A couple of gems from today's Yorkshire Post's business pages.
Looks like I was right about the anti-climax of the RYR announcement!
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PRIVATE equity group Bridgepoint's purchase of Leeds Bradford Airport appears to have been well received. It has made all the right noises about expanding the airport, spending serious dosh on it and pushing it forward to become a really good regional airport.
The decision by managing director Ed Anderson to stand down was a surprise. The move was bound to be linked to news which emerged just a few days earlier that the chief executive of Newcastle Airport has resigned amid claims he has links to Bridgepoint.
His name is John Parkin but he's no relation. Mind you, even if he was, knowing my luck I'd have been the last to know.
When I spoke to Ed Anderson about his departure he played a straight bat and said the decision was entirely his.
He is staying on until a successor arrives which would appear to discount any suggestion that he has been eased out by the new owners.
• ONE area where the airport needs major changes was highlighted last week. I received a rather breathless phone call from its marketing department about a "major announcement" by the Irish airline Ryanair the following day.
No details could be revealed ahead of a press conference the next day.
Was it big news? Yes, I was told. Was it more than one destination? They couldn't reveal that information but a Powerpoint presentation was planned.
I could hardly control myself. Could it be Rimini, Sardinia, Porto, Santander or Carcassonne – some of the many European destinations Ryanair flies to from other UK regional airports? Common sense prevailed and I didn't make the trek up to the airport.
I later learned from a colleague that the announcement was about Ryanair adding a route from Leeds to Shannon in Ireland.
The sooner Bridgepoint can get a grip of the airport and raise its sights the better. It has had a local authority mentality for far too long.
Continuation of:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...246541&page=17