Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[Aviador]

Welcome to Forums4airports Finger66.

 

[Finger66]

Thanks Aviador

Been a member for a little while now and posted on a few other LBA threads. Always been a great supporter of LBA, initially as a child and a hobby but now very much as part of my job role in Business Travel.

Like everyone else I would love to see LBA with more than it has but if someone had told me back in 1979 that I would see LBA process 3.5m pax p.a in my lifetime I would have laughed at them. Hence why I say lets really support what we have got and accept that any progress, however small, is an improvement.

LBA will never be a MAN but it out does most of the other regional airports in the north.

We have an airport to be proud of, so let's be so!

 

[Aviador]

It's clearly my weekend for having a rant about doom and gloom. As has been posted elsewhere losing Vueling is not a disaster. Yes it's disappointing from a variety point of view but as has also been clearly pointed out BCN/GRO/REU are more than adequately served by other carriers. We need airlines to open up new routes not already served. Watch out for a tiny addition from Loganair to come but equally don't get too excited. What LBA really needs a based commuter airline and trust me if I had the money I would be in there like a shot. Not going to divulge routes I would consider because I still have hopes the dream will happen.

Passenger numbers continue to rise, not decrease, so how can anyone be critical of what is going on with the airport. Of course it is human nature to always want more, but you youngsters who don't remember the 70's and early 80's would think "wow" if a direct comparison was made to today. The aviation industry in particular is a volatile one so there are bound to be ups and downs, but the ups outweigh the downs.

So once again, can I repeat, let's get behind the airport and the progress it's making, however slow it may appear at least it's progress.

If we can get a BA night stopper (LHR slots and LBA stands permitting) then the LHR figures will go through the roof. This probably has some time to rumble on yet though.

I think that's my rant over for today but would really welcome some comments!​

I am in total agreement on many of the positives you rightly mention and it is great to see passenger numbers continuing to rise at Leeds Bradford Airport. Barcelona as you rightly say is served well by LBA based airlines via GRO REU and BCN.

The point I was making was referring to one of Europe's leading airlines being unable to find its own place on the market despite the mighty IAG marketing machine at the relm.

Nobody has questioned the achievements LBA has made nor have they made unrealistic remarks, this is more about questioning the way forward for LBA after Vueling.

LBA has stated it's desire to attract foreign airlines to plug the gaps in the schedule. I still believe this should be the long term goal but without routes achieving a critical mass to achieve this, the need for foreign airlines will not exist except on unserved routes.

If Vueling is unable to make Barcelona work, it is unlike they will look at other destinations from Leeds. #VuelingleaveLBA

What's the way forward? It's a good question and we are constantly reminded that we have industry professionals in charge at LBA and so we need not worry. This might be the case but I would challenge part of their strategy to expand further. We know many of the routes already served from LBA are hugely underserved from our region and this probably includes Barcelona. I fully support the airports attempt to claw back passengers leaking to other airports, namely Manchester and others too.

The only way to continue to build on this is to allow based operators to expand. Mix the concrete and allow based operators to grow. It will take time but foreign operators will come eventually as they want a slice of the cake.

#LBA #Vueling #Sliceofcake

 

[lbaspotter]

Come it's well known Vueling can't make it work along with a lot of other routes due to been understaffed LBA, NCL and LPL to BCN routes were always going to be the first to go when you MAN as you competitor/next door neighbour.

 

[lbaspotter]

whoshotjimmi maybe you should apply for a job in management at LBA as you seem to know how to cure it's problem and do a better job.

 

[Finger66]

Any foreign airline is going to have a better chance of success by flying an unserved route rather than entering onto a route already served by 3 other carriers. That might have worked over the Pennines but as we have previously said LBA is not and never will be a MAN.

So assuming Extrajet is now a complete non-starter then SN have got to be a target for BRU.

AF on Paris would be great but suspect that's a no go at the risk of diluting KL and AMS. Also there is the "entering a route already served". Albeit poorly by LS.

Germany is a big untapped market with FRA and or MUC an ideal. What we need is a carrier with 50 seat regional jets, not 120 seat Airbus. Too many seats to fill.

If BZ had not gone bust back in 1990 then LBA would be even further ahead if they were still around.

As regards IAG, both BA and EI are doing well albeit a shame about the loss of ORK. Lack of frequency being the issue for the business traveller.

Any airline that enters a business route needs to provide frequency, hence my previous comment re a based commuter airline.

We all know the Loganair MD is an LBA fan and expect to see something not yet served, but as a probable extension of the GLA service.

Jet2 really shook things up at LBA and very much for the better. There are others want a piece of it now they have let someone else test the waters.

Onwards and upwards - that's the common goal we all want

 

[Jerry]

What we need is a carrier with 50 seat regional jets, not 120 seat Airbus. Too many seats to fill.

Flybe, BMI or Eastern may fit that bill or maybe for FRA and MUC Lufthansa Cityline.

 

[Aviador]

Flybe, BMI or Eastern may fit that bill or maybe for FRA and MUC Lufthansa Cityline.

Bernt bridges on two of those. The FRA and MUC option is undertandably unwilling to dilute their Manchester operation.

 

[a300boy]

We are a bucket and spade airport !
Manchester is the business and long haul airport serving our area and it is determined to improve connections across the pennines to encourage yorkshire people to use it.
I have been bombarded with advertising material from them since my trip to Brussels earlier this month.
The so called leakage from Yorkshire has increased in my opinion since Ryanair and Easyjet gained access to Manchester and access to it from our area is £60 and a phone call away.
Continual large increases of routes from Manchester together with increased frequency on existing routes tells you where the airlines want to do their business.
They have little interest in serving another small regional airport in the area.
We can all pontificate as to what could and should happen but with the modest aspirations of the long awaited masterplan, as it stands, we have to be realistic.
At least we have a reasonable choice of short haul holiday destinations which seem to be doing well.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi finger66
you have a pm (i hope)
sm1

 

[jason1-11]

Leeds is the 3rd biggest city in the UK and the business offering is quite frankly appalling. Why are so many of the services offered weighted towards the “bucket and spade, hen / stag party” market?

As stated previously an efficient Regional Jet operator is required to fill the many voids, but with Eastern, Flybe, BMI, Cityjet and Stobart not rushing to base aircraft here, we can only assume Manchester has won hands down yet again. If we look at routes where we do have a half decent service namely Dublin and Amsterdam, they perform very well so why not: Paris, Brussels, Munich, Milan, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hamburg etc.

Reference Loganair, my guess would be a one stop connection to Inverness.

 

[Finger66]

Very interesting final assumption!

Lets hope some of the others materialise some way

 

[White Heather]

It's clearly my weekend for having a rant about doom and gloom. As has been posted elsewhere losing Vueling is not a disaster. Yes it's disappointing from a variety point of view but as has also been clearly pointed out BCN/GRO/REU are more than adequately served by other carriers. We need airlines to open up new routes not already served. Watch out for a tiny addition from Loganair to come but equally don't get too excited. What LBA really needs a based commuter airline and trust me if I had the money I would be in there like a shot. Not going to divulge routes I would consider because I still have hopes the dream will happen.

Passenger numbers continue to rise, not decrease, so how can anyone be critical of what is going on with the airport. Of course it is human nature to always want more, but you youngsters who don't remember the 70's and early 80's would think "wow" if a direct comparison was made to today. The aviation industry in particular is a volatile one so there are bound to be ups and downs, but the ups outweigh the downs.

So once again, can I repeat, let's get behind the airport and the progress it's making, however slow it may appear at least it's progress.

If we can get a BA night stopper (LHR slots and LBA stands permitting) then the LHR figures will go through the roof. This probably has some time to rumble on yet though.

I think that's my rant over for today but would really welcome some comments!​

Can I just point out that I am not Finger 66 writing under another name. It appears that I have someone now, at least, who shares my views. Welcome to the forum Finger 66.

 

[Finger66]

For snowman
Yes, Bluebird Travel and BZ res

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi aviador
thanks for the info
regards
sm1

 

[Seasider]

Can I just point out that I am not Finger 66 writing under another name. It appears that I have someone now, at least, who shares my views. Welcome to the forum Finger 66.

How could we ever think that you would post under another name.

 

[a300boy]

You do not need to White Heather we all know your stance on these matters and respect it !

 

[Aviador]

I think it's fair to say most of us have a decent amount of respect for one another.

 

[Finger66]

I can categorically state that I am definitely not White Heather. Snowman1 has today established who I am as a blast from the past

 

[Aviador]

I can categorically state that I am definitely not White Heather. Snowman1 has today established who I am as a blast from the past

I think we all did ! Did you read your PM conversation?