Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[Aviador]

I wasn't aware KLM were expanding in the winter

Sorry my fault, that's March isn't it so that means we're up by approximately 29 departures per week over last winter.

 

[Aviador]

Maybe White Heather knows the answer to this question.
How much profit have Bridgepoint collected since they took over? Assuming they have made a profit.

Good question and I think we'd all like to know the answer to that one. leasantry:

 

[User0001]

Maybe White Heather knows the answer to this question.
How much profit have Bridgepoint collected since they took over? Assuming they have made a profit.

I don't believe the airport is generating an operating profit. Cash generation may be different once you take out non-cash items, but likely to be cash negative as well given the spend they've made on fixing things (drainage for example was £5m) + the forecourt. Manchester Airports Group is currently cash negative, despite making a profit.

Worth pointing out though that Bridgepoint are looking for the profit on sale, rather than an annual operating profit per se. The best anology I can give is to imagine you buy a house for 150,000 which is run down, but in a great area. You spend 50,000 improving it, which takes 2 years, during which time you are also paying the interest on the mortgage you used to buy the house. Looks grim on a 'profit and loss' basis each month, but sell the house for 300,000 after 3 years and you realise a large gain. That's what bridgepoint "do". Had the recession not hit, they would be close to moving to selling it on now - 4 to 5 years is their typical turnaround

 

[White Heather]

wawkrk wrote:

'Maybe White Heather knows the answer to this question.
How much profit have Bridgepoint collected since they took over? Assuming they have made a profit.'

Sorry, that is not the sort of information provided at the Consultative Committee, and I am sure Bridgepoint would view it as Commercial In Confidence.

As for them selling the airport on again within 4 to 5 years - that may be the timespan they use for some businesses, but they held on to Birmingham for longer than that and they know that to maximise their profit at LBA they need to invest just enough to ensure that the airport grows rapidly and becomes more attractive to potential buyers. They haven't even begun yet and I suspect that in the case of LBA they were looking at at 10 years rather than 4 or 5. They must have known that it would take time to obtain the necessary planning consents to do the terminal and the job itself will take 18 months, so 4 or 5 years is insufficient to do anything significant.

 

[wawkrk]

Am I wrong in thinking that the airport was making about 2 million a year profit when council owned? Or is that not correct.
I used to receive copies of the financial report in the past but the details escape me.
It all seems to be depressingly slow.One has to wonder, will it ever happen.
Next Summer in the terminal is going to be a mega disaster.
Heather, would you say all the delays have been caused by Leeds City Council, or, has there been some feet dragging by Bridgepoint.

 

[Galaxy]

Why do LBIA only charge airlines £1.50 per passenger, when other airports charge much more, many charge double that amount?

 

[Aviador]

Am I wrong in thinking that the airport was making about 2 million a year profit when council owned? Or is that not correct.

I seem to remember reading those glossy copies of the airports financial report. I am sure you are right. The figure of 2m was after tax. The airport did have more business traffic then than it does now though. Having said that, the airport didn't make any money from passenger pick-up and drop-off points back then so I would think a healthy profit is still being made.

 

[White Heather]

Yes I think they were making a profit when the council owned the airport, but at the time they were not exactly investing heavily in the infrastructure.

In my view, I do not consider that the delay in starting is excessive, although I am concerned that to date they have not announce when it will start. I work as a project manager myself, so I know only too well what is involved, although I tend to deal with projects on a smaller scale of up to £1m. Even so, the same issues apply. There was undoubtedly a long delay caused by the council, and if you remember they deferred the planning application at least once. Once they gave consent it was subject to the airport putting forward a plan for increasing public transport use, which then took time to pull together with the likes of METRO. Once consent was given in full, only then could the airport really start to pull together the plans properly and I have little doubt the designers would then have had to move beyond the building design and start on the drainage and sewage design, both of which would then probably require consent from the Environment Agency, and of course they may have sought some revision to the proposals. Then there is the Mechanical and Electrical design to do as well (Air Conditioning, Lighting etc), and when all the building/M&E designs are done, then it has to go out to tender, which always takes at least 8 weeks for a project this size. The chosen contractor then has to work up a schedule of works, and put together an extensive Health and Safety Plan, and in this case, discuss at length with the airport and architect to work out how best to do it without turning the airport into a state of chaos at the same time, and of course crucial to this is the right time to start. Commence in winter and you run the risk of weather related delays during the earth workings. Start in summer and its the busy season and causes most disruption. They have to get this right.

Throw into the equation the downturn (for a while at least) in passenger numbers, which would have certainly brought the question of delaying the project into consideration at least, and it is easy to see why there can be a long delay between actually getting consent and starting on site.

I have little doubt that given the arrival of Ryanair and now Easyjet becoming a possibly player in the future, and Jet2 maintaining their operation at Leeds at roughly the same level, the Bridgepoint board may now feel confident enough to splash the cash and commit to the terminal, and I would be disappointed if they haven't actually started by the time next spring arrives.

 

[ls27]

With regards to the Environment Issue for the main drainage, Leeds City Council put in a 72 inch drainage pipe many years ago. This was supposedly for expansion at LBA. This was done at least ten years ago,and runs through the fields to the A660,from a point opposite the teminal builing.

 

[Aviador]

With regards to the Environment Issue for the main drainage, Leeds City Council put in a 72 inch drainage pipe many years ago. This was supposedly for expansion at LBA. This was done at least ten years ago,and runs through the fields to the A660,from a point opposite the teminal builing.

I recall this too. I would say it was done about eight years ago. The local rags even carried a story about it saying the airport was putting in place the ground works to enable significant expansion of the airport.

On another note has anyone seen the new Easyjet banner above the airport tunnel?

 

[paul.smith]

Hello . Been member long time, but never posted because don't have too much new info as i don't work at the airport.

Flew Ryanair Limgoes last wednesday am. Security was very nice surprise, no queue, on time flight.

Nowhere to sit in departures but i expected that at 6 40am

Coming back yesterday flight landed 5 early at approx 16.00. Twenty five minutes later we were finaly allowed off the aircract apparently because we had to wait for the Jet2 757 at the side of us to finish boarding. Can anyone explain why.? we had stairs at front and rear door ages before we were allowed off. Surely MOL wont be impressed if this were to happen regularly.

 

[White Heather]

Hi Paul

Knowing MOL, I don't think he would be too bothered as long as the aircraft wasn't delayed going out as a result. I would imagine that the reason you were kept on board would be that the airport do not want passengers who are heading back into the terminal, getting mixed up with those heading out to board the 757. Of course, that could be avoided by using the buses to de-plane your FR flight - and the use of the buses is something we have been discussing on here only recently.

 

[paul.smith]

Thanks for reply. Next flight was delayed as the 25 min turn round was spent waiting to get off. But as i sayu cheers for post.

 

[Aviador]

Hi Paul Smith, thanks for posting!

To answer your question, the DfT don't allow the crossing of passengers when boarding and/or disembarking from flights because it's considered a security risk.

 

[pilot_737]

This is part of the reason why Ryanair want to use stands 8 and 9 only!
When i worked at servisair the company charged the airport every time they operated one of their buses. I wondered why many weren't used, and it was all down to the airport not wanting us to excessively use them when they were not needed or they wouldn't pay up!

 

[WYIA]

Not mixing passengers. what a joke. Most airports in the world let outbound and inbound pax mix without an issue. how on earth can they say its a security risk. a bus should have been used its a joke!

 

[wawkrk]

WYIA
I agree with you. This is a typical LBA weird policy where they have to be different from normal airports.
Just look at at Amsterdam.

 

[Aviador]

Amsterdam is really not a good example. There has been numerous security incidents in the press since last Christmas regarding Amsterdam Schiphol.

If inbound and outbound passengers were allowed to mix you risk letting passengers who have checked-in baggage leave the airport via the arrivals area. The departing passenger would have already been counted as having boarded their flight and yet they could then simply leave the airport by joining a queue of arriving passengers. I know airlines do a head count before departure but mistakes can and do happen.

 

[wawkrk]

Sorry Aviador, I don't understand your explanation.I can't grasp what you mean.

 

[White Heather]

If the Dof T will not allow passengers to cross for security reasons, we should surely NOT be criticising LBA (again!!) for complying with directives. We should instead be criticising airports that flout the rules and put lives at risk. If there wasn't a risk, the directive would not be there surely?? And Amsterdam is not controlled by the Dof T so how can we compare the two anyway?

I still say though that unloading the FR pax on to a couple of the available buses would avoid the issue, although no doubt somebody has to pay for that pleasure and I am sure Ryanair wouldn't do so. The few buses available might also have been in use on other flights on more distant stands, which does make sense.

What might sort the problem is a covered walkway along the edge of the apron, split down the middle by a screen so that inbound and outbound pax cannot mix, and with a further walkway jutting out at 90degrees out to each stand. Passengers could then walk in relative comfort to their aircraft without getting soaked and without a security risk. Since the walkway is split, it would be possible to unload passengers on one stand whilst loading them on an adjacent stand. Simples!!