LBA "unveils ambition for long haul flights"

[Iain]

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.or ... google.com

Flights to the Middle East and North America could be operating from Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) within three years, according to the company’s chief executive........

......."I would be disappointed if by 2027 we did not have flights to North America and the Middle East.”

A contrast between a competent and ambitious airport operator and a useless one. If LBA are successful getting long haul (with MAN not far down the road) it will show just how poor AGS really are.

[bill]

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.or ... google.com

Flights to the Middle East and North America could be operating from Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) within three years, according to the company’s chief executive........

......."I would be disappointed if by 2027 we did not have flights to North America and the Middle East.”

A contrast between a competent and ambitious airport operator and a useless one. If LBA are successful getting long haul (with MAN not far down the road) it will show just how poor AGS really are.

AGS are clearly not up for the fight with EDI and until we get new owners this won't change, in my opinion of course.

[Clive]

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.or ... google.com

Flights to the Middle East and North America could be operating from Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) within three years, according to the company’s chief executive........

......."I would be disappointed if by 2027 we did not have flights to North America and the Middle East.”

A contrast between a competent and ambitious airport operator and a useless one. If LBA are successful getting long haul (with MAN not far down the road) it will show just how poor AGS really are.

FFS we already have those and will be disappointed if we don’t secure more within the next 3 years….

[Clive]

Aye it’s a bit of a stretch to call LBA bosses ambitious and competent over GLA because they made a statement of intent on a couple of long haul routes. Sometimes it’s like we only see what we want to see around here. GLA’s boss was on recently saying much the same thing but that’s ignored or thrown back in his face while the LBA boss is lauded as professionally superior. Not for me.

[atuk]

Back in my Airport Timetables days I remember when British Airtours operated TriStars into LBA, one of which went off the end of the runway! They were followed by BY 767-200s later in the late 1980s early 1990s where the aircraft spent the first part of the summer season at GLA and the latter at LBA.
I don’t think there are any wide bodies at LBA any more and it’s doubtful that the terminal could cope with increased volume unless considerable sums are spent on expansion and improvements.
I’m not up to speed with the runway length for long haul ops; I certainly don’t recall anything like cruise charters operating from there and they have never had Florida/Mexico although they did have Worldways to Toronto with an intermediate stop back in the bad days when transatlantic flights were only permitted from PIK. It seems senseless to me, any many others, that you could fly LBA-YYZ but not from GLA! Politicians!

[PiperOne]

Following its runway extension a number of years back, LBA runway is 2250m long, comparable with Liverpool and 200m longer than Bristol, so modern generation longhaul aircraft should be able to operate comfortably to eastern seaboard of the US, or to the Gulf States. I would think the latter more likely, given the Yorkshire population demographic, but such services would probably only happen if it becomes difficult to get desirable slots at Manchester. Against this though, is they only have two hub-feed services at present, 3 daily to each of AMS and DUB, so appears to be very little market for connecting services.

[Clive]

Following its runway extension a number of years back, LBA runway is 2250m long, comparable with Liverpool and 200m longer than Bristol, so modern generation longhaul aircraft should be able to operate comfortably to eastern seaboard of the US, or to the Gulf States. I would think the latter more likely, given the Yorkshire population demographic, but such services would probably only happen if it becomes difficult to get desirable slots at Manchester. Against this though, is they only have two hub-feed services at present, 3 daily to each of AMS and DUB, so appears to be very little market for connecting services.

Factual as ever from PiperOne. You speak of the difficulty for LBA in the shadow of MAN. If someone could tell me how that is any different than the GLA v EDI hard nosed, real life business world that they operate in, we’re all ears.