CAA Provisional Statistics Update

[White Heather]

So, the principle is cull the weak and develop what is strong and you get a significant increase in pax from the same number of flights. It just proves that LBA doesn't necessarily need new routes (yet) to grow. We might be approaching full at times in the summer but there is real potential for growth in the winter, despite the occasional weather problems.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Leeds-Bradford International Airport is delighted to achieve new record

Airport chiefs are celebrating after the number of passengers using Leeds- Bradford International Airport during 2013 rose by 11 per cent to a record-breakling 3.3 million.

The Yeadon hub remains the UK’s fastest growing top 20 airport and the last 12 months have seen it expand to serve more than 70 domestic and international destinations as well as introduce new services from airlines such as British Airways, Monarch and Thomson Airways.

Bosses say the expansion is set to continue in 2014 following the recent announcement of new services by Scandinavia's flag carrier SAS, which will launch services to Copenhagen from the end of March.

Read more: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/b ... ew_record/[/textarea]

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Same growth increase in next two years will see us at 4 million passengers a year by end 2015, 30 months after the 3 million mark.

 

[Aviador]

Same growth increase in next two years will see us at 4 million passengers a year by end 2015, 30 months after the 3 million mark.

That is a huge 'if' and with little scope for summertime growth it is difficult to imagine where exactly that growth can come from. 2013 was a record breaking year for LBA topping the top twenty airports in percentage growth. We will not be seeing that kind of growth again for years to come now.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi aviador
I agree with you on this one.
sm1

 

[scousefowler]

Does that mean they have grown as much as they are able to within the constraints of the current infrastructure setup at LBA?

Have the management made any indications as to where they think future growth in the short-term will come from and how large this growth is expected to be?

 

[a300boy]

Based on past comments from more informed airport and airline employees plus consultative committee members, on this forum, it would seem that the present infrastructure is adequate for passenger number growth in the winter months and just about adequate for our present passenger throughput in the summer months. This would be seen as growth but for me I was hoping to see more destinations more based aircraft and long haul destination like they are seeing right now at Edinburgh. They have a runway and parking space available which is suitable for this to happen and it would seem we will have to wait and see if extra aircraft parking is to be provided and as no plan now exists to improve the runway and navigation aids for the future this is not what I hoped for. More passengers per year is realistic more destinations and long haul routes are less likely. Every time the excellent marketing team capture another airline or destination we seem to loose at least one or two of the existing routes.

 

[White Heather]

That is true, but the reason for that is nothing to do with airport infrastructure. Most domestic routes have been lost because of the overall financial climate and the Government taxes. The position of LBA centrally within the country doesn't help either. Scottish airports, and Newcastle are able to maintain more of their flights due to the additional travel distances, which make air travel more appealing and more profitable to airlines. Other international routes pulled by airlines in recent years or about to be pulled (eg Vilnius, Madrid, Valencia, Berlin, Hamburg, Weeze, etc) were nothing to do with the infrastructure at LBA, more to do with the airlines wishing to concentrate on more profitable routes. There is every chance we would have lost those routes even with a bigger/better terminal and more parking spaces. If for example, and additional Jet2 aircraft was based here, it would not be used on routes to those places no longer served. You can be sure it would still be used on the high density routes which have the greatest demand and create the biggest profit. It is no co-incidence that since Jet2 changed their direction more towards the leisure market, they have gone from strength to strength. As for future growth, LBA directors certainly do not envisage a levelling off of growth and are planning to do what is required to push LBA up to and beyond the 5m pax per year figure, so I would suggest that before we all get too negative again, we wait and see what is included in the Masterplan and over what timescale.

 

[Aviador]

Does that mean they have grown as much as they are able to within the constraints of the current infrastructure setup at LBA?

Have the management made any indications as to where they think future growth in the short-term will come from and how large this growth is expected to be?

Good question and it depends on how you look at it.

There is space for some growth during the summer period but growth during the summer is reliant on airlines being able to operate into LBA outside the traditional operating times. This will need to be done using non-based aircraft. If the airport is to rely on it's current operators to do this, only Ryanair has the capability to do it as they have bases throughout Europe.

If Ryanair doesn't want to play ball, the airport authority will need to attract non-based airlines to operate such routes so they're not clogging up stands at LBA overnight. This is achievable but the number of airlines that might be willing to do this is small. A further problem with achieving this goal through using non-based aircraft is it will take multiple airline deals to build up sufficient increases in passenger numbers to reach circa 4 mppa.

Then there is the winter period where there's an abundance of free capacity at most UK regional airports but airlines are continuing to reduce winter capacity because of reduced load factors and the additional weather related costs incurred making flights unviable. More services might be achievable at those airports that are in a position to reduce these additional costs.

 

[752]

I'm not sure if this currently happens but I was wondering if Jet2's spare 757 & 737 they park at LBA over the summer could be moved on to the Multiflight apron or even parked on the pan, surely then this would free up 2 extra stands?

 

[airforced]

................ As for future growth, LBA directors certainly do not envisage a levelling off of growth and are planning to do what is required to push LBA up to and beyond the 5m pax per year figure, so I would suggest that before we all get too negative again, we wait and see what is included in the Masterplan and over what timescale.

White Heather I neither wish to be negative or critical BUT seeing as the Masterplan has received yet another mention on here might I ask two pertinent questions:

1. When is the Masterplan to be published and

2. If, as you seem to suggest, there will be implementation dates included this time so we will all have something to measure their success (or dare I say failure) by, will this be a first for LBA, as I don't recall dates ever getting a mention before?

 

[Seasider]

I think that 2014 will be only see a small percentage increase in passengers. With the exception of Monarch (Jan-Mar) all the "new 2013" services will have operated for a year so they will have little impact. With only a few extra services this summer, unless each flight is full, there will not be a significant growth in passenger numbers.
I predict 2014 will see passenger figures between 3.4-3.5 million (approx 5% increase)

 

[scousefowler]

So basically the master plan is going to detail where, in the managements view, the extra passenger growth is going to come from, and when?

Also, are bridge point privately owned? I mean they are not a listed company?

 

[Aviador]

So basically the master plan is going to detail where, in the managements view, the extra passenger growth is going to come from, and when?

Also, are bridge point privately owned? I mean they are not a listed company?

Not sure if they are listed on the stock exchange but here's their Key Facts page: http://www.bridgepoint.eu/media/152929/ ... y_2013.pdf

 

[lbaspotter]

The CAA have just released the December 2013 provisional passenger stats. The good news to report it would seem Leeds/Bradford did fairly well once again. I don't need to point out again the following as I think everyone already knows that the airport broke the 3 million passengers figure for the first time.

A total of 144,341 passengers went through the terminal at LBA in December 2013 which was up +8.4% on the same month last year. The year rolling total figure for LBA stands at 3,314.398 passengers which is up +11.6% on the previous 12 months of 2012.

Selected December Provisional Stats:

Amsterdam = 16,345 +14%
Dublin = 14,789 +4%
Belfast City = 11,174 +32%
Tenerife = 10,732 +12%
Alicante = 10,339 +17%
London Heathrow = 9,440 +69%
Arrecife = 8,422 +26%
Malaga = 7,802 +7%
Islamabad = 2,188 +16%

Heathrow route a success or not!

Well British Airways carried a total of 118,717 passengers on the Leeds/Bradford to London Heathrow route in its first full year of operation between the months of January and December 2013. Here's the year break down per monthly stats.

JAN = 7,763
FEB = 9,326
MAR = 9,996
APR = 9,729
MAY = 9,259
JUN = 9,738
JUL = 9,947
AUG = 10,058
SEP = 11,893
OCT = 11,381
NOV = 10,187
DEC = 9,440

I suppose British Airways and LBIA will be looking for an passenger increase of up to at least 120,000 or maybe 130,000 per year in the next 12 months. Which begs the question as to how many passengers did bmi brititsh midland use to carry per year in its hay-days of operating the Leeds to Heathrow service?

 

[Tarn Spotter]

As stated great figures for LBA at 8.4% growth, highest growth from other local airports is manchester at 5.8%, Doncaster 5.9% EMA was 3.1%, 4million passengers by end of 2015 still on track.

 

[Seasider]

As previously posted regarding 2014 figures, I don't think they will achieve 4 million in 2015 unless there is a big expansion by one of the based carriers. As previously discussed (in length) there isn't any room for more based aircraft.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Seasider: 2013 growth of 11% was achieved by using the same number of aircraft, obviously larger aircraft were used on many routes.
If this trend continues and we see the new routes coming on board a continuation of 11% growth can continue.
We need less then 10% growth to achieve 4m by the end of 2015, major summer routes like malaga are still not back to 2008 levels, so expansion in exsisting summer destinations can give us the growth we need.
Jet2 holiday customers are doubling year on year, 1.3 million last year assuming 50% from LBA that over 600,000, jet2 expecting big growth again this year, even if they have 50% growth this year, the increase we need. If my families booked holidays are anything to go by, our figures up 200% on 2013 already.

 

[Seasider]

Tarn Spotter
Summer 2013 saw 1 x BA A319, 2x ZB320 and 1 x TOM B738 over Summer 2012. Even allowing for the loss of 1 x TCX A320, it still means an extra 3 aircraft. This is where the 11% growth came from, so without any more based aircraft I can't see them achieving anywhere near that in 2014. I will stick to my 5%.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Seasider: According to the CAA figures number of flights in 2013 increased by 182 and passengers increased by 344508, this means an average of 1892 passengers on each extra flight. The average passenger load last year was 109 passengers, (quite a surprise to me).
According to CAA figures we had 57 fewer flights in December 2013 from LBA compared to December 2012, yet flew 15003 more passengers, bigger planes has to be the answer to this increase in passengers.