Leeds Bradford: EasyJet Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[Fernley]

Seeing a booking horizon end in February is standard easyJet inventory management rather than evidence of a route being quietly dropped. Lets wait and see rather than making assumptions that EasyJet are leaving LBA.



I tend to agree. StarFlyer based their previous thoughts on slot requests and while this is a method that can be used, it isn't fully accurate as they are frequently chopped and changed.

The argument that LBA is somehow failing or that passengers won't use easyJet locally completely ignores how regional travel habits actually work. IF EasyJet did decide to leave LBA it wouldn't be a wise move in my opinion.

People in West and North Yorkshire don't want to drag themselves over the Pennines to Manchester or trek down to the Midlands if they can help it. Local catchment loyalty stays with the local airport every single time, provided the flights are there.

A prime example we are well aware of here is the whole TUI and Doncaster Sheffield saga. When TUI pulled out of LBA to focus on expanding at DSA, the corporate assumption was that Yorkshire travellers would loyally follow the TUI brand down the M18. Instead, passengers voted with their feet, stayed local at Yeadon, and switched straight over to Jet2 and Jet2holidays. Jet2 stepped in, picked up that market share, and never looked back. When DSA eventually closed, TUI had to come scrambling back to LBA to rescue their schedules. Passenger loyalty belongs to convenience and the local airport, not a logo on a tailfin.

Looking at easyJet’s strategy at LBA through that lens, I don't believe they are failing, they are being smart. They know Yorkshire has a massive catchment area that prefers flying from Yeadon. Using "away based" aircraft from major hubs lets them tap directly into high margin leisure and package holiday demand without the massive overhead of fighting an immediate, full scale base war against Jet2 and Ryanair.

With the £100m LBA:REGEN terminal investment transforming passenger processing and gate capacity, the operational excuses for airlines underutilising Yeadon are disappearing. Yorkshire remains one of the strongest, most lucrative travel markets in the UK. easyJet is simply building a steady, high margin foundation here, and as terminal operations smooth out and fleet deliveries continue, LBA is in a prime position to see that footprint grow.

In the meantime it is inevitable that EasyJet will chop and change routes and timings until they are satisfied with the loads and yields on routes served. When LBA can handle more flights, be that though the finished terminal REGEN and with based equipment, only then are they likely to offer more from LBA.

Don’t believe I made any assumption that easyJet are leaving LBA

 

[Aviador]

Don’t believe I made any assumption that easyJet are leaving LBA

I meant leaving the route.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

A319's retiring, A320's been displaced with more A320NEOs and A321NEO's. It's simply re arranging the decking.

Let's also face it - LBA cannot handle easyJet on a huge scale yet. Plus there are other routes probably from those bases which LBA faces competition against. Paris to ...123456789, they've probably looked at yield and said it needs investment. At the moment they cannot afford to give that.