Leeds Bradford: Ryanair Flights, New Routes & Base Updates

[Sherburnflyer92]

We waited since June for a new route to be announced from LBA and then 7 new routes by 2 airlines confirmed within 24 hours. Is'nt that enough for some people.

3. Tenerife, Milan, Corfu all duplicates and not new to the airport, and just extra capacity. 1 is back via a different airline. What i wanted to see was Ryanair, helping LBA with pax figures, by bringing in year round routes.

 

[User0001]

7 new routes is stretching it a bit. 2 of those are just being extended to year round, 3 are served from LBA already, so technically, just Chaniaand Berlin are new. Hardly earth shattering is it?

 

[Aviador]

I thought I'd better leave it a while for the dust to settle before posting my reaction. Frustrating though it might be, not seeing new destinations to the the likes of Madrid, Germany or Scandinavia you have to look underneath the surface to understand what is really going on.

Those who have been a member of the forum for some time will know that one of my biggest pet hates is passenger leakage to other airports outside the airports natural catchment area. This leakage from the West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire region accounts for over 3 million air journeys each year where passengers should really be starting their air journeys here in Yorkshire.

The majority of this leakage is driving over the hill to use Manchester airport. Many of these passengers are using alternative flights from Manchester because there simply isn't the availability from here at Leeds Bradford airport.

During August nearly 17,000 passengers flew from Manchester to Kos. Leeds on the other hand only handled 1,300 passengers during the same month. This indicated the size of problem. The Greek islands of Crete & Corfu show the same picture.

During August over 65,000 passengers traveled from Manchester to Tenerife South, here at Leeds the figure is closer 8,000 so again there's substantial leakage from the Yorkshire region propping up the figure at Manchester.

Don't get me wrong, Manchester airport comes in useful for some flights and I think most people here will agree that Manchester should be concentrating on long haul flights as opposed to pinching passengers from the Mersey & Yorkshire regions to fill European flights that could otherwise be offered from LBA, DSA or LPL.

I am right behind LBA and Ryanair's decision to increase flights to destinations already served. Other routes will come when the airport can prove it can handle substantially more traffic on existing routes.

 

[User0001]

I agree. I did say yesterday that the airport were just as interested in expanding services to existing destinations as they are opening up new routes. I also said there was only one destination the airport believed was adequately served at the moment (the answer is Barcelona by the way) and I also said Greece and Canary Island routes were a target area. So trust me when I say that the airport are personally delighted at the committment of the third aircraft, delighted that months of negotiation over this has borne fruit and delighted that services to under-strength destinations will be improved, which is exactly what they have been asking Ryanair to do. I also believe they have enough on the table now to push ahead with the terminal development.

 

[lbaspotter]

The Yorkshire Evening Post has got a good report on today's ryanair expansion plans for next summer which will see them introduce a 3rd based aircraft and 6 new services for the airline.

See below: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co....ort_ryanair_announce_six_new_routes_1_3935129

Leeds and Bradford Airport: Ryanair announce six new routes

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary with Kayleigh Beardow and Emily Hamby

Published on Thursday 3 November 2011 13:08

low-cost airline Ryanair is to plough millions of pounds into Leeds Bradford Airport - basing a third aircraft there and adding six new routes, it was announced today.

The move represents a $70m (approx £44m) investment in the Yeadon airport - the fastest growing airport in the UK - and it is expected to create around 60 new jobs as well as providing a huge shot in the arm for tourism across the region.

Colourful and often controversial character Michael O’Leary, the airline’s chief executive, made the announcement at the Leeds airport.

He said basing a third aircraft - costing “$70m” - at Leeds Bradford would boost the number of Ryanair passengers using the airport to around 1million a year and sustain around 1,000 jobs there.

The new routes for summer 2012 are to Chania in Greece, Corfu, Dinard in France, Kos, Milan-Bergamo and Tenerife, and the airline will also extend its popular routes to Kaunas in Lithuania and Riga in Latvia.

 

[tleeds]

Any new route is good news in my eyes.

All this about Jet2 giving in to Ryanair on the Bergamo route I think is being looked into too deeply. The bottom line is that Jet2 are not stupid, they have made LBA their home for a long time and any route they operate is monitored carefully. I believe that, although Jet2 only operate to Bergamo from LBA, it will stay for some time.

We need to remember that Jet2's passengers, on most occasions are completely different to Ryanair's passengers.

There are, obviously, going to be some disappointments, but Ryanair aren't going to jump into something they can't handle, especially at LBA. A lot of people have been comparing the progress by Ryanair at MAN and LBA. They are two completely different airports and we mustn't forget MAN is huge compared to LBA, so development and progress is going to be a lot smaller in comparison terms.

I think we should all look at the bigger picture as well. Ryanair is the favourite to operate the Scandinavia/German/Eastern Europe and the LBA Management know that. They will do their best to get more routes out of all the airlines.

We should be grateful for once. Ryanair are the airline which normally cut's routes...! Corfu, Kos and Chania are very new to the airline, so for them to try them from LBA, we are blessed!

The out-sider in all this, Dinard.... I had no idea where that was until I looked on Ryanair's route map! Let's hope this works well besides they must have reason to operate it!

At the end of the day, it's more routes, whether they've been duplicated or not, and it's all more passengers off the runway....

 

[User0001]

This may be going off topic a bit, but, as seen as its been posted on here, Its best to reply here:

opposed to pinching passengers from the Mersey & Yorkshire regions to fill European flights that could otherwise be offered from LBA, DSA or LPL

If only the reality was that simple.
Its easy to say LBA should have flights to X, Y and Z but airport A is pinching all the routes, but, put yourself in the shoes of an airline CEO for one moment, and not in those of an airport.

Lets use Madrid as an example, but, my example is based on a generic picture and by no means indicative of the actual figures of the flights.

If you are say Ryanair, and you have 180 people have told you they want to travel from Madrid to Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Doncaster, and it is an even 45 pax per airport. Do you:
A) run 4 separate aircraft to the 4 airports, carrying the legal minimum crew, the fuel and catering for 45 people, or,
B) do you run 1 aircraft, to the central point, with only one set of costs?

Now, I know some routes have larger numbers, like TFS which had 65,00 at MAN versus 8,000 at LBA. You have to ask yourself why? Historically, it is the charter gateway for the North, and, it caters to a much larger area than Leeds whether you like to admit it or not. As the loco's have caught on, they want to compete with the charters, which means Jet2, Easyjet and Ryanair all joined the level playing field at MAN.
Due to the larger catchment needing the larger capacity, it means more seats are available at a lower price and that draws the people in. Leeds, unless Ryanair comes in with a 5-6 daily service, will never be able to compete with this and with all the will in the world, there will always be Leakage away from Leeds.

Its nothing to do with pinching pax, its just pax seeing other alternatives.

I could go on, but, If someone would like more info as to 'pax pinching' and why its not so simple to simply let the other Northern Regionals have the routes, Id be happy to PM them.

I believe that, although Jet2 only operate to Bergamo from LBA, it will stay for some time

Im still not convinced. I find it hard to believe that when Ryanair announced MAN-BGY, Jet2 dropping the route was just co-incidence. I just don't buy it at all and we will just have to see what happens.

 

[White Heather]

Leaving aside whether the route choices are good, bad or indifferent, the very fact that Ryanair have expanded from LBA for 2012 with a 3rd based aircraft, some new routes and some additional capacity routes, shows commitment to the airport and the region. There have been posts on here in the past suggesting that rather than expand, they would be off, particularly after they re-opened their base over the hill at MAN. In the end, the opposite has happened.

Lets not forget too that the routes they have chosen to operate will have been picked in conjunction with LBA management and as Aviador has rightly said, many LBA routes are under-served. The likes of Oslo, other German routes and Eastern Europe remain on the wish list for LBA and who is to say that by 2012 some might not be operating on other carriers?

Ultimately, what it does do is probably guarantees the investment in the terminal, AND further passenger throughput (guaranteeing well over £3m pax next year) AND further cements the future of the airport. All this when many regional airports are still struggling to maintain what they have, let alone expand in this way,

Overall, a very satisfactory couple of days for LBA and I suspect that there will still be more to come over the next few months.

 

[tleeds]

Oh dear... they would only get Lappeenranta on a 'W' route, because neither is base 😉

I am actually happily surprised by some of Ryanair's new routes:

Kos - Previously only operated to Liverpool in the UK.
Chania - First UK airport for Ryanair to operate into.
Corfu - Previously only operated to Stansted in the UK.

Like others have said... it looks like Ryanair are quite committed to LBA...!

 

[User0001]

it looks like Ryanair are quite committed to LBA...!

And this is one of the few times he hasn't pitted the Northern airports against each other.

Makes a nice change!

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Looking at the flights on the timetable;

Corfu - 1x weekly on a thursday
Chania - 1x weekly on a saturday
Kos - 1x weekly on a wenesday
Milan - 2x weekly on a friday & monday - aiming i'm guessing at the weekend market, or 4 night market.
Tenerife - 2x weekly Tuesday & saturday
Dinard - 2x weekly Tuesday & saturday.

Soo, if we presume the 3rd based a/c will take on them, then there is MORE then enough room for polish routes to be added. FR are nto LS and CFU, Chania, KGS will not take a full 10 hours to do there & back considering the 35 minute turn and presuming they'll leave at 0600-0800am.

The only other way this 3rd a/c would be more beneficial to LBA is if ALC & FAO are based here instead of there bases. ALC probably however i reckon FAO will continue.

 

[LeedsPilot]

Very good new in my opinion guaranteeing the future expansion of LBA and showing the commitment of Ryanair here as well.

 

[User0001]

MOL complimentary about LBA and MAN:

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... ds-of-jobs

Mr O'Leary said Manchester and Leeds-Bradford Airports were the two bases it has that were showing “rapid growth” and predicted that would continue

But, its clear who is loosing out on this:

He added: “One airport that clearly won't show more growth but won't decline is Liverpool

 

[Aviador]

MOL complimentary about LBA and MAN:

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... ds-of-jobs

Mr O'Leary said Manchester and Leeds-Bradford Airports were the two bases it has that were showing “rapid growth” and predicted that would continue

But, its clear who is loosing out on this:

He added: “One airport that clearly won't show more growth but won't decline is Liverpool

Drinks all round then.

:drinks:

 

[airforced]

Ultimately, what it does do is probably guarantees the investment in the terminal, AND further passenger throughput (guaranteeing well over £3m pax next year) AND further cements the future of the airport. All this when many regional airports are still struggling to maintain what they have, let alone expand in this way,

Overall, a very satisfactory couple of days for LBA and I suspect that there will still be more to come over the next few months.

I have to agree with White Heather and others who have pointed out that any new routes/increased provision is good news for LBIA. Yes we can all moan about there not being this or that destination but lets not forget we are living in difficult times (which may get considerably more difficult in the not too distant) and I hope that the Ryan punt at Greece doesn't blow up in their face with what is going on over there at the moment. (Maybe MOL will be selling riot shields on their Greek flights next summer instead of scratch cards!)

In all seriousness we we are doing well in comparison with DTV (last one out turn off the lights) and DSA who have a superb terminal building but very few flights.

Can Bridgepoint now tell us about the terminal improvements?

 

[Seasider]

As I have said many times before, Airlines are in business to make money not to please "enthusiasts".
It's great news for the airport, more flights mean more passengers, more income and better facilities.

 

[User0001]

As I have said many times before, Airlines are in business to make money not to please "enthusiasts".
It's great news for the airport, more flights mean more passengers, more income and better facilities.

You are right, but, its just slightly off when he says he isnt out to trash markets, but, then does just that!

 

[Hull City Fan]

I know there will be about a million changes to the timetable before the final version is published but here is the timetable as it stands now. There will obviously be some time changes to Saturdays timetable as there is 3 flights scheduled for aircraft 3 for the afternoon. There is also some days when aircraft 3 isnt used yet. After those destinations that arent yet onsale (Alicante, Kaunas, Nantes, Pisa & Venice) are put online the 3 aircraft should be fully utilised. (assuming Alicante is used by one of our planes now we have capacity).

Monday

Aircraft 1

06:30-08:50 - Dublin
09:30-14:30 - Gdansk
16:00-22:15 - Murcia

Aircraft 2

06:45-11:50 - Milan (Bergamo)

Aircraft 3

07:05-16:35 - Fuerteventura
17:20-23:55 - Malaga

W-Patterns:

13:50-14:15 - Dusseldorf (Weeze)
16:20-16:45 - Faro
18:55-19:20 - Dublin

Tuesday

Aircraft 1

06:30-16:05 - Tenerife
17:20-23:20 - Ibiza

Aircraft 2

06:30-12:55 - Karakow

Aircraft 3

12:10-15:55 - Dinard
17:20-23:55 - Malaga

W-Patterns

10:25-10:50 - Dublin
11:30-11:55 - Lanzarote
18:55-19:20 - Dublin

Wednesday

Aircraft 1

06:30-08:50 - Dublin
09:15-15:10 - Palma Mallorca
16:00-22:15 - Murcia

Aircraft 2

07:00-11:05 - Limoges
11:30-16:30 - Montpellier
17:20-23:55 - Malaga

Aircraft 3


W-Patterns

13:50-14:15 - Dusseldorf (Weeze)
14:25-14:50 - Barcelona
16:20-16:45 - Faro
18:55-19:20 - Dublin

Thursday

Aircraft 1

06:30-08:55 - Dublin
09:15-15:10 - Palma Mallorca
16:10-23:40 - Malta

Aircraft 2

06:30-12:55 - Krakow
17:20-23:55 - Malaga

Aircraft 3

06:45-14:10 - Corfu

W-Pattern

16:45-17:10 - Dublin

Friday

Aircraft 1

06:30-08:50 - Dublin
09:35-14:35 - Gdansk
16:00-22:15 - Murcia

Aircraft 2

06:45-11:50 - Milan (Bergamo)

Aircraft 3

07:05-16:35 - Fuerteventura
17:20-23:55 - Malaga

W-Patterns

09:35-10:15 - Barcelona
13:50-14:15 - Dusseldorf (Weeze)
16:20-16:45 - Faro
18:55-19:20 - Dublin

Saturday

Aircraft 1

10:15-16:50 - Malaga
17:40-23:50 - Palma Mallorca

Aircraft 2

06:30-16:05 - Tenerife

Aircraft 3

12:10-15:55 - Dinard
12:20-18:20 - Ibiza
14:25-22:20 - Crete (Chania)

W-Patterns

07:40-08:05 - Dublin
11:30-11:55 - Lanzarote
11:35-12:00 - Faro

Sunday

Aircraft 1

07:00-11:05 - Limoges
11:30-16:25 - Montpellier
17:15-23:40 - Krakow

Aircraft 2

08:45-14:55 - Palma Mallorca
16:10-23:40 - Malta

Aircraft 3


W-Patterns

13:15-13:40 - Dublin
14:35-15:00 - Barcelona
16:20-16:45 - Faro
18:55-19:20 - Dublin

 

[whoshotjimmi]

As I have said many times before, Airlines are in business to make money not to please "enthusiasts".
It's great news for the airport, more flights mean more passengers, more income and better facilities.

I think enthusiasts will be delighted. It is potential customers who they are out to please. I'm sure some of them will be happy they now have extra choices to the same destinations. Equally there will be many who are not interested at all. Such as me. It is potentially a good move. However, i believe that many of the routes they have chosen are more akin to a package holiday scenario as opposed to DIY. In which case, passengers will still be lost to MAN.

 

[Jordan-34092]

In my opinion i can see LBA gaining new destinations with ryanair later on in the date, one of these routes to look out for will be Oslo, as it would seem Oslo will no longer be served by ryanair from NCL, so this could lead to the likes of leeds picking up such a route. One thing LBA has got over NCL is that LBA is a base for FR while NCL isn't so this could work to the advantage.