Chaps I appreciate you like the place, but it really is a dog! The prevailing wind is at 90 degrees to the runway. I was based there from July to October and diverted once with cloud, and only just scraped in once, very close to diversion, but admittedly that was CAT I restricted ops for us. For international operations, the runway is shameful. It needs complete resurfacing. It is inadequate for long range operations. The terrain hazards to the northwest are brutal, the wind effects dire. It is disconcerting doing a turn at the 32 threshold to find yourself perched on a precipice. Our briefings for take-off on 14 include 'if we are going to run off the end, I'm going over the right hand side of the runway- we might have a chance there!' That is not being melodramatic. It's all very well to stretch the runway to the northwest, but that just takes you closer to the moors, and probably for terrain reasons won't allow much extra take-off weight. The approach takes you right over the city centre- anti-social. All the buildings need renovating/rebuilding- it's now prefab city.. Terrible to get to & from the motorways. You may be aware of infrastructure shortcomings and overlook them, but there are so many operational deficiencies with the place as well, whatever these businessmen have paid, it really is inadequate for future progress.
The danger is becoming committed to it and saddled with a long term unimprovable monstrosity on top of a hill that actually holds back local progress! You will never have long haul schedules from this turkey. I have no personal axe to grind. I liked Yorkshire very much (exept for John Smiths), and was quite struck by Leeds (but I am a Hampshire man), but it needs a respectable long runway and modern terminal if it is going to flower. I'm merely trying to post that maybe now is the time to flog the site for housing (I would like to buy the 32 threshold!) and build a place near the motorways and railway. It would pay for itself in a few years. But LBA? Has even PIA shown any interest in using it for the giant local market? No- because it's dreadful. SE of Leeds is the open area with fantastic communication. Build a green field decent airport there (John Smiths International?) and watch it (and Leeds) grow! Decent airports bring prosperity with them, that is why LBA is languishing.
Not abuse from a southerner. A genuine suggestion. And no taxpayers money! Robber Brown has already sunk 29 billion of mine into inexplicably financing Northern Rock. You up there have spent it NR- no more!