Leeds East - General Thread

[Galaxy]

The Vulcan was back in our region's skies on Saturday at the Great Yorkshire Air Show 2015. I'm sure many on this page were there (about 20,000 people went) but for those of you who didn't go there's some footage here: [video]

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It was a brilliant air show, but unfortunately the traffic chaos getting onto site wasn't so brilliant!

 

[lbaspotter]

Looks like the owners of Leeds East Airport (Formerly RAF Church Fenton) are looking to start routes to Palma, Ibiza, Faro, Cannes and Malaga from May 2016 using a 40-50 seat first class configured BAe 146 aircraft. They will be about 2 to 3 flights a day with no night flights planned. The proposed London route is not viable. plus they have no interest in either Ryanair or Jet2 as they are not commercially viable either. Meanwhile a new terminal is been developed inside hangar 2 and they expect to get the airfield licenced by the CAA before the end of October this year.

See the following document for full details: http://www.church-fenton.net/minutes/September_2015.pdf

 

[Galaxy]

Who do you think the likely operator will be?

 

[Aviador]

Pipe dream.

 

[leedslad]

BBC reporting Leeds East were successful in their licence application and aim to operate flights by May on 62 seater with premium offer to three destinations...

 

[yorkguy]

BBC reporting Leeds East were successful in their licence application and aim to operate flights by May on 62 seater with premium offer to three destinations...

Subject to gaining planning permission from Selby District Council apparently
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/147...th_Yorks__Not_until_we_say_so__claim_council/

 

[lbaspotter]

Birmingham based Cello Aviation are looking to open 4+ new routes from Leeds East Airport next summer. From May 20th 2017 the airline will operate first class flights to Faro, Malaga, Cannes and Palma with return flights costing just under £1,000 return.

http://www.minsterfm.com/news/local...m-north-yorkshires-new-international-airport/

 

[lbaspotter]

Birmingham based Cello Aviation are looking to open 4+ new routes from Leeds East Airport next summer. The airline plans to start operating first class flights from May 20th 2017 to Faro, Malaga, Cannes and Palma with return flights costing just under £1,000 return using a Boeing 737-300 in VIP 62 seat configuration

http://www.minsterfm.com/news/local...m-north-yorkshires-new-international-airport/

 

[White Heather]

So we are about to join the list of cities with more than one airport to its name. Perhaps it will encourage Bridgepoint to enhance their efforts to improve the facilities at LBA! It is early days I know and I don't see Leeds East ever really challenging LBA but even so it would be stupid to take them too lightly. What I would like to see is Leeds East becoming the diversion airport for LBA - so on our foggy days passengers would be diverted to the other side of the City! Now that would be a good thing and mean passenger delays would be very much shorter. Question is, will Leeds East ever be equipped to deal with such a thing? Sadly not. They are not going to have the airstairs and other airfield equipment to cope with more than the odd aircraft any time soon.

 

[Aviador]

They will have various CAA obligations to comply with on top of the above mentioned planning permission.

 

[leedslad]

Does anyone know what sort of planes the runway could handle in its present state without too much investment?

 

[White Heather]

Well apparently a 737 but in VIP mode which will mean a lighter load, but I seem to recall that the runway is shorter now than it used to be in the old days when we had regular SSAFA displays there. Not sure what else other than the smaller commuter types/turbo props and the likes of the BAe146. Sadly I think this might result in us losing our usual TNT freighters when York races are on. They will surely go to Leeds East which is much closer to York. Interestingly, the day after this announcement about Leeds East (and just after my comment above) LBA has issued a press release today confirming that the Masterplan final document will be published by the end of the year and re-iterating all the changes it includes at LBA. Co-incidence or a reaction to a perceived threat? Back to Leeds East - apparently it hasn't got planning approval to even operate as a civil airport from Selby District Council yet so until it does it still can't operate.

 

[leedslad]

Wonder if within a couple of years they might become attractive to the likes of Eastern? Cheaper landing fees, quicker end to end journey time to Leeds for commuters, freedom with landing slots etc etc

Albeit on a larger scale but many cities seem to operate a domestic and international airport... Perhaps for these reasons?

 

[Seasider]

If you don't mind me saying so "pie in the sky". I'd like to know where they think the passengers are coming from.

 

[rmac]

Is there anything like this proposal anywhere in the country already, <London perhaps?
Why would it be successful from a remote unknown airport???

 

[Aviador]

Unless somebody coughs up a substantial amount of money the airport will remain nothing more than a base for some exec jets and private aircraft.

 

[yorkguy]

Locals are reporting that the airport owners have bought large amounts of surrounding farm land. Future runway extension?

 

[leedsman]

Does anyone know what sort of planes the runway could handle in its present state without too much investment?

The latest AIP from the CAA shows the main runway at LEA as 1827m.

The declared distances for Take Off Run Available at these airports seems comparable;

Jersey 1,706m
Leeds East 1,710m
Southampton 1,723m
Southend 1,739m

Leeds Bradford 2,190m

Jersey regularly has A319s, A320s and E195s. Southend has Easyjet A319s.

 

[yorkguy]

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/147...n_North_Yorkshire_airport_plans/?ref=mr&lp=10

Some of the locals' comments under this article are enlightening. If you scroll past the doomsayers and nimbys there are some quite informed comments about local land acquisition by the airport owners

 

[Seasider]

I apologise for being pedantic, but where are the passengers coming from? I doubt that they could get 100 people to pay business class fares, never mind 400 people per day 7 days per week.