Originally Posted by
commit aviation
I shall post here in an effort to allow the LBA thread to get back to LBA business!
Leeds Approach talks at length about population being the key: So lets consider London.
Based on your argument long haul carriers would be happy to fly from LHR, LGW or STN as all have reasonably large catchment areas as well as drawing from Central London. The reality is that LHR is where the longhaul traffic migrates to whenever possible. OK, LHR is the hub airport for the UK but if it is all about population then following LA's mantra, surely the other 2 should support longhaul operations??? Both have catchment areas greater than 5 million. Yet, most of the LGW - US routes moved when Bermuda 2 ended & STN has never really supported a longhaul operation successfully. Many people from Cambridge / East Anglia area drive straight past STN to get to LHR in much the same way as Yorkshire folk drive past LBA to reach MAN. The airport at STN is not constrained as LBA is yet there is still little or no appetite from airlines to fly longhaul from there. (The same is true for the BHX catchment area although they do support some longhaul traffic.) Sadly that is why I think your argument on population may be a little flawed.
I accept that if we were starting with a blank piece of paper LBA would not be the first choice but we are where we are and I see no commercial, political or financial appetite for this.
I must say it's nice to have a proper adult debate with counter argument.
Population is not the be all and end all but it is a very important part of the jigsaw. Comparing the London market with the Yorks. and Humber market compares two very different animals. Heathrow rules as it is the closest and best connected airport to one of the most important cities in the world. Airlines are extremely reluctant to accept 2nd best when it comes to London. Politics plays even a bigger role than it ever will in Yorkshire. In reality though there will still be many Yorkshire passengers driving past CF on their way to MAN for long haul flights- this is predominantly not about long haul. There will be some sustainable long haul routes to the favourites such as DXB, SFB and even maybe JFK/EWR that will be very unlikely from Yeadon's marginal runway. The airport will allow a proper ratio of services that better equates to the two regions. As somebody has stated the best two airports that properly simulate a MAN / CF dual role are Edinburgh and Glasgow - two airports, well connected, with suitable space for expansion and usable runways. They battle on a much leveller playing field than MAN and LBA.
If a past mistake has been made why keep on adding to that mistake? There could be another 100 years of aviation in Yorkshire and even now they are parking on the taxiways in the snow in Yeadon. If they were considering building a brand new airport for London why not start the ball rolling at least for an airport in Yorkshire that can satisfy the regions potential?