Firstly ric180880...... I still think the 800 was just for one year, and an A320 for the other, but if you say 2 years that's okay. Perhaps it's me with the amnesia!
Back on the topic of flights to New York, The airport management is adamant that the LBA can sustain flights to the US. The wording of the questionaire is quite carefull to explore all options of getting a service up and running. For one, it was interesting to see the question "If the flight made a stop at another airport for an hour en route to pick up passengers, would you still use the service?" This question would answer any airlines doubts about using a relatively short runway for direct services.
I have always said that the greatest asset that the LBA has is the fact that "Leeds is the largest financial centre outside of London." (quote from the Leeds Yollow Pages p11 and Leeds City Centre Management bulletins.) The Americans are big on 'business' and I think that this will play a far greater roll in future years at LBA, than we have ever seen before.
The use of a service via another UK airport, whilst this is not ideal, it could be used to make a case for extending the runway and it would also be a huge icon to facilitate ferther development.
Sorry BMIFOX bud, but I have to agree with BombardierCR7 on this one.
Coincidentally BMIFOX..... didn't the LBA do a questionaire about London City not long ago, prior to BMI announcing their new service? Could be, that they've finally pulled their finger out?????