LEEDS 5

[RAFAT]

I've not landed there, are their runways THAT bad?

Yes pploony, LBA's runway is really THAT bad! Whilst it was fine when smaller aircraft such as BRAL's Jetstreams and Jersey European's F27s & DHC8s were the main visitors, it just couldn't cope when the bigger stuff increased their presence, the repairs (where they'd bothered to do them!) looked like a patchwork quilt!

[pploony]

I meant I've not landed in Russia,I know Leeds is rough,I did my training there.My dental bills are still coming in!

[RAFAT]

Oh I see!

[POL1W]

PIA

As expected PIA will increase flights from Leeds to Islamabad on 30 March, from 2 weekly to 3 weekly, with an extra A310 on a Mondays.

[lbalad]

First Jet2 flight to SSH

I see the departures board on the lbia website shows tomorrows 1st flight to SSH as LS209 to (blank).

Can't whoever types the info spell Sharm el Sheikh or what?.

I hope they manage to put it on the check in screens!.

[Setel Up]

Less of the Harp this summer

It seems that LBA has become a victim of MOL's wrangling with the Irish bodies over a planned tourist tax.

LBA-DUB retains the winter schedule in general, with the expected lunchtime rotation being canned. It's a pity the late night flight can't be replaced with a more tolerable early evening rotation. Looking around, the MAN-DUB is down from four to three daily, and it appears that DSA, MME, and NCL to DUB have also been reduced.

Good news on the extra Monday PIA flight.

Setel Up

[lbalad]

I see the first SSH flight got away more or less on time this morning.

Anybody a clue how many pax on it this am?.

[airhumberside]

bmi trade website shows CPH suspended from 28th February

[Aircrew101]

There is a very big ? over the LHR route out of LBA and MME aswell. Mainline have only put out a two week roster while they think about what to do.

[LBA_flyer]

LBA-CPH will be suspended from the 2nd March till the end of the summer season at least.

[lbalad]

Tom515

Tomorrow morning a departure you don't see very often;

Newquay/Miami?.Is this for real?

[idlejack]

Looks like a cruise flight (probably Fred Olsen) shared with Newquay

[aeulad]

LHR is going.

Let's hope the airport can get LS or BE to Gatwick.

Regards

Mike

[johnrizzo2000]

If LHR is really going, wonder would LBA look to EZY or EI at LGW? EI have plans for 8 a/c within 12 months, so perfect for LBA to try and lure a new carrier and secure a London route

[davidjohnson6]

Apologies if this has been discussed many eons ago, but could someone explain the rationale for LBA trying to get flyBE to operate flights to Gatwick ?

The train from central Leeds to King's Cross takes about 2h 20m, runs every 30 mins on weekdays, and one-way advance tickets available from under £13. The train even has WiFi. Furthermore, while one could maybe make a case for flights to Heathrow offering connections as it's a Star Alliance pseudo-hub, this doesn't apply at Gatwick.

Perhaps there's a case for a twice daily small regional jet to LCY, or (when a 3rd runway opens) BA to Heathrow as a feeder, but I guess I'm struggling to see what would motivate any airline to open a route to LGW, LHR, STN or LTN at the moment.

Anyone care to point out what I'm overlooking ?

[backtrack_32]

"LHR is going."

Can i ask how you know this?

[SWBKCB]

"LHR is going."

Can i ask how you know this?

Being reported in the FT - see BMI thread, no doubt detail/response to emerge during the day.

[Yellow Sun]

The train from central Leeds to King's Cross takes about 2h 20m, runs every 30 mins on weekdays, and one-way advance tickets available from under £13.

I started operating the LBA-LHR when it was on the DC9. I said then that it was only the inefficency of the railways that allowed us to do so successfully. I doubted that we would operate the route for more than another 10 years. Well, it has taken the railway operators a bit longer than I thought, but 20 years on then inevitable has happened.

YS

[rcalvert]

Here's the Diamond Club email I got today if anyone's interested.

I used this service regularly when it was on Scarebuses and it was usually very busy

Dear xxx
We are sorry to let you know that unfortunately we are ending our Heathrow-Leeds Bradford service on 28 March 2009.
The decision to withdraw services between London and the North of England was a tough one, as we've operated these routes since 1969. However a decline in demand, higher-than-inflation cost increases at Heathrow and higher Government Air Passenger Duty (APD) charges have made operating these routes unsustainable.
If you have a booking on one of the affected services, we will, where possible, reaccommodate you on other bmi services. We will contact you in the next few weeks to discuss your options.
We are also making the following changes to our summer 2009 flying:

• Increasing our Heathrow-Beirut and Amman services to ten per week from 22 May 2009
• Reducing our Heathrow-Addis Ababa service to three per week, now being served over Amman, instead of Damascus from 29 March 2009
• Decreasing the frequency of our Heathrow-Amsterdam service to four per day and Heathrow-Dublin to six per day from 29 March 2009
• Operating our Heathrow-Aberdeen service on all Embraer aircraft from 29 March 2009 and Heathrow-Brussels on all Embraer aircraft from 18 April 2009
• Closing our Heathrow-Durham Tees Valley service on 28 March 2009

We'd like to thank you for your loyalty and support of our Heathrow-Leeds Bradford service and apologise for any inconvenience.
Regards
Keeley Downing Diamond Club Manage

[uncomfortable]

I think the rationale for a LGW service is that if your destination is South London, once you have got to King's Cross, your adventure has just begun...
But I may be wrong.