Airport Consultative Committee [Questions & Responses]

[lbaspotter]

As always White Heather thankyou for the well informed update on all of today's happenings and getting that all important meeting with the airports management.
The feedback you post on here after the meetings is always in detail and very informative to read. It really is much appreciated by myself and I probably can guess for everyone else on here too..

 

[Bigman]

I'll second that. An excellent report...gets a 10 from Len!!! Lots of encouraging stuff.

 

[White Heather]

Thanks guys.

 

[jason1-11]

Thanks White Heather for an excellent report. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall.

I am curious to know what the Management of LBA think of the meteoric rise in passengers at Manchester and the Flybe announcement at Doncaster. Maybe you will be in a position to tell us one day if of course you know and are permitted to say.

Well done once again.

 

[White Heather]

Jason, with regard to MAN, I think they are just determined to pull back as much of the leakage from the LBA catchment area as is possible. With regard to Flybe and DSA - I do know what happened and the management view, but unfortunately it is one of those Commercial in Confidence issues that I am unable to share.

 

[lbaspotter]

White Heather out of curiosity was there any news regarding the new business airline setup ExtraJet?

 

[White Heather]

It was mentioned briefly by Tony Hallwood. Copenhagen was mentioned and Belgium - and he acknowledged the proposal to set up Extrajet and fly to both from LBA. That was the first time I have heard the airport acknowledge Extrajet.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

So....

....when will the terminal be built?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry - I couldn't resist!

What I am interested in though is what was the reaction, if any, to your feedback on customer opinion?

 

[a300boy]

It would seem that you were fairly happy with the information you heard "white heather" so lets hope we continue to grow even at the modest rate we have at present.

 

[SNOWMAN]

They are concerned enough to employ a new Head of Public Relations very soon . And as I suggested above, there are going to be changes in the terminal which will improve things. And the terminal extension ..............well your guess is as good as mine. If they keep adding 5% per summer season, they will need it in the next few years.

hi white heather
head of public relations
that sounds like just the job for you w/h,you are aware of the short comings of L.B.A now.
regards
sm1 :good:

 

[White Heather]

I wish Snowman. I did apply for an assistant PR job there a few years ago and didn't even get an interview. I really cannot imagine they would want someone my age even if I was a PR guru - which I am not.

I have always been aware of LBA's short-comings, and the good things too, and try to keep a balanced view. I tell them both the positive and negative openly and honestly - which is why I had the meeting last week with the MD. I am like everyone else - I would love to see LBA grow at an astonishing rate with huge amounts of investment - but I work in Commercials and I know that these things take time if growth is be in a sustainable way.

 

[White Heather]

Guys, just to let you know that I have today been called to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Consultative Committee, the purpose of which is to go through the Masterplan and Surface Access Strategy. It is scheduled for the 23rd. So it would appear that the release of the masterplan for public consultation must be very close. I am certain that until it has been released for public consultation I will be unable to tell you anything, so don't be too disappointed if you have to wait a little longer to find out what is being planned - or not planned.

 

[lbaspotter]

Well tomorrow is the big day White Heather. Lets hope we hear something really positive coming out from this meeting. I for one will be eagerly waiting for some news if your allowed to share on here, If not I guess we will just have to wait a bit longer for its public release....

 

[jason1-11]

For me it’s all about RATS : Runway, access and Terminal.

If all these items are not addressed in some way then we may just as well throw the towel in now and let Manchester and now Doncaster become the preferred choice for air services from both North and West Yorkshire .

Waiting in anticipation

 

[airforced]

Negative I know but don't hold your breath too long Jason.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

My OH birthday tomorrow, have promised her covered walkways from the car parks, bit worried this is "step" too far.
Fortunately reallys hates manchester and we have a disabled badge and Doncaster treat us like second class citizens, so no fear of taking our business to these two outlets.
LBA treat use royally compared to manchester and Doncaster.

 

[White Heather]

Guys

As promised I attended the meeting today at LBA, when Tony Hallwood did a very professional 45 minute presentation, supported by Nolan Tucker who has been at the forefront of much of the Masterplan development in conjunction with the various stakeholders. That was followed by 30 minutes of questions.

The presentation was very interesting. However, as I suspected, all that was shared with the meeting is subject to confidentiality and I am unable to tell you any of what was discussed. The good news though is that you won't have very long to wait to see the Masterplan. It will be published shortly on the airport website and an email address will be provided for you to make your comments. The Masterplan will also be available at City Libraries and both Airside and Landside in the terminal, so that airport users can see what is planned and have their comments.

I will provide a report on here of what was said once the report is published - a summary in case you don't want to read the whole thing - although I would suggest you do so obviously.

 

[Aviador]

Hi Heather

Bridgepoint have had the airport for the best part of a decade now so whatever is in the long awaited masterplan I will be inclined to question their ability to carry any of the work.

On the basis of what you have seen and heard today and without disclosing anything, do you think Bridgepoint can deliver what they have in their masterplan?

Having a masterplan is no guarantee that any works will commence or take place in the future. It will however, look good in a company prospectus.

 

[White Heather]

Bridgepoint have had the airport for the best part of a decade now so whatever is in the long awaited masterplan I will be inclined to question their ability to carry any of the work.

On the basis of what you have seen and heard today and without disclosing anything, do you think Bridgepoint can deliver what they have in their masterplan?

Having a masterplan is no guarantee that any works will commence or take place in the future. It will however, look good in a company prospectus.

Personally I think that Bridgepoint are more likely to do the work included in the Masterplan than their predecessors, who frankly did almost nothing that was in the original plan. However, as you all know, a plan is a plan, and is not a guaranteed development. All along Bridgepoint have said that they are not in the business of spending huge sums of money on aspirational projects, only have them sat there unused. They have been consistent in saying that when the business is secured that requires development, they are not about to turn that business down by failing to develop. This is in their thinking for all aspects of the terminal and airfield development - nothing new there. I know that some think they have not spent as much as they should at LBA - that is a matter of opinion I guess but people do tend to forget the money spent on the type of schemes that are necessary and legally required, such as the drainage and pollution system. However, I have no reason to doubt their commitments within the plan and unlike the last one, this one has been put together in discussion with stakeholders (and in particular the planning authorities). So what is in the plan is likely to be supported by the Council - not opposed.

Ultimately, I think that there will be some elements of the plan will definitely happen soon, some in the interim , and some further down the line when they need to be done.

My message therefore is (Airport Support Group speaking) - if you want to see LBA develop to its full potential with all that is in the Masterplan delivered, then use LBA. More demand will spawn more services and eventually more routes, which will lead to more passengers and more developments.

What I would also say is......if LBA are not intending to deliver, I wonder why they have employed an Airport Development Manager, who attended the meeting yesterday? I am sure she has not joined LBA to oversee toilet refurbishments.

Sorry I can't tell you more - and although I saw what is being planned, the presentation was at a fairly quick pace and there are quite a few elements of the plan that I would have to look at more closely to see what was intended, and over what timescale. I understand it will be on line to view by the end of next week, so you have just 1 more week to wait.

 

[Aviador]

Personally I think that Bridgepoint are more likely to do the work included in the Masterplan than their predecessors

That depends on whether you are referring to just the previous masterplan or the previous administration in general. Little was likely to be done by the council when the original masterplan was drawn up as it was around the time the councils were discussing selling the airport. The masterplan was a government requirement so one needed making regardless.

As I've said, Bridgepoint have had the airport for the best part of a decade now. If you look at the previous two decades or so before that the council owned airport completed the following projects:

Runway extension by 600m with associated major highway works to the A658 incorporating the airport tunnel fly-over; construction of a aircraft turning loop (14); widened the turning D(32) Doubled the size of the terminal building and car parking area; construction of purpose built cargo area & landside to airside gatehouse facility; doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled the size of the aircraft parking area; construction of first floor retail area & office space; further increased size of departure facilities; introduced two airbridges; construction of full terminal length arrivals walkway; complete reconstruction of taxiway Delta formerly known as the North South taxiway; ILS upgrade runway 32 to CATII/III status and associated lighting upgrade incorporating full runway centreline lighting. Runway 14 ILS upgrade. Complete visual remodelling of the terminal building.

Yes that was over two decades or so but Bridgepoint are just about halfway through that period since all that work took place.

Lets look at the Bridgepoint record to date.

First floor terminal mezzanine construction for retail and "circulation zone"; car park extension, then additional car park extension; runway 14 surface water runoff filter beds; aircraft apron surface water filter system; surface water retention system to ease the transit of water to the local watercourse; clutching at straws now - the airside toilets upgrade (but the previous council ownership upgrade of the landside toilets were far better! :blush: )

.....getting ready to run now leasantry: