Leeds Bradford: Route Development & Rumours

[lbaspotter]

As good as it would be to have Ryanair serve Madrid it would be better served by an airline offering connections. Ryanair doesn't do that so it would be limited to mostly leisure passengers.

Wrong, like I said earlier Ryanair do offer through connections onto Air Europa flights from Madrid which are all bookable on the Ryanair website.

 

[Aviador]

Fair point but you won't get the same choice as you would with the Oneworld alliance. Does the Ryanair partnership with Air Europa allow you access the full Skyteam network or just Air Europa? In anycase, like I said earlier, Ryanair couldn't possibly offer a twice daily business connection with access to Oneworld.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Air Europa doesnt exactly spring out of the Ryanair website. Do they issue 'through' tickets and whats the policy if a feeder flight (eg from LBA) misses its long haul connection I wonder? I note virtually all Air Europa's flights are long haul to south america so I expect there to be relatively little demand from UK travellers. This really just leaves point to point.

 

[Aviador]

Madrid has worked with easyJet from Bristol for many years - at least daily throughout the year (double daily Thursdays) except for January when it reduces to 4 x weekly. It's point to point with no connections so why would Madrid not work from LBA at point to point only?

I don't think anybody has said a point to point wouldn't work, I think it's more about the type of service LBA needs. The new airport operator says it is keen to expand its business route offering. A four weekly Ryanair service wouldn't be attractive to business users. Of course, if Ryanair said it wanted to operate a LBA to MAD route it wouldn't be turned away.

 

[Silvercity]

Easyjet have done LPL-MAD for a long time, it is a popular route.

 

[Aviador]

To highlight the catchment a Spanish friend is using the Easyjet Liverpool - Madrid service over Christmas. She lives eight miles from LBA.

 

[White Heather]

Jet2 had decent loads on the Madrid route when they operated it from LBA, and I seem to recall that there were other reasons why they dropped it. Knowing Ryanair they would have made a success of the route out of LBA just as they do from other airports in the UK. They operate successfully to destinations such as Vilnius and Riga, so why not a major city like Madrid? There are a lot of Spanish people living in the West Yorkshire area. Given the Iberia connections to South America in particular, my preference would have been Iberia Express so as to provide passengers with that important interlining connection. I suspect their aircraft size are also more suitable for a new route.

 

[rmac]

I agree that Iberia Express to Madrid would be a great addition to the LBA destination list. Not only connections to South America but also Spain itself as Madrid is right in the middle of the country. EasyJet have had EDI -MAD for some time now and when I have used it there was hardly a seat left, in fact one time the MAD-EDI prices were in excess of £150 one way... so we flew Valencia to Bristol to Edinburgh, same day,. for much less than direct from Madrid. Ryanair would surely make a success of LBA -MAD. Adding a 4th aircraft to the LBA base would be good thing and I am sure other cities could be successfully served, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Berlin come to mind. Perhaps when the whole Brexit deal becomes clearer in the next couple of years Ryanair and others will see how to expand out of UK airports such as LBA. In the meantime the addition of the new Arrivals Terminal will make flying into and out of Leeds a good experience attracting other services.

 

[airforced]

Ryanair don't often get it wrong when they decide to introduce a new route and if they were to introduce a LBA - MAD route I'm pretty sure they would make it work. I suppose the only fly in the ointment could be the timings but if it were done with a based aircraft there is more chance of the timings being right.

Madrid is a great city to visit and I for one would be one of the first to book for a return visit if the timings were right. Last time I was there for three days I didn't have time to see all that I had on my list and the opportunities for visiting places of interest outside Madrid are also virtually endless. It would be a great addition to LBA were it to happen.

For anyone wanting to visit other cities in Spain there are excellent onwards flight connections from there plus a good choice of fast RENEFE trains to dstinations all over Spain including the coast.

 

[a300boy]

I would certainly book to Madrid for a spotting trip ! Good views and a great variety of airlines you do not see very often at other european airports.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I don't think anybody has said a point to point wouldn't work, I think it's more about the type of service LBA needs. The new airport operator says it is keen to expand its business route offering. A four weekly Ryanair service wouldn't be attractive to business users. Of course, if Ryanair said it wanted to operate a LBA to MAD route it wouldn't be turned away.

These were the posts I had in mind.

Why is Madrid likely to succeed? I would have thought traffic would be limited on such a route, especially if its operated by a carrier that doesnt offer connections. There are other destinations that would be more lucrative. Madrid would be low on my wish list.

Through ticketing would be an incentive to book but Air Europa's route network is rather small. Plus no point connecting to other spanish airports as most are served direct from LBA. I still dont see it as being viable. Madrid is way out in the west, there are many more centrally located airports in Europe with many more posibilities for east, west and northbound connections.

South America I get. Barcelona also serves several coastal resorts and the southern pyrenees. Madrids appeal is far more limited. Not saying there wont be some people who want to go there but wouldnt warrant anything more than a couple of flights
a week.

 

[lbaspotter]

Okay change of subject, so which new routes would you like to see LBA managerment add during 2019

To start with here's my top 5

Berlin or Frankfurt.
Madrid
Paris
Copenhagen
Islamabad (actually anywhere in Pakistan)

And with that I would like to wish you all a happy & prospouse New Year.

 

[louis_walton]

Okay change of subject, so which new routes would you like to see LBA managerment add during 2019

To start with here's my top 5

Berlin or Frankfurt.
Madrid
Paris
Copenhagen
Islamabad (actually anywhere in Pakistan)

And with that I would like to wish you all a happy & prospouse New Year.

To be even more ambitious Easyjet base an aircraft and start serving all those routes and more... or was that to much?

 

[rmac]

Maybe! But would be good to have EasyJet at LBA. I am surprised they haven't done something yet, especially after the Monarch departure and I think they would bring in a few good 'business' type routes -just what LBA needs. However probably more likely will be the setting up of 2 aircraft base with Flybmi flying to Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, maybe Milan in addition to Munich.

 

[louis_walton]

Don't forget Paris too @rmac !

 

[rmac]

True, but possibly Flybe setting something up at LBA to do Paris and Dusseldorf, but also Berlin maybe. I suppose a lot depends on how their sale goes and whether they will remain at DSA. Paris from there doesn't seem brilliant but Amsterdam seems better!
Nevertheless a twice daily from FlyBmi from LBA should be a winner - they did it before!!

 

[Hendi]

Would love to see easy jet come back, they dipped there toes in with the Geneva route didn't they? Not sure how successful it was or why they canned it? They have have experience of the airport, maybe the terminal improvements could entice them back!!

 

[Finger66]

I think flybmi are our best bet for new business routes with probably Brussels and maybe Hamburg as an outsider! Flybe's financial woes rule them out for now and yes think the new terminal needs completing before any chance of a U2 return. Based on current turmoil the fact we seem to be holding steady with overall pax numbers should be treated as a real plus

 

[Tarn Spotter]

I would add Seville to any list of possible routes from LBA, for me Seville is the tapas capital of Spain, they still chalk your running bill on the bar, which I have loved for 50 years.
Have to say madrid would be the logical additional Spanish route from LBA, a fabulous city, the third largest in the .e.u. London and Berlin only larger, but its GDP is also the third largest.
Fantastic as a tourist visit, number two on my overall tapas city in Spain, fantastic night life and food, love the fact dead until 10pm and then springs to life.
Seville and Malaga are only 2 hours 30 minutes by rail and Valencia only 2 hours and 50 euro return, (we have flown for the same money, but no saving in time as door to door by train and free local train tickets with an AVE ticket and all your money back if 30 minutes late (never yet been able to make a claim as always on time)
Just booked malaga to Madrid train tickets for March, cant wait to get back.

 

[Seasider]

Maybe! But would be good to have EasyJet at LBA. I am surprised they haven't done something yet, especially after the Monarch departure and I think they would bring in a few good 'business' type routes -just what LBA needs. However probably more likely will be the setting up of 2 aircraft base with Flybmi flying to Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, maybe Milan in addition to Munich.

I think that this is the best (and most likely) option unless FlyBe are bought by a pro active group (airline?) and drop DSA as a base.