Leeds Bradford Airport goes up in smoke!!

[152driver]

No doubt the heading got your attention, my hope is that it will get the airport management’s as well!

I flew out of LBA this week for a couple of days in Venice. The flight was good, the holiday perfect, but the airport experience was abysmal.

The departures area at Leeds is one huge fetid cloud of cigarette smoke.

As we walked from the security area into duty free we were hit by a wall of smoke. I kid you not, the entire downstairs area of the departures hall looked like it was on fire. I have never been in a public building so badly ventilated or so disgusting. It was a bloody disgrace! I spoke to one of the staff there, and she said that they have relocated the smoking area in the past few days and that although there had been plenty of complaints, the airport management didn’t give a damn. So much for the smoke free age, or the rights of non-smokers. The fact is, as a parent I don’t think it’s right to have my children subjected to this kind of passive smoking environment!

Anyone else care to comment?

[Goldryder]

I shall be flying from/to there in December/January when I go on my cruise holiday. Hope things will have improved by then, got to negotiate Leeds/Bradford, Heathrow, Madrid, Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires airports...and don't wish to start the trip coughing and spluttering. I will not be impressed at all :(

[Going loco]

Surely a much better bet of attracting the airport management's attention would be to put the complaint in writing to them. See what explanation they give and then form your own opinion on whether they give a damm.

loco

[CATAWAMPUS]

Surely in this day and age it is illegal to allow this to happen. I know that some airports have those little smokers cubicles where they can hang their heads in shame from behind a perspex screen, but even those things are pretty useless at confining the stench and fumes.

[BombardierCR7]

Your headline sounds like you work for the News of the World!

The airport have announced a number of weeks ago on their website that the smoking area has been temporarily relocated due to building works (relocation of Gate 2) in the former smoking area on the mezzanine level for approx 5 weeks. So expect inconvenience, theoretically after the 5 week period, it will be for the better.

Complain to the airport authority. take up smoking, go upstairs, or pay to go in the lounge, whatever!!, but don't bore us with this here!

[CATAWAMPUS]

Well I think that is a little harsh! He's got a valid point, if what he says about the extent of the smoke is true. Smokers may have rights (and I assume you must be one of them), but the rights of other passengers especially kiddies are more important. If the airport management can't find a suitable sealed location then smoking should be banned within the terminal. End of story. I think the title has done what he intended - generated some interest. I'd like to hear some confirmation though from others who have been through Leeds recently.

[7006 fan]

Under the anti-smoking rules, pretty soon it will be risky to provide a smoking area -by doing so one will be acting as a contibutory factor to a smoker and may leave one open to a charge of encouraging suicide or somesuch (bit like the asbestos situation) except here the person has prior knowledge, but so does the provider, so under the way the law stands a Company could be held for contributory manslaughter by providing a smoking area/smoking bins
"...you provided a smoking area so contributed to my addiction and ill health..." or whatever! (why is it, it is always someone else's fault!)?

[BombardierCR7]

I flew through LBA on Wednesday (as I do many many times) I am a non smoker, not "one of them" as you arrogantly put it, but do respect the right of freedom of choice as long as it doesn't effect my civil liberties.

I noticed the smell of cigarette smoke near the pub, it was not excessive, and was not a big deal for me, I've been in many worse airports for that. I just went upstairs, there was no sign of it there.

But as I said, which is my point, it's all a bit sensationalist ! This is an aviation forum not a political "ban smoking" forum.

Complain to the airport company!

[G-LOST]

I can verify that 152 driver tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The smoker's area was moved a week or so ago to the area behind Duty Free next to the crew access to the apron / downstairs offices. The location is not ventilated and as a result the smoke filters all around the ground floor of the departure hall, inside the bookshop, etc.

Every time I walk with my crew to the aircraft via this access point we are subjected to the cloud of smoke. The situation has eased a little in the last couple of days due to the installation of a machine designed to suck in the smoke, but it is totally inadequate for the job. Mid-week I reported for an early duty and there were at least 20 smokers standing in this area and there was the most incredible cloud. My clothes stank by the time I got out to the aircraft.

As a result, I took it upon myself to ring the duty manager twice but only got an answerphone. Our base captain has complained but tells me nothing will be done. About 15 of our crew have filled in complaint forms so far. We can't be the only ones?

LOST

[LTNman]

Haven’t flown from there for a couple of years but without doubt the worst airport for smoke is the departure lounge at Liverpool Airport. At Luton smokers are confined to just a few areas now but the smoke is so concentrated that it drifts into the no smoking areas. Disgusting :mad: :yuk: :\

[TruthSlayer]

This discussion just goes to confirm my long held belief that Leeds Bradford is the worst kept and shi*iest airport in Britain.

[Going loco]

Not sure LBA is really the shiniest airport in the UK. Sure, all the chrome cladding on the airside facing bit of the terminal helps, but I'm sure there must be shinnier places. (sorry - just trying to avoid elevating the debate into anything sensible)

loco

[G-LOST]

The main complaint other than the extent of the smoke, is the fact that by positioning the smokers area where it is, staff have no other option but to walk through the haze. There is no other crew channel available to us from within the terminal.

One hostie has pointed out to me that this door is an emergency exit. It was blocked by a smoker and his bags, and he gave her some lip when she asked him to move. The irony is that if there were a fire, you wouldn't be able to find the exit because of the smoke!

[Maude Charlee]

Why don't they do what they do in NCL? No problem with smoke there - all the smokers are outside under the a/c wings. :}

[Leodis]

Sorry for changing the subject, but I was told yesterday that the well used kids play area on the first floor of departures is being made into a prayer room for the 3x a week Lahore flight. This is such a joke. I know the airport has enough passengers to sustain a multi religious prayer room, but why take away the childrens play area that is used for the greater part of each day?

[LBA]

What a joke. Think about all those families on the Jet2/charter flights every day, compared to 3 Avro loads a week. Surely they can make another room for this?

Wouldnt Airtours also have something to say about this? If I remember rightly, its 'their' play area.

[Leodis]

Exactly the point LBA, this is still second hand information, but I can confirm that the area was shut off from the public and that the toys we're taken out yesterday.

I am all in favour a 'equal' opertunities but, why is it that only when there is a predominantly 'muslim' flight is a prayer room opened. I don't want to enter a race debate but this cannot be right.:suspect:

[TruthSlayer]

As I said, this airport is the shinyest in Britain. Well run, logically set out, space maximised for full use. Full of happy, smiling smoky people.