Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[cmj]

I wonder if this funding could be the catalyst in getting someone to re-start a Brussels route from LBA??

It's been a gap since BMI dropped it, but who could take it on? Brussels Airlines / FlyBe perhaps? Other than that, I guess one of the low-cost carriers could try to Charleroi.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's been a gap since BMI dropped it, but who could take it on? Brussels Airlines / FlyBe perhaps? Other than that, I guess one of the low-cost carriers could try to Charleroi.

Still a lot of confusion as to which airports will be eligible for help from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. See the first link below for example which appears to negate what Osborne said in the Budget about LPL and LBA, neither of which would actually be eligible if the Treasury spokesman mentioned in this report is correct. If he is what a prat Osborne was for giving these examples in his Budget. But then he's a politician.......................

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north- ... ut-6867346

These are the European Commision guideline around which the new fund will have to operate.

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/publica ... 002_en.pdf

 

[White Heather]

Yes I thought that too Local Yokel. He specifically mentions helping Liverpool, Leeds and Inverness, and then when you read the small print, both Liverpool and Leeds have passenger numbers which exceed the limits. There is a suggestion that airports with more passengers will be able to bid for money in exceptional circumstances, but I doubt Liverpool or Leeds would be able to make much of a case for that. Tony Hallwood (LBA Director) is quoted as saying it could make all the difference to LBA, but you wonder if he has read the small print yet. It could be a lot of work putting in bids only to be refused. Good job the decision isn't made by the Football League though as anything with Leeds in the name would be a certain refusal.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi all
just noticed the Humberside sas to cph is not bookable from 7april to 24oct.
regards
smi

 

[lbaspotter]

hi all
just noticed the Humberside sas to cph is not bookable from 7april to 24oct.
regards
smi

Yep I understand the CPH-HUY route has been dropped by SAS. Its a shame but looking at the stats the route only carried 1,734 passengers between October 28th 2013 & February 28th, 2014. That works out at an average load of 26% based on a 5x weekly CRJ200 service...

Lets just hope SAS see better figures for the New LBA-CPH 2x weekly CRJ900 service which starts next Monday. Otherwise I suspect it will go down the same way.......

 

[scousefowler]

So, does anybody know of the investment plans in the infrastructure at LBA this year??

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Yes I thought that too Local Yokel. He specifically mentions helping Liverpool, Leeds and Inverness, and then when you read the small print, both Liverpool and Leeds have passenger numbers which exceed the limits. There is a suggestion that airports with more passengers will be able to bid for money in exceptional circumstances, but I doubt Liverpool or Leeds would be able to make much of a case for that. Tony Hallwood (LBA Director) is quoted as saying it could make all the difference to LBA, but you wonder if he has read the small print yet. It could be a lot of work putting in bids only to be refused. Good job the decision isn't made by the Football League though as anything with Leeds in the name would be a certain refusal.

Whilst the EC guidelines are the product of the EU as a whole the Regional Air Connectivity Fund, or rather the extension of it to include route start-ups not connected with the original idea of assisting those UK areas beyond HS 2, is in some ways a surprising initiative for the Conservatives to embrace as it could easily result in private sector success being punished and mediocre public sector performance rewarded.

An airport such as LBA has been extremely successful in recent years and because of this enterprise has pushed itself above the annual passenger limit that would have permitted it to apply for a share of the connectivity fund.

Contrast this with airports at Cardiff and Prestwick that have performed so badly for a number of years that they have been nationalised, and are likely to remain a drag on the public purse for the forseeable future. However, their tardy record allows them a place at the publicly supported gravy bowl into which they can dip their snouts.

So they win twice - possibly three times. First, they were effectively saved by the tax payer using a substantial amount of public funds which will continue to be supplied to keep them solvent; second they can now put themselves in line for even more tax payers' money from the connectivity fund operated by the UK government; third, there seems nothing to prevent the Welsh and Scottish governments supplying yet more money from their own budgets to create yet more start-up routes.

One wonders what the owners of well-run, successful and profitable airports will think when they see mediocrity elsewhere rewarded in this way. Some overseas groups have invested considerable sums in UK airports and the public assistance that such under achieving airports are likely to be given could well distort markets to the disadvantage of those very same privately-owned airports that have helped themselves to succeed.

It's a bit of a rum one and I wonder if the Tories would have gone down this path quite so emphatically had they been in government solely on their own account.

 

[john2408]

The HUY/CPH flights by SAS have only been suspended, and will restart at 6 flights per week from the end of October, when the building begins on Siemens Wind Turbine factory in Hull.

 

[Planecrazy]

Having just watched the documentary Mayday: The Passenger Who Landed A Plane I found it quite incredible how the 70 year old gentleman with no flying experience managed to land the plane at night. After having his friend and pilot unfortunately die at the controls of the small aircraft he and no choice but to take control of the aircraft and radio to atc for help. Its unimaginable how the man must of felt and some how manged to get the plane down without any of his controls being illuminated and being guided almost blind by atc. After numerous attempts and aborted landings the 70 year old gentalman managed to get the plane safely on the ground all be it with a very bumpy landing and slighty excursion on to be grass. A worth while television program to watch may I add. Im left wondering if I should take flying lessons.

 

[Aviador]

I wanted to watch that, was it on Channel 4?

 

[LBA787]

I wanted to watch that, was it on Channel 4?

Yea it was on Channel 4 Aviador.

Hats off to the guy!! :hatsoff:

:crazy:

 

[lbaspotter]

The Yorkshire Evening post has carried the following article this evening regarding Leeds/Bradford and Le Tour, Interesting part to note is that Tony Hallwood is quoted as saying that KLM and Jet2 are adding extra services whilst it looks like they will be some inbound charter flights from France as well.

Source: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... -1-6529421

Airport flying the flag for colourful welcome

Leeds Bradford Airport are going yellow for the Tour de France with the help of the RHS.

Published on the 29 March 2014

International stars and excited spectators will be given a bright yellow Yorkshire welcome to the county this summer.

Passengers jetting into Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) on their way to watching the Tour de France Grand Depart on July 5 and 6, will see specially-arranged yellow floral displays inspired by the iconic race beckon them into God’s Own County.

Airport staff will also be dressing up for the YEP’s Wear it Yellow Day on July 3, where individuals are encouraged to don yellow and donate £1 each to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The colourful push comes as we urge people to get involved in our vibrant #yellowyorkshire campaign, which asks readers to send in their yellow pictures and stories to embrace Le Tour’s landmark visit.

Tony Hallwood, LBA’s marketing director, said: “The Leeds Bradford team is getting into the Tour de France spirit and preparing to turn the airport yellow to celebrate this fantastic event coming to Yorkshire.”

Extra flights are expected to be scheduled from France, while carriers including KLM and Jet2.com are increasing services to Leeds in time for Le Tour.

LBA’s new floral displays are being designed with help from RHS Garden Harlow Carr. The RHS, Sygenta and Welcome to Yorkshire recently gave 240 schools on the stage route yellow flower seeds.

To get involved in #yellowyorkshire tweet @leedsnews, post on http://www.facebook.com/yep.newspaper or visit http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/tdf.

 

[Galaxy]

Has the Ant & Dec story for this Saturday made it onto the board yet? Presumably it has, but if it hasn't let me know and I'll say what I've heard. Sorry if this is very old news, but I don't watch much TV.

 

[48vanman]

I can't believe that with the huge amount of PR the airport is going to get from tonight's Monarch Ant n Dec Orlando flight, there is no mention of it on either the airport website or Facebook page.Clueless is a word that spring to mind.

 

[Aviador]

I thought that initially but if you imagine the chaos it would cause if they announced it on the LBA website, Facebook and Twitter etc. I remember when Real Radio did the "Real Radio Renegade" promotion and the airport was inundated with hundreds of cars descending on the place bringing the entire operation to a standstill for 30-40 minutes.

We've a thread open for the event...
topic2688-10.html

 

[48vanman]

Thanks for that Aviador,yeah that's probably the reason why no mention of it,doh!.

 

[a300boy]

Anyone know if the Orlando flight is coming back to Lbia and if so when ?

 

[lbaspotter]

Anyone know if the Orlando flight is coming back to Lbia and if so when ?

Its due back into Leeds on next Saturday morning ETA 05:00.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Call for vow of support for Leeds Bradford Airport

2:29pm Friday 4th April 2014 in News Ilkley Gazette: Photograph of the Author By Annette McIntyre, Reporter

A councillor has called for a pledge of support for Leeds Bradford Airport to end doubt about its future.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ryk Downes, who represents Otley and Yeadon, called for a vote of confidence from Leeds City Council after previous comments, which he says have thrown the future of the airport into jeopardy.

Read more: http://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/111 ... ?ref=var_0[/textarea]

 

[User0001]

As I predicted a few months ago the airport is now starting to contract. If you stand still you go backwards in aviation terms.
In the many years since Bridgepoint bought the airport we have had alterations to the internallayout of the original terminal and a weather shelter built. If this had been shown on the masterplan as the only work they would be done in the subsequent years since the airport's purchase we would all be up in arms.
Serious questions need to be asked of Bridgepoint. Are they capable of doing what they promised all those years ago of expanding the infrastructure of the airport while at the same time being financially able to offer deals to the airlines for growth and stopping them heading off to other competing airports?