Originally Posted by
SWBKCB
Care to quantify that? How many flights a year get diverted from LBA? Is it never foggy in the Vale of York?
No such thing as an ideal airport - they all have their physical constraints. LBA might be marginally worse than others but don't believe it is really an issue for airlines.
It is a good point you make. It is important to remember it is not just the low cloud at LBA that causes diversions. Gale force wind (often perpendicular to the runway). High humidity, often rendering the runway wet. Snow, often more prevalent with increased altitude. Radiation fog. Icing.
The differing combinations of these weather types on a relatively short and undulating runway means that LBA has probably the worst weather record of any similar sized airport in the UK.
It is not just diversions though. A plane can hold for an hour and then manage to land. It could maybe make two missed approaches and then manage to land. This happens very frequently, especially in the Winter months and very little is ever spoken of it. Of course this costs a huge amount of money to the airlines and is obviously accounted for within deals individual airlines agree with the airport. When airports are in Low Visibility Procedures the efficiency of the airport has decreased by its very nature (less movement and less movements)-just the same as it decreases at LHR for example.
Leeds East Airport is affected by radiation fog particularly but overall the potential efficiency of the airport and diversion rate would be much less. (take into consideration - low lying airfield, potentially long unrestricted runway orientated into the prevailing wind allowing CAT2/3 operation). Generally a low lying airfield, while not perfect, will fair much better than one 681ft above sea level.