Route Development & Rumours

[michael]

Years ago, and I'm talking 35 years ago plus, I visited Smithfield Show at Earl's Court with some mates from agricultural college, they travelled down to London on Sunday and I flew down on the Monday morning. After checking my livestock I left home near Grassington at approximately 8:45 am for a 10 o'clock flight to Heathrow. I arrived at LBA just after 9.30, went through what check in there was domestically in those days and on to the beautiful British Midland Fokker 100 down to LHR. Landed, on to the tube, and arrived at Earl's Court by 11.30. Now, that was the way to travel..........alas it wouldn't happen now!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I was just listening to radio 4. They were at the premises of a London travel agent. They specifically mentioned a huge uptick in holiday bookings to Marakech and Agadir. Lets hope our routes get a boost. Hopefully the 2nd weekly Marakech will be reinstated for next Winter by Jet2.

 

[The Pole]

When LBA were actively courting Loganair, one of the routes they mentioned was ABZ so clearly they see it as having potential. Maybe Loganair didn't, or maybe they did but saw other other airports as having greater money making potential than LBA. There is clearly more demand for domestic routes to airports further North and further South. LBAs location in the centre of the UK seems to work against it. The presence of MAN, gobbling up what demand there is, makes it very hard to attract any airline unless the route involves crossing water.

Aberdeen does involve crossing water a little trip out over the North Sea east of Edinburgh

 

[Aviador]

Transport Times Between Leeds and Major UK Cities (All Modes)(Rail, Car, Coach, and Flights from LBA)

Summary Table​

City	Fastest Rail	Slowest Coach	Car (Typical)	Direct Flight from LBA?	Flight Time
London	1h 59m	4h 30m–5h 30m	3h 45m–4h 30m	No	—
Manchester	50–55m	1h 45m–2h 15m	1h 10m–1h 30m	No	—
Liverpool	1h 30m	2h 45m–3h 30m	1h 30m–1h 50m	No	—
[Birmingham]	1h 55m–2h	3h 30m–4h 30m	2h 10m–2h 40m	No	—
Newcastle	1h 25m	2h 45m–3h 30m	1h 40m–2h	No	—
Edinburgh	3h	5h 30m–6h 30m	4h–4h 30m	No	—
Glasgow	3h 20m	6h–7h	4h–4h 45m	No	—
Sheffield	40m	1h 30m–2h	45m–1h	No	—
Bristol	3h 10m–3h 30m	5h–6h	3h 30m–4h	No	—
Belfast (BHD)	—	—	—	Yes (Aer Lingus)	~1h 10m
Dublin (DUB)	—	—	—	Yes (Ryanair / Aer Lingus)	~1h

Flight Options from Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA)​

Belfast City (BHD)• Operated by Aer Lingus • Multiple daily departures • Flight time: ~1h 10mDublin (DUB)• Operated by Ryanair & Aer Lingus • Frequent daily departures • Flight time: ~1h
No direct flights to: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol.

Operational Notes​

• Rail is the fastest mode for all mainland UK cities. • Car is competitive for Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool. • Coach is consistently the slowest mode (1.5×–2× rail times). • Flights only matter for Ireland connectivity.

Transport Times Between Manchester and Major UK Cities (All Modes)(Rail, Car, Coach, and Flights from Manchester Airport)

Summary Table​

City	Fastest Rail	Slowest Coach	Car (Typical)	Direct Flight from MAN?	Flight Time
London	2h 03m	5h–6h	3h 45m–4h 30m	Yes	~1h
Leeds	50–55m	1h 45m–2h 15m	1h–1h 20m	No	—
Liverpool	35–45m	1h 30m–2h	45m–1h 10m	No	—
Birmingham	1h 25m–1h 35m	2h 45m–3h 30m	1h 30m–1h 50m	No	—
Newcastle	2h 20m–2h 30m	3h 45m–4h 30m	2h 20m–2h 40m	No	—
Edinburgh	3h 15m–3h 30m	5h–6h	3h 45m–4h 15m	Yes	~1h 10m
Glasgow	3h 10m–3h 25m	5h 30m–6h 30m	3h 40m–4h 10m	Yes	~1h 10m
Sheffield	50–55m	1h 45m–2h 15m	1h–1h 20m	No	—
Bristol	2h 55m–3h 10m	4h 45m–5h 45m	3h–3h 30m	Yes	~1h 5m
Belfast (BHD/BFS)	—	—	—	Yes	~1h
Dublin (DUB)	—	—	—	Yes	~1h

Flight Options from Manchester Airport (MAN)​

London • Multiple daily flights (BA, others) • Flight time: ~1hEdinburgh & Glasgow • Frequent daily flights • Flight time: ~1h 10mBristol • Direct flights available • Flight time: ~1h 05m
Belfast (BHD/BFS) • Multiple daily flights • Flight time: ~1hDublin (DUB) • Very frequent daily flights • Flight time: ~1hNo flights needed or offered for: Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham, Newcastle (rail competitive).

Operational Notes​

• Manchester has stronger domestic flight connectivity than Leeds. • Rail dominates for Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham. • Flights offer meaningful time savings for Scotland, Ireland, and London. • Coach remains the slowest mode across all corridors.

Fastest Achievable Transport Times – Leeds vs ManchesterFastest realistic public transport mode + fastest achievable time

Destination	Leeds	Manchester
London	Rail – 1h 59m	Flight – ~1h
Manchester	Rail – 50–55m	—
Leeds	—	Rail – 50–55m
Liverpool	Rail – 1h 30m	Rail – 35–45m
Birmingham	Rail – 1h 49m	Rail – 1h 25m
Newcastle	Rail – 1h 25m	Rail – 2h 20m
Edinburgh	Rail – 3h	Flight – ~1h 10m
Glasgow	Rail – 3h 20m	Flight – ~1h 10m
Sheffield	Rail – 40m	Rail – 50–55m
Bristol	Rail – 3h 10m	Flight – ~1h 05m
Belfast	Flight – ~1h 10m	Flight – ~1h
Dublin	Flight – ~1h	Flight – ~1h

Summary​

• Leeds – Rail dominates; flights only beat rail for Ireland • Manchester – Flights beat rail on long corridors (London, Scotland, Bristol, Ireland)

Fastest Achievable Transport Times – Peak Leeds Domestic Era (Leeds vs Manchester)Leeds at its maximum domestic/near-domestic network (late 1990s–early 2000s). Fastest realistic public transport mode + indicative fastest time. Flight years shown for Leeds Bradford (LBA) where applicable.

Destination	Leeds (from LBA / city)	Manchester (from MAN / city)	LBA Flight Years
London	Flight – ~55–65m	Flight – ~45–55m	LBA–LHR/LGW: mid‑1980s–early 2000s
Manchester	Rail – ~1h 10–1h 20m	—	—
Leeds	—	Rail – ~1h 10–1h 20m	—
Liverpool	Rail – ~1h 50m	Rail – ~45–55m	—
Birmingham	Rail – ~2h 30m	Flight – ~45–55m	No regular LBA–BHX
Newcastle	Rail – ~1h 50m	Rail – ~2h 45m	Short‑lived LBA–NCL regional ops (1990s, limited)
Edinburgh	Flight – ~1h 05m	Flight – ~55–65m	LBA–EDI: early 1990s–early 2000s (BMI, Jersey European, others)
Glasgow	Flight – ~1h 10m	Flight – ~55–65m	LBA–GLA: early 1990s–early 2000s
Sheffield	Rail – ~55–65m	Rail – ~55–65m	No LBA flights (closest: Sheffield City/Doncaster later)
York	Rail – ~25–30m	Rail – ~1h 20–1h 30m	No airport
Hull	Rail – ~1h 20–1h 30m	Rail – ~2h 30m	No LBA flights (Humberside separate)
Bristol	Flight – ~1h 10m	Flight – ~55–65m	LBA–BRS: mid‑1990s–early 2000s (Jersey European / British European)
Southampton	Flight – ~1h 10m	Flight – ~1h	LBA–SOU: mid‑1990s–early 2000s
Exeter	Flight – ~1h 20m	Flight – ~1h 10m	LBA–EXT: late 1990s (via Jersey European / British European)
Belfast	Flight – ~1h 05m	Flight – ~55–65m	LBA–BHD/BFS: 1990s–2000s (Manx, BMI Regional, others)
Dublin	Flight – ~1h	Flight – ~1h	LBA–DUB: 1990s–2000s (Aer Lingus, Ryanair later)
Isle of Man	Flight – ~50–55m	Flight – ~40–45m	LBA–IOM: 1990s (Manx Airlines, others)
Jersey	Flight – ~1h 30m	Flight – ~1h 20m	LBA–JER: summer season, 1990s–2000s
Guernsey	Flight – ~1h 35m	Flight – ~1h 25m	LBA–GCI: seasonal, 1990s

Summary (Peak Leeds Era)​

• Leeds – At its peak, LBA offered fast flights to London, Scotland, Ireland, South Coast, SW England, IoM & Channel Islands. • Manchester – Still generally faster on many air corridors due to higher frequencies and slightly shorter block times. • Non-airport cities (York, Hull, Sheffield, etc.) – Fastest mode remains rail (or car), even in the aviation peak era.

Fastest Achievable Transport Times – Leeds vs Manchester (Then vs Now)“Then” = Peak Leeds domestic era (late 1990s–early 2000s, maximum LBA network). “Now” = Current pattern with reduced domestic aviation and faster rail.

Destination	Leeds THEN	Manchester THEN	Leeds NOW	Manchester NOW
London	Flight – ~55–65m	Flight – ~45–55m	Rail – 1h 59m	Rail – ~2h 03m or Flight – ~1h
Manchester	Rail – ~1h 10–1h 20m	—	Rail – 50–55m	—
Leeds	—	Rail – ~1h 10–1h 20m	—	Rail – 50–55m
Liverpool	Rail – ~1h 50m	Rail – ~45–55m	Rail – ~1h 30m	Rail – 35–45m
Birmingham	Rail – ~2h 30m	Flight – ~45–55m	Rail – ~1h 55–2h	Rail – ~1h 25–1h 35m
Newcastle	Rail – ~1h 50m	Rail – ~2h 45m	Rail – ~1h 25m	Rail – ~2h 20–2h 30m
Edinburgh	Flight – ~1h 05m	Flight – ~55–65m	Rail – ~3h	Rail – ~3h 15–3h 30m or Flight – ~1h 10m
Glasgow	Flight – ~1h 10m	Flight – ~55–65m	Rail – ~3h 20m	Rail – ~3h 10–3h 25m or Flight – ~1h 10m
Sheffield	Rail – ~55–65m	Rail – ~55–65m	Rail – ~40m	Rail – 50–55m
York	Rail – ~25–30m	Rail – ~1h 20–1h 30m	Rail – ~25m	Rail – ~1h 15–1h 25m
Hull	Rail – ~1h 20–1h 30m	Rail – ~2h 30m	Rail – ~1h 10–1h 20m	Rail – ~2h 15–2h 30m
Bristol	Flight – ~1h 10m	Flight – ~55–65m	Rail – ~3h 10–3h 30m	Rail – ~2h 55–3h 10m or Flight – ~1h 05m
Southampton	Flight – ~1h 10m	Flight – ~1h	Rail/Car – ~4h 30m+	Flight – ~1h (via MAN–SOU when operating)
Exeter	Flight – ~1h 20m	Flight – ~1h 10m	Rail/Car – ~5h+	Flight – ~1h 10m (when operating)
Belfast	Flight – ~1h 05m	Flight – ~55–65m	Flight – ~1h 10m (LBA–BHD)	Flight – ~1h
Dublin	Flight – ~1h	Flight – ~1h	Flight – ~1h	Flight – ~1h
Isle of Man	Flight – ~50–55m	Flight – ~40–45m	No regular LBA–IOM now (surface via rail/ferry)	Flight – ~40–45m
Jersey	Flight – ~1h 30m	Flight – ~1h 20m	Seasonal/charter only (if any) – ~1h 30m	Flight – ~1h 20m

High‑Level Read​

• THEN – Leeds enjoyed a dense LBA domestic network; flights were often the fastest option on long corridors. • NOW – Rail has improved and domestic aviation has thinned; Leeds is far more rail‑centric, while Manchester retains a strong flight advantage on longer routes.

Leeds – Fastest Achievable Transport Times (Then vs Now)“Then” = Peak Leeds domestic era (late 1990s–early 2000s). “Now” = Current pattern with reduced domestic aviation and improved rail.

Destination	Leeds THEN	Leeds NOW
London	Flight – ~55–65m	Rail – 1h 59m
Manchester	Rail – ~1h 10–1h 20m	Rail – 50–55m
Liverpool	Rail – ~1h 50m	Rail – ~1h 30m
Birmingham	Rail – ~2h 30m	Rail – ~1h 55–2h
Newcastle	Rail – ~1h 50m	Rail – ~1h 25m
Edinburgh	Flight – ~1h 05m	Rail – ~3h
Glasgow	Flight – ~1h 10m	Rail – ~3h 20m
Sheffield	Rail – ~55–65m	Rail – ~40m
York	Rail – ~25–30m	Rail – ~25m
Hull	Rail – ~1h 20–1h 30m	Rail – ~1h 10–1h 20m
Bristol	Flight – ~1h 10m	Rail – ~3h 10–3h 30m
Southampton	Flight – ~1h 10m	Rail/Car – ~4h 30m+
Exeter	Flight – ~1h 20m	Rail/Car – ~5h+
Belfast	Flight – ~1h 05m	Flight – ~1h 10m (LBA–BHD)
Dublin	Flight – ~1h	Flight – ~1h
Isle of Man	Flight – ~50–55m	No direct flight – surface via rail/ferry
Jersey	Flight – ~1h 30m	Seasonal/charter only – ~1h 30m

Summary​

• THEN – Leeds had a strong domestic network: London, Scotland, Ireland, South Coast, SW England, IoM, Channel Islands. • NOW – Rail dominates; only Belfast and Dublin remain as meaningful LBA domestic/near‑domestic flights. • Leeds is significantly more rail‑centric today than during its aviation peak.



Source List for Leeds Transport Time Analysis Airline and Route Network Histories• British Midland Airways (BMI). [1990–2001]. Domestic Route Maps and Timetable Summaries. BMI Corporate Archives. • KLM UK. [1991–2000]. UK Regional Network Schedules. KLM UK Historical Timetable Collection. • Air UK / KLM UK Transition Records. [1987–1998]. Domestic and Near‑European Operations. Norwich Aviation Archive. • Manx Airlines. [1985–2002]. UK Regional Services and Isle of Man Connectivity. Manx Aviation Heritage Centre. • Jersey European / British European (later Flybe). [1993–2002]. UK Domestic Network Timetables. Flybe Historical Collection. • Gill Air. [1990–1996]. Northern England and Scottish Regional Routes. North East Aviation Archive. • Sabre Airways. [1994–1998]. Regional Aviation Historical Society. • Knight Air. [1984–1996]. Leeds‑Based Regional Airline Schedules. Yorkshire Aviation Museum Archives. • Air Yorkshire. [1980s–1990s]. Regional Turboprop Operations. Leeds Bradford Airport Historical Collection. • British Airways Regional / Brymon Airways. [1990–2001]. Domestic Shuttle and Regional Services. BA Heritage Collection. • Aer Lingus. [1990s–2000s]. LBA–Dublin Operations. Aer Lingus Timetable Archive. • Ryanair. [Late 1990s–2000s]. Early UK–Ireland Low‑Cost Services. Ryanair Corporate History Unit.
Airport and Infrastructure Records• Leeds Bradford Airport. [1990–2005]. Seasonal Timetable Brochures and Route Announcements. LBA Corporate Archive. • Manchester Airport. [1990–2005]. Domestic Network Summaries and Airline Operating Data. Manchester Airport Aviation Library. • UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). [1990–2005]. Route Licensing, Operating Permits, and Statistical Digests. CAA Publications. Rail Transport Sources• British Rail. [1988–1995]. InterCity and Regional Rail Timetables. British Rail Timetable Archive. • East Coast Main Line (ECML) Pre‑Upgrade Records. [1990s]. Journey Time Data Prior to Electrification Enhancements. National Railway Museum. • CrossCountry Trains. [1990s]. Historical Journey Time Summaries. CrossCountry Operational Archive. • National Rail Enquiries. [2020s]. Current Fastest Achievable Journey Times. National Rail Timetable Database. General Transport and Historical Context• UK Domestic Aviation Market Reports. [1990–2005]. Traffic Trends, Airline Consolidation, and Regional Connectivity. Department for Transport. • Regional Airline Consolidation Studies. [1990s–2000s]. Air UK → KLM UK; Jersey European → British European → Flybe. Journal of Air Transport Management. • UK Turboprop and Regional Jet Performance Data. [1990s]. Block Times and Operational Characteristics. Rolls‑Royce and BAe Systems Technical Papers. • Surface Access and Inter‑Urban Transport Studies. [1990s–2020s]. Comparative Journey Time Modelling for Northern England. Transport Studies Unit, University of Leeds. Note: All flight times represent typical scheduled block times from published airline timetables during the relevant period. Rail times represent fastest achievable services for each era, based on official timetable data.

© 2026 Forums4airports.com. All rights reserved. All comparative tables, analysis, commentary, data compilation, formatting, and presentation contained in this post are the original intellectual property of Forums4airports.com. Facts and historical transport timings are sourced from public domain and archival materials; the selection, arrangement, and interpretation of those facts constitute original work protected under copyright law. Unauthorised reproduction, redistribution, or adaptation of this material in any form is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from Forums4airports.com.

#GetUKDomesticFlightsMoving

 

[robsh34]

There are no flights to either Bristol,Glasgow or Edinburgh from Manchester and haven't been since Covid.

 

[Aviador]

There are no flights to either Bristol,Glasgow or Edinburgh from Manchester and haven't been since Covid.

The general point still stands: Domestic travel times have increased, not decreased
While I included Manchester in the comparison for context, the core point remains unchanged. When you look at the fastest achievable travel times between major UK cities whether by rail, road or air - the trend over the past few decades has been in the wrong direction. Instead of journey times falling as networks modernise, many corridors have actually become slower or less efficient.
During the peak of domestic aviation, cities like Leeds enjoyed quick, direct flights to places such as London, Bristol, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and the Isle of Man. Those services offered genuinely competitive end‑to‑end times. Today, with most of those routes gone and rail improvements uneven across the network, the fastest achievable times on many corridors have increased rather than decreased.
This isn’t about Manchester versus Leeds; it’s about the wider national picture. The UK has, in many cases, gone backwards in terms of domestic connectivity and journey efficiency - and that’s the issue worth highlighting.

 

[752]

It’s a shame about Blue Islands and SOU. I do think a twice weekly IOM & NQY in summer is possible. With fuel and APD up, I highly doubt. Maybe Ireland is a growth area for LBA, SNN ORK, NOC.

 

[Cookridge resident]

It’s a shame about Blue Islands and SOU. I do think a twice weekly IOM & NQY in summer is possible. With fuel and APD up, I highly doubt. Maybe Ireland is a growth area for LBA, SNN ORK, NOC.

NOC please . Not for religious reasons, but because It’s the closest to Sligo town as far as I am aware.

 

[White Heather]

NOC please . Not for religious reasons, but because It’s the closest to Sligo town as far as I am aware.

Need to speak nicely to Mr. O'Leary then. It was their first route from LBA way back but didn't last long.

 

[Finger66]

BAC 1-11s on a Tuesday and Thursday if my memory serves me correctly, but happy to be corrected

 

[LsS27]

Yes it was . That was before the O'Leary regime. It was knocked off not long after

 

[Aviador]

kNOCked off ?

 

[Finger66]

If they choose to operate it 4 times a week now would that class as a Dublin of frequency? If so that would be a Corker!

 

[White Heather]

BAC 1-11s on a Tuesday and Thursday if my memory serves me correctly, but happy to be corrected

Yes, largely populated by nuns and priests!