work out how many aircraft they think they might get using LBA at any one time over the next few years and plan for that. Not an easy task, and I suspect that any additional parking spaces are going to be nearer Horsforth than the airport! I seem recall though the original masterplan did have space allocated for more parking areas to the side of the North/South taxiway.

Another development that was always stated to be dependent upon movements (per hour) was the parallel taxiway, and again, they are going to have to start thinking about this for the future if they find that (even at peak times), the movements are going to start causing problems if aircraft are having to backtrack all the time.

 

[Jordan-34092]

Another development that was always stated to be dependent upon movements (per hour) was the parallel taxiway, and again, they are going to have to start thinking about this for the future if they find that (even at peak times), the movements are going to start causing problems if aircraft are having to backtrack all the time.

I agree, even if it is just the easier part of the taxiway, linking to runway 32 that will help a lot. More than likely they will hold off the building of the taxiway to runway 14 for as long as possible.

 

[EX9]

Best i could get at the time of the new lounge.

Camden food/Burger King

Camden/ New internal wall housing duty free.

Exit from duty free to gates opening up/Superdrug to the right.

Camden/Burger King at night

 

[pug]

It is looking good, and a vast improvement on when I travelled through in Autumn 2010. Is all of the development pictured above taking place on the 1st floor? Also, I assume when the next phase is complete, the security area will also be on the 1st floor and passengers will pass directly through to the new shopping area?

 

[EX9]

All of the above are situated on the first floor within the old landside food court. With the exception of superdrug/duty free exit which is slightly within the old gate 10 area and the new floor above check in.

Security will remain as it is more or less but with increased space, it will then lead up to the first floor towards duty free and around to the gate area as opposed to coming out on the ground floor as you do presently.

 

[EX9]

The airport have just opened the new areas this morning, photos on FB (http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?s ... 172&type=3). The new lounge is still under construction along with the solitaire and new lift by the old escalators.
I will try to get a pic this weekend, its just slightly sensative being direclty next to security.

I would imagine work will commence on the old food village very soon. As previously mentioned the ceiling in hall A will be the last work to be completed unfortunately as it does not hinder any operational function.

The airside/ramp walkway area is under further construction with the road being altered and preparation made for the canopies to be put in.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Were off. Not very good though, feels like i've being at work for 36 hours and i've only done a 8 hour shift. Anyway it's very nice & slick, my "tour" that i had is very nice. Love the duty free, it would seem that Duty free is now the path way to everything else in all airports inlcuding ours at last 😀 Bit of a slippy floor like.

Have to say very impressed, and very impressed how they've gone from Old to New in a matter of aorund 6 & half hours (ie knocked through the old duty free). Well done. Anyway a slight problem i've discovered, when security are being security (slow), and theres a massive cue back to like travelex, PAX have to rush up & around. Shuoldn't there be a walkway to connect it (old way into departure lounge) for things like this?
And when will the security area be englarged?

 

[Aviador]

I had a good look around the newly opened sections of the refurbished parts of the terminal today. I think it's impressive and it looks far superior to what we had before. The photos released through the airports Facebook page don't do it any justice, I think it looks much better. There's still a fair amount of work to do just yet though. I just hope they can crack on with it to get it all finished as soon as possible for the busiest part of the summer.

As for an update: The old small World Duty Free near the top of the escalator has been stripped of stock, fittings and flooring. The old first floor Cafe Bar has finally closed in readiness for the conversion refurbishment to the new Saltaire Bar. On the ground floor the old Alpha Duty Free store has closed and is being emptied of stock and fittings. The majority of this area will become part of the enlarged security area but part will also become a small Camden Foods.

Here are a couple of new images of the new route to the first floor departure lounge.

Here's the walk down towards the Travelex, Burger King, Camden Foods and World Duty Free.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks for the updates and new pictures Aviador. I have been doing some comparing of your pic to.the artist impressions that were put on facebook. I noticed that the corridor looks more or less as planned just the grey wall to the left hasn't got any light box adverts up yet or wonder if that idea has been ditched? Be good if they were added to give something for the eye to look at and take the blandness off of that wall.

I am sure the advertisement light boxes are still to install so once they are added it will brighten the corridor up. From a personal point of view I like the minimalist look. Manchester airport uses this approach for areas leading to shops to ensure people aren't distracted or delayed en route.

Also I picked up on the fact that on the right part of the lower window has been boxed in instead of having the railing. What was the reason for that change we wonder?

I don't know, sorry.

Good pic you got of the stairs and esculator after security. Is that the very same one that was taken out from the old landside food village? I gather that the lift is just out of shot to the left.

It's a new escalator that they have installed and yes the lift is just to the left of the escalator out of shot.

Its all starting to look rather good and leagues more professional than it did before. It has got me thinking that if its looking like this now how different again it will look and feel when the frontage extention is added. Hope when it does that elements of what is being done now don't get ripped out. I like the concept of the meandering walkway round by World Duty Free And the Superdrug. If the frontage works do get done and duty free gets put to the front as was envisaged in the 2008/9 plans I wonder if the space left would be taken up with some other retail units and keep the retail walkway concept?

Good point you make there. I have no inside knowledge but I am expecting a full redesign of the new build if and when it ever happens. I can't imagine them moving things around twice as it would cost too much.

I remember posting some time ago I hope that there is a balance of shops and seating and that not everyone wants to mill through shops but I suppose it can take away the boredom before flights.
I think somone from a few posts back raised the issue which is a valid point on whether a short cut should/could be made after the journey up the stairs from security for those that just want to head to the Yorkshire Premier Lounge and the soon to be added downstairs lounge where the old food village was. I'm sure those that use the airport on business on a regular basis won't always want the faf of a dog leg walk when they may just want to get to the lounges where drinks and snacks are provided and any pre flight work can be got on with. Can see more of the leisure market taking up on a mooch round the other stuff but those pressed for time I'm sure will not be happy having to do that walk.

It was me who originally mention this point and somebody asked the same question a few posts back. Having had chance to walk round to the old lounge via the new route I timed it as a four minute walk at a leisurely pace so I don't think a short cut is really necessary.

As I have already said the newly opened parts of the refurbishment are significant improvement on what we had before. It has been nice to see smiles on both staff and passengers alike walking through the area. If the airport can give the whole terminal a similar appearance it will be very well received.

On a final note, there is one thing niggling my thoughts about the new work. The carpeted areas that are popping up first at the bottom by the new escalator is plain dark grey. Opposite the new Superdrug store by gate 9 and 10 the carpet is speckled blue and where the new glass lift is to take you to the ground floor departures is a plain blue. I don't understand why they are using different coloured carpet as this can give a patchy feel to the finished product. I know the lighting will have had to be taken into consideration but the dark grey colour shown in the illustrations looks good where it has been used so why the change in the other areas?

 

[752]

has all the work expanded capacity of the terminal?