Originally Posted by
Barnstable
Wasn't LBA publicly owned and funded for most of its history?
As far as I can tell there are 19 routes that have applied for startup funding, and only one of them involves DSA (Finningly is the name of the former RAF base not the existing airport)
Yes LBA was owned by local councils and there was a very good reason why they decided to sell it. It offers very little in terms of future prospects - exactly what local politicians who used to run the airport have publicly stated. This is not about who owns certain airports though. This is about central Government policy to hold back one region while helping another. Two airports fighting against each other in Yorkshire only serves to hold back the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.
I have nothing against finningley if it was between Wakefield and Doncaster it would be ideal but where it is located it will never force LBA to close. Yorkshire already loses passengers to MAN and EMA and therefore it does not need two airports fighting against one another. 1 correctly placed and connected airport for Yorkshire would have 3 flights to Frankfurt without any taxpayers money needed.
The 19 routes will come down to 3 none of which can stand on their own feet. The Government is helping the two airports to limp along because they only truly want to spend money on Manchester. By announcing 19 routes nobody will cotton on.
The long term economic government plan for Yorkshire means making them fly from Manchester. More diversion and cancellations this morning at Britain's highest airport. Government say one thing while secretly planning the opposite.