Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[lbaspotter]

The Airport's CEO David Laws was interviewed and took some listeners questions on yesterday mornings BBC Radio York Jonothan Cowap's show. He also talks about the new owners AMP Capital and securing a new service to Islamabad and hopefully if he can Orlando

Check it out on BBC Radio York I-Player page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05hc6vf It starts from about the 1 hour 15 min mark.

 

[White Heather]

Excellent interview. The more I listen to David Laws, the more impressed I am with his attitude. I really think that we may be about to see some real changes at the airport - he has said as much in the interview, although some will take a couple of years to implement. Interesting that he has stated that he intends to 'flip' the terminal in relation to where security and baggage re-claim are.

 

[White Heather]

Probably needs discussing in the infrastructure and development thread but can anyone elaborate on what is meant by flipping the terminal? This is for the stupi ones like me to understand it better.
It sounds like interesting times.

It means changing round where things are to provide more space where needed and having the right facilities in the right parts of the terminal. So for example, if they moved baggage reclaim and passport control down to where security scanning is now, closer to the majority of the aircraft, it would remove the need to walk upstairs and the length of the building, only to go back down again. It would also mean passengers arriving would leave the terminal at the opposite end of the building to where most arrive, reducing conflicting foot traffic at the main entrance as there is now. Similarly, if security scanning moved to the other end of the terminal, it would be closer to the check in halls and the departure lounges. Hopefully, whatever they do, it will be enabled with the terminal extension finally being built. They always said it would happen when they hit 4m pax. Well they just have!

 

[airforced]

What welcome news. Flipping them makes absolute sense and will make the whole experience much, much better. I hope it is something that isn't just on a wishlist but a project for implementing asap.

 

[Finger66]

Well if such rectifications/developments have been identified in the short period of time Mr Laws has been with us then who knows what can be achieved in the years ahead with a proper project plan. There seems to be lots of positivity around just now and long may that continue

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

I loved his enthusiasm and passion. He knows the faults, willing to admit them and it sounds optimistic that he is willing to put together a plan for transformation. Looks like he has different time scales for different projects within the airport which again sounds good. Just a couple of things:

• The arrivals and security swap. This will make the foot traffic a lot easier to manage especially in the peak period between 12pm and 4pm. Few questions logistically speaking: 1)Will they extend the walkway and make it as a 'proper building' thus putting gates on the 1st floor with stairs/lifts/airbridge to the aircraft with arrivals been on the ground floor walking into the 'old' security? 2)Will the ground floor of the departures completely be blocked in and used for the arrivals process? Baggage hall etc? and where would the arrivals baggage hall be located? How would that be incorporated with the airside road layout? 3)Departures, i'm guessing would head through what is the automatic doors now into a much bigger security area with the escalators/stairs going back through the 'arrivals' flow. A re-designed and located duty free etc and into the gates are. 4)This i imagine would be done WITH an extension to the front of the airport?

• He mentioned that 73% of the network was covered from the Monarch collapse. I wonder who/how the other 27% would be covered and what is it?
• Mentioned a long haul link which is fantastic but then mentioned that he was trying to get the Pakistan link back too. Imo if he is trying to get someone like EK/QR into the airport which is great i would say that the transfer traffic will go through them rather than us having both.
• He also mentioned Orlando and other long haul links so optimistic. Just wonder who would provide those?

 

[Finger66]

Well for those that haven't so far joined in but would like to do so, Saturday 1pm at the Multiflight cafe is the next unofficial gathering. Usually until about 4 ish although I won't be able to stay that long this week. Also not around for the next 1 on 11Nov. Would be good to see some new faces or even put faces to forum names

 

[lbaspotter]

Well for those that haven't so far joined in but would like to do so, Saturday 1pm at the Multiflight cafe is the next unofficial gathering. Usually until about 4 ish although I won't be able to stay that long this week. Also not around for the next 1 on 11Nov. Would be good to see some new faces or even put faces to forum names

Finger66 seems our routes never pass.. As I wont be able to make it myself again this Saturday as I'll be busy just down road working, Might be up day after if the Sunday gang is about? Hopefully I'll catch up with rest of you all in a fortnights time....

 

[Finger66]

I think I will be nursing a hangover on Sunday so unlikely to manage that but stranger things have happened. It is work getting in the way for me in 2 weeks time too. I am sure there is time for a catch up soon

 

[lbaspotter]

The LBA Spotters.Net in association with Forum4Airports Leeds/Bradford Airport winter 2017/18 timetable should be released for sale in next few days.

Will update and let you know when it's available to buy.

 

[lbaspotter]

Okay as promised here it is:

LBAspotters in Association with Forums4Airports - Leeds/Bradford Airport Winter 2017/18 Timetable is now on sale for just £2.50p. Contains 20 pages which gives details of all planned Schedule & Charter flights.

It can be purchased online using the following link. http://lbaspotters.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Just returned from PMI. The arrivals process is now so much simpler they've got rid of the walking in and it's all buses. Fantastic way of controlling the flow of people into the baggage hall and ensuring it doesn't overflow like it used to when i worked there. But i was off-peak and was probably the last international arrival for a couple of hours.

Still fantastic, was out for 4 after landing at 3:30 and home by 4:20 - cannot complain.

 

[tleeds]

We landed yesterday from AGP and from a passengers point of view for once, the airport is a little slow.

10minute wait for the buses.
Queue as far back as the escalator for immigration.
Additional 5 minute wait for luggage to process on the belt.

We landed at 1400 roughly I believe. It wasn’t until 1445 that we left the airport.
It wasn’t the biggest queue I’ve experienced at any airport but I can see why people do moan! Immigration the biggest wait yesterday for us around 15/20minutes.

6 desks is not enough for thousands of passengers a day all roughly landing at the same peak times. That’s if all 6 are manned

What worried me more was that a Ryanair had just landed before us, and Airport Ops we’re driving the buses not Swissport so only 2 buses. Another Ryanair landed as we disembarked and the Sunwing and another Jet2 arrived in quick succession. Just can’t help it’s pot luck on if you land first you’re ok.

 

[Britannia94]

When it is busy you will have up 5 buses operating, you wouldn’t think it though but the buses do literally just appear out of the woodwork. Two will be driven by swissport and the others by airport operations, between them they will work out who is going to who, with it worked on a first come, first served basis.

 

[lbaspotter]

Another interesting Interview with the Airports CEO David Laws has just been published on the West & North Yorkshire Business website. This article is mainly aimed at the business sector, it really does look like his trying to get Flybe and possibly other airlines to open up new business routes. He also openly admits that the airports infrastructure has to be improved in several places.

See link for details: http://yorkshire-business.co.uk/new-arrivals/

 

[jason1-11]

Spoke to a contact at NCL who has worked with David Laws for many years and was his former boss in the dim and distant past. I was told he was really well respected there, certainly knows his stuff and will get things done, but wont promise what he can’t deliver.

For me, this bodes well for the future of LBA and fills me full of confidence that we may actually start to get an airport the region can be proud of.

 

[Bhowani]

Purely for info, the Hurtigruten Charter on 15th March, which also has a twin flight from Newcastle is effectively booked out as there is only ONE cabin left.
Perhaps there might be a May one if they have any cabins left, as they did when I last went some years ago. Well, well worth the outlay but we'll see how Hurtigruten react to being "sold out" so early - 3 months in fact!

 

[a300boy]

As I am bored today ! Would it be fair to say that Robin Hood now has more operators over a given year than we have at Leeds ?
My list is as follows
Leeds Bradford.
1. Jet 2.
2. Ryanair.
3. Klm.
4. British Airways.
5. FlyBe.
6. Eastern Air [ just ]
7. Stobart Air.
8. Tui [ Summer Only + 1 per week ]
9. Aurigny [ Summer Only ]
10. BH Air.
11. Trade Air.
12. Carpetair.
13. Thomas Cook [ from 2018 ]

Robin Hood.
1. Tui.
2. FlyBe.
3. Wizz Air.
4. Freebird [ Summer Only ]
5. Norwegian [ Summer Only ] 6. Air Europa [ Summer Only ]
7. Thomas Cook [ Summer Only ]
8. Europost [ ASL ] [ Daily Cargo Ops ]
9. Cavok Airlines [ Regular Cargo Ops ]
10. Ukraine Air Alliance [ Regular Cargo Ops ]
11. Avia Cargo [ Regular Cargo Ops ]
12. Singapore Cargo Airlines [ Cargo Ops ]
13. Cargo Jet [ Cargo Ops ]
10 Western Global [ Weekly Cargo Ops ]
15. Motorsich Airlines [ Cargo Ops ]
16. Air Atlanta [ Cargo Ops ]
17. All Nippon Cargo [ Cargo Ops ]
18. Mng Cargo [ Cargo Ops ]
19. Dhl Airlines [ Cargo Ops ]
20. Silkways [ Cargo Ops ]
21. Whoever operates the IL62 [ Cargo Ops ]

Tin Hat on now ! so how many have I missed and is it a fair comparison

 

[twevsmiff]

A few LBA additions:-

Enter Air(Santa charters)
Small Planet(Santa Charters)
Backbone Aviation(Regualr foorball charters)
Air X Malta(Regular football charters)
Ehnance Aero(Regular Catalan, rugby charters)
Germania(Hurtigruten Charters)

 

[lbaspotter]

Okay you listed Stobart Air but what about Aer Lingus...

And if we wanted to be really picky we could add all the Codeshare partners that put the own flight codes on KLM, Aer Lingus and British Airways flights.