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Well it has been a long time in coming but at last at least it looks like one of these predictions might soon be happening finally!Predictions 2011 thread
Well I thought we should start this thread seen that it's nearly the end off 2010. So what are all are your predictions for LBA in 2011. Here's mine. And just you watch i'll be totally wrong.
1 = Construction of the New Terminal Extension commences at last.
2 = Jet2 add 3 or 4 new routes mid year at the same time they announce that they will add an extra base aircraft to bring the LBA based fleet back up to 12 aircraft for summer 2012 season.
3 = Ryanair add yet more new routes from LBA but also chop and change the schedule while mid to late summer they announce that a 3rd aircraft will be stationed into LBA from the start of the winter 2011/12 season
4 = Easyjet launch a second seasonal ski route to Grenoble for winter 2011/12 season. They also increase capacity on existing Geneva route. (They did this down at Birmingham)
5 = LBA looks into getting more charter flights in from the big boys Thomas Cook & Thomson Holidays and the smaller independent travel agents like Canada affair and Gambian Experience.
6 = PIA increase back to 3 times weekly on the Islamabad service and do a feasibility study into operating B777-200's into LBA for some time in the future.
Just seeing spades in the ground would do for me along with a new MP who is not anti-airport
For 2024 Realignment of the ILS and touchdown zones moved more towards start of runway ( going to hide now from forum members haha)
Certainly something I feel the airport could look into from a safer operations point of view.
Jet2 finally commit its first A321Neo to LBA

The summer night time limit is given as 2800. That seems odd given that 10% of any unused winter allowance (1200) can be added to the 2800 as it was this year, which as a result had a limit of 2920. I suppose they can update this at the start of summer when they know the carry forward from winter?Here's Leeds/Bradford Airport Slot Capacity Declaration for summer 2024
Also downloadable here: https://www.acl-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/LBA-Capacity-Declaration-S24.pdf
View attachment 29626
Don’t think the Jet2 A321 will operate from LBA sadly.
Performance issues, nothing at all to do with being able to sell seats.Why is this thought? With nearly 100 on the order books where else they going.
They’ve managed to fill the 75 every day of every week. So why not bring in the NEO? Only thing holding them back is the terminal.
Hope that is true, but we had been told the issue was with the LEAP1A engine equipped NEO having performance constraints meaning they cannot be operated from LBA within company operating limits. Not heard otherwise as yet.We might not see the A321CEO's due to performance issues, but I understand the A321NEO's should be fine.
Expected a few visits this winter for training detail only, has that plan changed?
I understood that we won't be getting any based at LBA until winter 2025/2026 at the earliest due to the terminal constraints.
Performance issues, nothing at all to do with being able to sell seats.
The company like derate. They cannot use LBA with derate with the LEAP1A is what is the consensus around the company. They will put the A320 into LBA when they are received.What issues? The new NEO and engines should be fine. Don’t see it been an issue.
It makes zero sense to order an aircraft that can't operate from one of their biggest bases and one that is crying out for aircraft of larger capacity , (once the terminal is upgraded) , or to order so many of them if they are restricted, or wait to order the 320 NEOs until several years down the line if they are intended for LBA. They offer no more capacity than the 737 800 either.The company like derate. They cannot use LBA with derate with the LEAP1A is what is the consensus around the company. They will put the A320 into LBA when they are received.
Would be very happy if this information is false or a misunderstanding by the way, but I don’t believe it is.
Again, don’t shoot the messenger it could be wrong and/or it could change but I have no reason to believe it is not true.It makes zero sense to order an aircraft that can't operate from one of their biggest bases and one that is crying out for aircraft of larger capacity , (once the terminal is upgraded) , or to order so many of them if they are restricted, or wait to order the 320 NEOs until several years down the line if they are intended for LBA. They offer no more capacity than the 737 800 either.
Are you saying that the Leap engines are underpowered? On a brand new aircraft? As you know, we have loads of A321s operating for Wizz. Their P&W NEOs perform fine with full loads on some fairly long routes. Not 4 hours, but over 3 hours. Jet2 could fill A321s out of LBA on routes such as Palma, Alicante , Málaga, Faro etc. which are a short hop for these aircraft. If they can't do it, then they haven't made a wise choice, particularly as they operate to foreign airports that have far more challenging runways than LBA. Presumably they can't go there either?
Frankly, it beggars belief.
LBA management have clearly stated that growth in passengers would not be entirely down to a large increase in flights, because it would handle larger aircraft..Given our major operators, at present the only larger aircraft that's likely is for Jet2 to replace 737s with A321NEOs .
If you're information is true, it makes me wonder why Jet2 bothered to fly their first NEO into LBA.
'Here's our lovely new quiet A321NEO which we are getting lots of, but despite you're offer of special rates for quiet aircraft, you wont be seeing it here again'![]()
I 'know' you well enough to know that you talk sense, particularly relating to DSA, so I have no intention of shooting you as the messenger -.I just find it extraordinary that a new A321NEO is deemed unable to operate from here. In which case there are plenty of other airports it won't operate to,.particularly in Greece . Jet2 seem to be making life harder for themselves by buying an aircraft and then saying it won't operate to one of their biggest bases by choice, not because the aircraft is incapable. It makes it sound like LBA is on a par with an aircraft carrier rather than 2250 metres if concrete.Again, don’t shoot the messenger it could be wrong and/or it could change but I have no reason to believe it is not true.
Cost per seat mile on the LEAP1A equipped A321 NEO is excellent, performance-wise no issue if you’re going to firewall it on every departure. However, Jet2 are exceptionally precious about engine life, they’re expensive things! So unlike other operators who may have other operating principles, they tend to make performance decisions based upon prolonging engine life. This is not the case at Ryanair who rent their engines, and the O&W powered Wizzair ones have no issue, but maybe they too have a differed philosophy.
I don’t think Jet2 purchased the NEO with those engines with LBA in mind, they’re a national airline now with much larger overall business considerations to make. Similarly, I do not believe the B738’s are going anywhere any time soon, in fact I hear that 50 will be retrofitted with SS winglets. This will not have a noticeable negative impact on levels of service from LBA.
The NEO visit will have no doubt been a photo op for HQ.
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