Leeds Bradford Airport £100m Regeneration Programme

[oldendays]

The extension is much easier on the eye from the south side fence (Yeadon Moor Road) than White House Lane. It's a good size, regardless of perspective and what goes on inside is most important.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Nothings changed, just the light. This was never going to be an architectural masterpiece but if it does what it's designed to do inside then that's the main thing.

Guess its just the light then, sure it was a lighter shade but glad its there to break up the all grey plus soon we should see the design for the end right.

 

[Bantamzen]

Secondly I agree with you that its retention means pax using them will feel like theyre moving from the 1st to the 3rd world. Its going to be a stark contrast. I cant imagine however that the airport wont take steps to improve its appearance to blend the shelter and gate 14 into the new terminal. They may even demolish them and replace with a new walkway and portakabin, they are after all unsubstantial and replacement would not be expensive. Fingers crossed.

It surely can't be beyond the airport's means to at least tart up the remaining bus shelter section? Even just maybe laying a new floor and / or a lick of paint, and some new lighting to give it a slightly less dystopian feel. I mean it's alright in summer when the sun is shining and you're happily tripping off to warmer climates, but coming back at 01:30 when it's raining and windy, and the bus shelter feels like the entrance to Dante's 7 Circles of Hell.

 

[lbaspotter]

but coming back at 01:30 when it's raining and windy, and the bus shelter feels like the entrance to Dante's 7 Circles of Hell.

I don’t think ithe prefab section is used for arrivals. You’ll either be walking off the aircraft straight into the new boarder security screening zone entrance or be bussed over to it

Now I’m not sure what the plan is when your aircraft is parked on the stand 7 & 8 air bridges. How will you get from inside the existing terminal over to the boarder security screening zone in the new extension?

 

[Aviador]

I don’t think ithe prefab section is used for arrivals. You’ll either be walking off the aircraft straight into the new boarder security screening zone entrance or be bussed over to it

Now I’m not sure what the plan is when your aircraft is parked on the stand 7 & 8 air bridges. How will you get from inside the existing terminal over to the boarder security screening zone in the new extension?

The walkway is show on the plans allows access all the way to the new immigration shown here in red.

View media item 18439
View media item 18440Access to immigration from stand 7 and stand 8 air bridges via a new walkway.

View media item 18441
Access to the new domestic arrivals from stand 7 and 8 airbridge via stairs.

As for the bus shelter, if anyone remembers it replaced the walk across the apron. It's purpose is to keep you dry between the terminal and the aircraft. We would all love to see air bridges on every stand but at £1m each it's just not feasible.

 

[HX3]

That’s a very good point lbaspotter, I would imagine there would need to be a longer term solution, as there is a floor level difference to the new area for arrivals. Edited as my post crossed with Aviador who provides the answer

 

[White Heather]

It surely can't be beyond the airport's means to at least tart up the remaining bus shelter section? Even just maybe laying a new floor and / or a lick of paint, and some new lighting to give it a slightly less dystopian feel. I mean it's alright in summer when the sun is shining and you're happily tripping off to warmer climates, but coming back at 01:30 when it's raining and windy, and the bus shelter feels like the entrance to Dante's 7 Circles of Hell.

How can the floor replaced? As far as I know, this being a bus shelter type walkway, and a temporary building requiring no planning approval, the floor is the apron surface. There's a limit to what you can do to a building that was nothing more than a means to keep passengers dry and to a lesser degree, less windswept.

 

[Bantamzen]

I don’t think ithe prefab section is used for arrivals. You’ll either be walking off the aircraft straight into the new boarder security screening zone entrance or be bussed over to it

Now I’m not sure what the plan is when your aircraft is parked on the stand 7 & 8 air bridges. How will you get from inside the existing terminal over to the boarder security screening zone in the new extension?

I'm not so concerned by the pre-fab section, it's the walk through the bus shelter from higher numbered stands that can be a bit depressing, especially when arriving in the wee small hours of the morning. The last time I made the walk of shame it felt like it went on forever, and probably stuck in my mind as an airport experience more than the departure.

How can the floor replaced? As far as I know, this being a bus shelter type walkway, and a temporary building requiring no planning approval, the floor is the apron surface. There's a limit to what you can do to a building that was nothing more than a means to keep passengers dry and to a lesser degree, less windswept.

I'm not sure, maybe a temporary structure similar to those used on some railway platforms to raise the height (known as Harrington Humps). But it's very uneven, can get damp and even accumulate puddles which just adds to the already grim feeling of the walkway on arrival. Maybe it won't be so bad once the extension is open as the time spent in it will be significantly reduced, but even a splash of paint / wraps to add a bit of colour and light would certainly help.

 

[Aviador]

Personally I think they should just get rid of the shelter and make people walk in the elements. They'll appreciate the warms of the new building when they arrive indoors.

 

[Len Fish]

Or keep the building unheated as they’ll be acclimatised to the cold and wet by the time they get indoors. Don’t want to be spoiling them with warmth!

 

[White Heather]

Or keep the building unheated as they’ll be acclimatised to the cold and wet by the time they get indoors. Don’t want to be spoiling them with warmth!

You can't heat a bus shelter that isn't even sealed from the elements. Hopefully, in most instances, walking through it back to the terminal will be replaced by a bus, and it will be outbound passengers only. That will also avoid hold ups boarding, as previously, boarding through the walkway couldn't commence if there were inbound pax in the walkway heading into the terminal. The two aren't allowed to meet or pass.

 

[Cookridge resident]

Anyone know where the first bathroom facilities will be after arriving at the new terminal?
Previously, after a long wait to get through immigration, I was often caught in a stampede to get to those in baggage collection area.

 

[White Heather]

Anyone know where the first bathroom facilities will be after arriving at the new terminal?
Previously, after a long wait to get through immigration, I was often caught in a stampede to get to those in baggage collection area.

Looks to be as soon as you clear immigration, on the right as you enter baggage reclaim.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Anyone know where the first bathroom facilities will be after arriving at the new terminal?
Previously, after a long wait to get through immigration, I was often caught in a stampede to get to those in baggage collection area.

After a R14 landing toilet facilities will be most welcome!

 

[B737]

Anyone know where the first bathroom facilities will be after arriving at the new terminal?
Previously, after a long wait to get through immigration, I was often caught in a stampede to get to those in baggage collection area.

There are a small number toilets before immigration. They are located in the arrivals corridor either side of the immigration hall. There are then more toilets in the baggage hall after the border.

I’ve walked through the remaining portion of the covered walkway (bus shelter) several times and it is that short that it really isn’t a big deal, but I will look forward to its eventual demise. For further clarification, the newly constructed link bridge to the covered walkway contains 3 corridors. 2 for outbound passengers and 1 for arrivals.

When the extension first opens, only 3 of the baggage carousels will be in operation. Baggage belt 4 will not be working as it blocked in a little by some temporary border force offices. The fifth baggage belt won’t be completed until some point during phase 2.

 

[SierraHotel]

Has it been confirmed when exactly the current baggage reclaim area will be decommissioned? Will it remain useable whilst only 3 belts are initially available within the new building?

 

[Aviador]

Has it been confirmed when exactly the current baggage reclaim area will be decommissioned? Will it remain useable whilst only 3 belts are initially available within the new building?

No, initially when the new building opens when only 3 baggage carousels will be available, it will still provide more capacity than the current baggage hall. The new facility will eventually provide 77% more capacity in total.

It wouldn't be possible to operate with both baggage halls anyway unless immigration were prepared to man both side when is highly unlikely.

 

[White Heather]

No, initially when the new building opens when only 3 baggage carousels will be available it will still provide more capacity than the current baggage hall. The new facility will eventually provide 77% more capacity in total.

It wouldn't be possible to operate with both baggage halls anyway unless immigration were prepared to man both side when is highly unlikely.

The old baggage reclaim hall will very quickly become a building site once the extension opens, as its stripped out ready for the installation of the new security screening zone.

 

[Aviador]

The LBA patterned graphics have been erected and is looking very nice indeed. I was driving passed so didn't have the opportunity to take a photo.

 

[AndyL]

Managed to get a photo yesterday

….and also the bridge!