Well at least we can agree on 1 thing! John Smith's is really not a representitive beer of Yorkshire. Go for Tim Taylor's Landlord or Sam Smith's Old Brewery instead. You can't be a bad chap after all!
And this isn't a north - south thing either! As you can see from my location, I'm a Compton, NIGIT, NORRY, VAPID sort of person....although I do not originate from the Royal County. I moved (from the northern wastelands) south long ago, tend to fly out of LHR & LGW, am a BA Exec Card holder (heck, I'm flying Club Europe to TFS in February - upset that option is being withdrawn after March). I will never move back north...I'm settled here in the south!
But my roots are ooop North and all the regular posters on the this thread of PPRuNe (like 682, PTH, Leodis, LBIA, Bom CR7, A300boy and myself) for whatever reason have an affinity with the airport and believe the place has legs.
Now you don't. The reality is there is nowhere proximate to the Leeds / Bradford conurbation that could ever be developed as an alternative airfield....it won't happen!
So, should the residents of West Yorkshire be therefore consigned to flying from other airfields (DSA or MAN as examples)?.
No....despite the access issues, for many in the conurbation, LBA is still the easiest airfield to reach. Coincidence or otherwise, some of the the most affluent areas of both Leeds and Bradford (Allwoodley, Horsforth, Tranmere Park, Bramhope, Menston, Guiseley, Baildon & Eldwick) all reside at the LBA side of their respective cities. Yes if you're from Drighlington or Belle Isle - the drive across town might be a pain - but really what level of repeat business are you going to derive from either of these locations? Add in the fact that the North Yorkshire hinterlands of Harrogate and York, indeed a whole plethora of settlements north of Poole Bank have serious money - then it's no surprise that a good quality loco like Jet2 is doing alright.
There is money to be made at LBA, Jet2 are doing it and with careful investment so could others....Pakistan is a market which should work, Toronto likwise - loads of Yorkshire ex-pats, Florida has a chance as does Dubai.
To summarise, we are not going to change your mind and vice versa....so white flags at dawn?
