Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[Aviador]

You only have to look at what Jet2 did at Leeds to realise my point. I understand what you say regarding long haul but that is a very broad term. If you mean niche flights to far flung destinations then yes I agree. If you want to include an Emirates, Etihad or Turkish type service then I disagree and I only within the last few weeks Turkish Airlines has said LBA is on the list. Arguably Istanbul isn't a long haul destination but it would essentially provide the same type of service as the big Middle Eastern airlines.

 

[HX3]

I hope you are right with regard to Turkish, Emirates et al, but being on a list and having aspirations to serve LBA, are different to the realities of planes on the apron. However, hopefully the catchment area of the Leeds-Bradford region, strong diaspora links and many areas of affluence with propensity to travel will bode well for our airport in the near future. It would be very welcome to see new airlines and destinations served from our airport

 

[a300boy]

Turkish have just added a third daily service to Istanbul from Manchester next year I believe so I doubt Lba will see them for some time.
When Jet 2 and Ryanair came along we could offer seats at a similar price to Manchester but from what I am told since Wizz Air set up at Doncaster and Jet 2 stopped offering the cheaper seats it would seem Yorkshire locals are happy to travel to these airports to save money.
I accept this has always happened but it plays into the hands of our local political opponents who see this as the best way forward it would seem.

 

[Seasider]

Whilst "Yorkshire folk" are still prepared to travel the M62/M1 the airlines will put on extra flights where they already operate as with Turkish.
What would be the cost of adding an to extra flight on an already operating route compared to setting up a new route and the risk in that.
Members keep saying we have the catchment area, but too many of them are travelling to other airports.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

To clarify, it isn't Turkish Airlines that has LBA and other UK airports on its radar, it's Istanbul Airport. If an LBA route to Istanbul did come about the carrier might well be Turkish Airlines but at the moment, according to the Simple Flying report, the prime mover would be Turkey's largest airport.

 

[White Heather]

Whilst "Yorkshire folk" are still prepared to travel the M62/M1 the airlines will put on extra flights where they already operate as with Turkish.
What would be the cost of adding an to extra flight on an already operating route compared to setting up a new route and the risk in that.
Members keep saying we have the catchment area, but too many of them are travelling to other airports.

It's a chicken and egg situation. If airlines fly from MAN, passengers go there. If there is more demand, then the airline's increase flights. Yorkshire passengers wanting to fly to Istanbul have no choice but to go to MAN or other airports

If an airline, especially Turkish, opted to put on a flight from LBA, then the odds are that provided fares are competitive, people from these parts would start to fly via LBA and if that demand grew, then the flight options at LBA would grow too.

It just takes one airline to take the plunge and they could be on to a winner. LBA need to work with Istanbul airport to provide the financial encouragement to make that first move and introduce those first flights. They can certainly demonstrate the demand is there.

 

[Finger66]

You are absolutely right WH. Jet2 took the plunge and look where they are now. Back in the late 80s Capital did the same. They were going from strength to strength until their parent company failed. We know BA could have done better on LHR with better timed flights. Vueling and SAS were short lived at LBA due poor timings. So if fares and schedules are right, with the catchment area LBA has, there is no real reason why Istanbul, along with many others, cannot survive. It is criminal we don’t have regular flights to Western Europe, other than Amsterdam. We need Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich as an absolute minimum but they really need the relevant hub carrier, or someone on a code-share. Why can’t someone wake up and smell the coffee here!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Airlines wont just come of course. The airport has to attract them and I cant help thinking the team responsible for this are sitting on their hands or at very least not making the right noises in the right places.

 

[SNOWMAN]

spot on there yorkie its always been same,i think LBAs get up and go has got up and gone.

sm1

 

[airforced]

Vueling and SAS were short lived at LBA due poor timings.

Theyere both rather too expensive aswell. A new terminal would help get those new routes too.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Airlines wont just come of course. The airport has to attract them and I cant help thinking the team responsible for this are sitting on their hands or at very least not making the right noises in the right places.

Exactly it makes me wonder what the team responsible for attracting new airlines and routes are up to! Ok fair enough we have poor infrastructure and MAN over the hill, but MAN is over the hill in a different county and a 1.5hr drive to get to MAN airport, we are in west yorkshire here, the 4th largest populated area with 2 of the biggest cities in the uk, its not norfolk or cumbria for goodness sake! Even with our s***** airport at present we should be doing better, heck of a lot better.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Exactly it makes me wonder what the team responsible for attracting new airlines and routes are up to! Ok fair enough we have poor infrastructure and MAN over the hill, but MAN is over the hill in a different county and a 1.5hr drive to get to MAN airport, we are in west yorkshire here, the 4th largest populated area with 2 of the biggest cities in the uk, its not norfolk or cumbria for goodness sake! Even with our s***** airport at present we should be doing better, heck of a lot better.

Absolutely, maybe the development teams heart isnt in the job? Having said that I assume they are being well paid to produce results so on what basis they retain their jobs Im not sure.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Absolutely, maybe the development teams heart isnt in the job? Having said that I assume they are being well paid to produce results so on what basis they retain their jobs Im not sure.

There is certainly one or two on here inc yourself who would do a very good job in that roll, that im sure of!

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

My two cents on the Turkish Airlines and Istanbul situation:

1) Fleet availability is probably up there. I get that there is 88 further A321NEOS to come, 47 Max 8s and 9 Max 9s (144 narrow bodies) but there are 6 A319's which are probably going to be replaced. Plus any other fleet replacements they are going to make with these aircraft making routes even more profitable by reducing the expenses.
2) Cargo. MAN is a huge cargo hub, something which LBA lacks, therefore cargo demand is something which must be considered. If Turkish Airlines clearly believe that they shift more cargo into MAN from IST and the connections then they will add that extra flight. Of course that's not to say that passengers do not benefit, ultimately they do. And it probably is timed to ensure both cargo and passengers connections are beneficial. But the main reason it's operating will be cargo with additional revenue made through passengers.

Just a few thoughts .... Cargo is something we are LBA don't do. Unless it's by haulage.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

The airport have not, for as long as I can remember (1978) had any interest in cargo. In any case its passenger traffic that leads and cargo follows. The only way I can see the airport sitting up and taking notice is if an airline schedules in a wide body type.

 

[White Heather]

The airport have not, for as long as I can remember (1978) had any interest in cargo. In any case its passenger traffic that leads and cargo follows. The only way I can see the airport sitting up and taking notice is if an airline schedules in a wide body type.

The airport is too remote from the motorway network to be successful with cargo. It used to handle cargo on the PIA flights but nothing much after that and we dont even have a freight handling agent at LBA now, although I know they have approached companies without success.

 

[Finger66]

Quite freightful in all honesty!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

The airport is too remote from the motorway network to be successful with cargo. It used to handle cargo on the PIA flights but nothing much after that and we dont even have a freight handling agent at LBA now, although I know they have approached companies without success.

I had meetings with the airport management at that time. Believe me they had no understanding of freight operations at any level of management. It was very disappointing.

The fact is though any wide body operator will insist on a fully functioning customs transit shed as they will rely on cargo revenue to maximise the services profitability. They really need to get their act together. They need a plan ready to be actioned at short notice as/when a wide body operator starts a service.

I offered them the benefit of my experience but they were basically uninterested.

As far as distance from the motorway is concerned its not really an issue, especially if freight is being flown in and being distributed after customs clearance.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

There is certainly one or two on here inc yourself who would do a very good job in that roll, that im sure of!

I think some belief in the airport and passion is required.

 

[CM.]

I think some belief in the airport and passion is required.

Which I believe most forums members have if they were to run LBA.

As far as distance from the motorway is concerned its not really an issue, especially if freight is being flown in and being distributed after customs clearance.

It would be ideal for a motorway to be nearby as you have to think about how the freight is being distributed around the UK. EMA as an example is a convenient place as it’s situated to the longest motorway in the UK the M1 and makes it easier for the lorry drivers to get to their destinations. Whereas LBA is in the countryside so can’t see it as being appealing to freight companies.