Originally Posted by
jamesgrainge
Is it just me who thinks LBA actually does quite a good job, after all, its a very small airport with limited capacity and capability. We have a major double runway, three terminal airport roughly 50 miles away yet LBA continues to be a busy airport with based airlines and European routes, despite all its shortcoming it runs a fairly decent schedule all year round. Not to mention GA, Multiflight and private owners.
Look at the likes of DTV, very similar to LBA but with arguably a better runway, yet has no traffic to speak of.
It is limited by its catchment, plane capability and the myriad rules, regulations and bylaws which strangle aviation, yet it has a solid plan and solid revenue. Please stop talking it down.
Yes LBA is a small airport that is very restricted. Agreed. That is why an airport for Yorkshire and the Humber and the whole North East (which will soon have a population of 9 million people) needs to built in the correct location and fully able to do the job. Then you will see an airport like Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow etc have.
A well located airport within Yorkshire would have a population catchment something in the region of 10x bigger than MME and so I cannot agree that the 2 potential airports are similar. In effect 4 airports would be combined into 1 very efficient and extremely well connected and unrestricted airport for 9 million people + to use.