The case for Ryanair base at LBA
At some point Ryanair will want to base to the east of the pennines. There are five airports to choose from Newcastle, Teesside, Humberside, Doncaster and Leeds / Bradford. In reality there is only one choice: LBA. Here are my reasons;
Newcastle : Not central to the region, although does have a large catchment in its own right and should be a base in the future. Easyjet already have large loyal customer base which could hinder growth plus Jet2. Passengers would be reluctant to travel all the way north with similarly priced flights closer to home.
Teesside : Well to the north of the region with smaller catchment. Other low cost airlines have tried and failed due to lack of demand. This would mean very few profitable destinations could be served.
Humberside : Low catchment area. Far to the east of the region, although easily accesible. No low cost airlines at present. Ryanair base would not make money. Even 'bucket and spade' routes would struggle to fill 190 seats.
Doncaster : Already fairly close (M1) to the East Midlands base. Airport with space and able to be developed. Road access could be improved with funds. Catchment not sufficient to enable moderate profitable base. Loyal Jet2 customers would still use LBA. Other customers would use EMA. Deal already done with other low cost airline who have greatly reduced flights. No scheduled flights within mainland England confirming overcapacity within the region.
Leeds / Bradford : Central to the eastern pennines with good road access to the Leeds region from all 4 points of the compass; Hull / Sheffield / Manchester / (Middlesboro / Newcastle). Large west yorkshire catchment in its own right. More people living within 2 hours of LBA than any other airport in the country [including heathrow]. Immediate local road access requires improving. Only one major low cost airline based. Ryanair already recognised brand in the region. Leeds is and will be the booming city in England despite the gov. giving nowt and taking it for the london olympics.
Just my thoughts. Feel free to comment.
Regards,
Leeds App. (vested interest)