LEEDS -3

[SWBKCB]

Aside from the operational shortcomings already mentioned, the thing which really needs sorting at LBA is access. The place is just too difficult to get to - and that isn't going to come cheap.

[robo283]

Hear hear SWBKCB! Access is absolutely diabolical. No prospect for a rail route without a rack-and-pinion contraption, and nowhere to put a decent dual carriageway without dehousing the residents of Horsforth / Yeadon or demolishing the Golf Course. I drive past LBA every day and it's only ever easy if I want to get to work at 0700hrs. Even an access road won't solve the problems of trying to get anywhere in West Yorkshire at anything other than snail's pace.

I can't see Jet2 wanting to relocate just at the moment. The pain of moving the HQ from BOH to LBA isn't yet fully sorted so moving lock, stock and barrel to DSA isn't a realistic option. Also, the current business model hasn't gone down the LH route so, by and large, the runway isn't a problem. Yes, the whole industry is a hostage to fortune, but it always has been so 'so far, so good' (touch wood).

[682ft AMSL]

Originally Posted by A300BOY

I think the sale was probably instigated as a result of an offer or enquiry made to them. If we get the right buyer I am sure with the operational issues of the Ils upgrade and runway length, resolved we can give our competitor airfield a run for there money, but they are in the driving seat at the moment and in a very strong position regarding long haul flights. I dread to think what would be the result of Jet 2 pulling out or having financial problems.

If by "Our competitor airfield" you mean DSA then consider this.

If 50% of the passengers passing through DSA originate from the LBA core catchment area, there is potential lost business of 0.4m passengers per year.

If 10% of the passengers passing through MAN originate from the LBA core catchment area, there is potential lost business of 2.2m passengers per year.

I'd be very surprised if anything like 50% of DSA's traffic was from in and around the LBA heartland and I'd be equally surprised if the % using MAN wasn't above 10%. In short, the new management will (I hope) be focussing on where the biggest threat and biggest opportunities are and unless there is a sudden and significant change in the DSA schedules, it will continue be 70 miles west along the M62.

682

[wawkrk]

Possible runway extension

I always wonder by how much they can extend the runway at LBA.
Gordon Dennison once told me that if they had known about it, the runway could have been long enough to allow BA Concordes to land.
This is why the first landing was by Air France as BA said it was too short.
However, then there must have been a change in BA operational rules and as we all know, BA eventually came to LBA with Concorde.
For sure, an extension at 32 end is the most desirable. This could probably be 190m taking the full length up to 2440m (8000ft) But, if you look at the land heights on Google Earth at the 14 end, even 1200m (4000ft) is possible.
Ridiculas I know and not needed. But, my point is this. We have restricted take off on 32 because of the Chevin. But, what if there was more than enough runway available for a 14 take off even with a strong tail wind, would this not solve all the problems.
My reasoning being the example of the now closed Kai Tak airport
(Hong Kong).
I cannot recall any of the endless stream of Jumbos taking off towards the sky Scrapers of Kowloon.Surely, a worse problem than the Chevin.

[SASfox]

Goldtrail 2007

Goldtrail Holidays have put Dalaman and Bodrum on sale for next summer. DLM will again be a Monday morning departure with Onur Air while the BJV moves to Monday evening again on Onur Air. Both will run for the full summer season...hopefully!

[BombardierCR7]

Toulouse is now showing in the Jet2 booking engine.

Weekly flight on a Saturday from mid May07

[lorddee]

fr div today psa-dsa-lba

Intresting see todays flight psa-dsa diverted to lba .Does DSA not have full catIII.What happened to outbnd flight

[BombardierCR7]

Doncaster's FR Pisa has diverted to LBA last Friday, and again today. DSA is only CATI until early next year when it will be CATIIIa on rwy 20.
The outbound flights were cancelled.

[wawkrk]

Apron space

Does anybody know why the management decided to erect 2 buildings on the best part of the apron and force more aircraft onto remote stands.
Then, spend more money to build new stands.
There is plenty of space to put these big sheds elsewhere like on the grassed area to the side.

[perky35]

DSA have also lost the Easyjet Geneva flight for next year according to my sources...





graham

[POL1W]

Thought this was the Leeds thread.

[wawkrk]

Airport Hotel (another shed)

Which bunch of muppets gave permission for such a low class Hotel (sort of)
to be built in such a prime location.
I remember one idiot councillor saying it will be a big boost for flight crews.
Which flight crews?
I believe the inmates must walk to the airport in order to feed.
Lets hope the new owners of LBA will discard all this rubbish including the previously mentioned apron sheds and Hall B shed.
(sorry, in bad mood and anti shed today)
wawkrk

[jet2impress]

Would be shocked if any airline used it as a crew hotel. No good at all if food is not available 24 hours a day!

[wawkrk]

Airport Hotel

Any comments?

Did I miss something ?

http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/tra...rport/map.html


http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/tra...dford-airport/

[14 loop]

Travelodge???

That certainly doesn't look like the Travelodge I stayed in at LBA last year!!! Perfectly acceptable for punters....save the walk to Murgatroyds for some decent fish and chips!

[wawkrk]

Old news I know but is this a joke.
WORK STARTS ON MAJOR NEW HOTEL AT LEEDS BRADFORD AIRPORT
18 May 2004

CONSTRUCTION work is underway on a new multi-million pound Travelodge hotel
THIS IS THE MULTI MILLION POUND MAJOR HOTEL ?

http://www.lbia.co.uk/newsandupdates...oryid=20041022

Reckon I would ask for my money back.

Cant blame them for showing a false map and a Hotel in some other city.

[wawkrk]

TUI - Jet2 etc

Much has been written about TUI dropping LBA as a base and now a rash of other airports also.Should this create any panic?
I dont think so, except maybe in TUI management.
In my opinion its a case of closing the door after the horse has bolted.
TUI have been caught with their pants down by the meteoric rise of outfits like Jet2. More a case of Bambi in the headlights methinks.
Their latest strategy (assuming they had one in the past) is to create a few fortresses at selected airports.
If you take LBA as an example, even in the Thomson good old days, their programme would have taken 6 years to equal 1 year of Jet 2.
And this is only the beginning. They have totally missread the market.
They knew that LBA flights were always amongst the best supported.
Leeds is the 3rd biggest city in the UK after London and Birmingham. They are only at DSA because of no competition.
They are in danger of becoming a charter version (or ex) of BMI.
I think they are totally bewildered.Their business model died and nobody spotted it. At the end of the day, the market is customer driven.
wawkrk

[HOODED]

Wawkrk, agreed in toto. Sadly having lost the plot they moved in at DSA and as a result will cream off some LBA pax who do not wish to build their own holiday using Jet2. However as you point out the all in package is dwindling in favour of the Loco's but there is still a substantial market there, just look at MAN LGW etc. As long as Jet2 and LBA under new ownership continue to grow I dont really care what happens to TUI given the way they have treated the LBA pax over the years. Far too many diversions to MAN when everyone else was landing, I'm told it was nothing to do with the crew being MAN based. Surely on the technical diversions to MAN it would have been cheaper to send engineers in a van to LBA rather than coach 200+ pax across!

[Northern Hero]

Quoting WAWKRK 'Leeds is the 3rd biggest city in the UK after London and Birmingham' Unquote

..............And Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Newcastle...........

[Going loco]

haven't we been here hundreds of times before in hundreds of different threads. And isn't the conclusion always that it's a matter of definition;

http://www.lovemytown.co.uk/Populations/TownsTable1.htm
http://www.lovemytown.co.uk/Populati...cilsTable1.htm