Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[Bigman]

You could also say that there are 7 scheduled operators listed for Leeds (not including the Summer only ones), but only 3 for Donny. That's also 3 National carriers for LBA in the form of BA, KLM and Aer Lingus (Stobbies) as opposed to none at Donny. Donny does however knock LBA into a cocked hat when it comes freight and variety of aircraft.

 

[Aviador]

You can see a trend there. It would be great if DSA built itself up to rival EMA cargo ops leaving LBA to get on with passenger ops for Yorkshire.

 

[White Heather]

The long runway is ideally suited to freight at DSA so they are in a different league to LBA. For LBA, the key issue is passenger ops and LBA has more operators and is still carrying almost 4 passengers for every 1 at DSA. LBA have however indicated they want to break into the freight business, and their freight centre which is part of their future plans for the area behind the Avro factory should help secure more freight flights to the airport. With the runway restrictions, we are never going to see 747s and the like flying heavy freight out, but we should at least get some, as we did in the past.

 

[lbaspotter]

Oh think you can remove Thomas Cook from the Doncaster-Sheffield list, as I understand they have pulled out to concentrate on the new Leeds/Bradford based operation.
Also Euro Airpost daily Boeing 737 cargo operation into Doncaster-Sheffield for Amazon has now also been moved to East Midlands..

Can we also add bmi regional to the Leeds list seen as they operate a few football charters now-a-days.

 

[a300boy]

Good input guy and gals I thought it might brighten up a winters day.

 

[dmrodgers]

Oh think you can remove Thomas Cook from the Doncaster-Sheffield list, as I understand they have pulled out to concentrate on the new Leeds/Bradford based operation.
Also Euro Airpost daily Boeing 737 cargo operation into Doncaster-Sheffield for Amazon has now also been moved to East Midlands..

Can we also add bmi regional to the Leeds list seen as they operate a few football charters now-a-days.

Just a note about the LBA Thomas Cook operation out of Leeds, if you look on the TC website and then click the Fly with Us and then 'fly from' the northern airport list only includes MAN and NCL. You have to scroll some two thirds down the list and only then does LBA appear after the USA airports. A number of other UK airports then appear as well as Leeds. Very confusing as anyone looking for a flight or holiday would imagine the only choice from the North is to fly from Manchester or Newcastle. No doubt a number of booking will be lost over the hill as a result of this.

 

[Aviador]

It doesn't help the LBA cause when Manchester airport is offering free cars to travel agents selling the most flights and holidays from Manchester airport. If it was the financial service industry the FCA would be issuing warnings.

http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/travel-trade/incentive/

 

[lbaspotter]

The Bradford based Telegraph & Argus carried the following article on its website today that included an interview with the Airports CEO, David Laws which was quite similar to one which was published elsewhere a few weeks back.

Source: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co....mbley_takes_charge_of_Leeds_Bradford_Airport/

“THERE’S nothing keeping me awake at night - well maybe Rafa Benitez not getting enough money to spend on transfers.”

Davey Laws has a twinkle in his eye.

It was perhaps inevitable an interview with a former football referee, who lists matches at Wembley and Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on his CV, would make mention of the Beautiful Game.

However, far from being a throwaway line, Mr Laws’ nod to a desired loosening of Newcastle United’s purse strings is a reflection of his outlook on life.

Mr Laws is a man at ease in his new surroundings. Last year he stepped down as chief executive at Newcastle Airport after 37 years’ service, with his announcement coming as a genuine shock to staff and the wider regional business community, which he spent two years championing as North East England Chamber of Commerce president. The ex-fireman once took a pay cut to join the corporate team, such was his desire to climb the ladder, and was at the helm during numerous years of passenger number growth.

He helped bolster those figures with new holiday and city services alongside Emirates’ blue-chip Dubai flights, and spent millions on a refreshed departure lounge too.

Now, however, the scene is different. Sitting at the end of a table in his new office, Mr Laws, who took on an advisory role with Newcastle Airport shareholder AMP Capital in the immediate months after his departure, leans forward to explain his vision.

He wants to improve Leeds Bradford’s terminal and take passenger numbers to five million over the next three years, adding he hopes to increase choice for people living across County Durham and Teesside.

That will come, he said, by revitalising the airport’s European and international services, and the work has already started.

In September our sister publication, The Northern Echo, revealed bosses had agreed a new German deal to continue Dusseldorf flights.

At the time, Mr Laws said those services, taken on by Flybe after Jet2 ended a long-running agreement, would be a catalyst for greater commercial demand at the site thanks to the city’s status as a global business and financial centre.

But, such is the ambition of the man, who once had to play peacemaker when Gordon Strachan got a little hot under the collar during Alan Shearer’s testimonial at St James’ Park, that he has refused to rule out potential new domestic flights, as well as further routes to Germany, Italy and Scandinavia, as he embarks on improving the base’s offering to commercial and holiday passengers.

He has now secured an operator deal with Thomas Cook, which will provide new routes to Turkey, Tunisia, Cyprus and Spain’s Balearic Islands.

Mr Laws said Cook’s arrival will be a major fillip for the airport and travellers following the recent collapse of carrier Monarch, which ran services from Leeds Bradford.

He has also thrashed out an arrangement with Jet2 to deliver thousands of seats for winter holidays to Tenerife, with Ryanair and Tui agreeing to provide further services.

To help him on his quest, Mr Laws has recruited aviation development director Chris Sanders, with the duo well acquainted after years together at Newcastle Airport. “It’s about raising the awareness of the airport and there is a phenomenal catchment area here,” said Mr Laws. I knew it had potential but I didn’t know just how much. Leeds is the third biggest city in the UK and right next door you have got Bradford, a city in its own right too.

“We’ve had great backing from the councils too. At Newcastle, I got 1.2 million people through the Metro and the opportunity here for the trains is immense too. If you can create the right infrastructure, why would people want to go across the M62 to Manchester?

“The next thing is to review the strategy and that will include me working with Chris, who is one of the top people in the UK when it comes to working with airlines.

“He knows Yorkshire by working with GNER and we’ve got someone here now who the airlines trust, which is a real bonus. We have started on the customer journey, which starts when they enter the airport.

“We have reduced security times and we are going to change the culture here as well. We want people to be relaxed when they are going through the terminal and enjoy their time in the airport, and we are on the road to change that for the better.

“I want us to roll out a new identity and approach to how we treat customers and that will include better security processes with more lanes and scanners.” That terminal work, will, said Mr Laws, take at least two years.

However, once finished, he said it will give travellers a new experience, with bigger and better lounges and areas deliberately demarcated for families, couples and party-goers to enjoy in their own ways.

“That will get people feeling that the airport is moving in the right direction,” he said.

“We want a terminal building that can cope with seven to eight million passengers a year.

“We fly to more than 70 destinations but there are lots of areas that are untapped.

“We are not doing any real long-haul flights, and we have to be selective but there is no reason why we cannot do a Pakistan flight or the Middle East flight and Orlando.

“But there is a lot to do in terms of Europe too. There should be scope to go to demarcated for families, couples and party-goers to enjoy in their own ways.”

“That will get people feeling that the airport is moving in the right direction,” he said. “We want a terminal building that can cope with seven to eight million passengers a year.

“We fly to more than 70 destinations but there are lots of areas that are untapped. We are not doing any real long-haul flights, and we have to be selective but there is no reason why we cannot do a Pakistan flight or the Middle East flight and Orlando. But there is a lot to do in terms of Europe too.There should be scope to go to Scandinavia and more scope to go further in Germany and Italy.

Dusseldorf is one of them and we have got to get to Berlin and Frankfurt. For the financial side to prosper, we need more than Dusseldorf.

“Jet2 have done us a great favour in doing Paris but we have to look at how we strengthen our commitment to services like that. There are also some UK destinations missing. It’s all about getting out there with businesses and understanding what they are doing and what is coming up so we can work with them to bring some of these additional routes. Yorkshire is a very affluent area, so you’ve got to be catering for that side of the market too. I have been in the aviation industry for a long time but I’ve never been as excited over what can be achieved here.

“Having did what we did at Newcastle, if we can do the same for Leeds Bradford, I think everyone will be delighted.”

That legacy runs deep and Mr Laws is quick to play down suggestions it may be undone if Leeds Bradford increases its presence as a potential rival.

He said: “Why would I want to do that? I spent 35 years-plus of my life there.

“My competition is from Manchester. We have got to start looking at why people are going there. People don’t want the old seven or 14-day holidays like they once did; they want eight, nine, ten, eleven days.There is a real willingness to engage with us. What a great position to be in; you can turn left or right on the A1 and you will have a good choice. Yorkshire goes all the way up to Yarm, people are going to be spoilt for choice.

“Newcastle will continue to develop and if we can get Leeds Bradford to come out of the shadows, everyone will be delighted.”

His confidence is infectious, but for someone once charged with making the big decisions on a football field as players and the crowd scrutinised ever toot of his whistle, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

He’s known Alan Shearer for years, but he was close to Sir Bobby Robson and Brian Clough, with his time in the middle also putting him in contact with World Cup referee George Courtney.

A hip injury put paid to hopes of being a footballer, but, as he recovered, Mr Laws did his referee exams at 14 and got his FA coaching badges soon after. Work with Manchester City came from the latter, as did the beginnings of soaking up managerial practice and advice, which he still uses to this day.

He said: “I wanted to play football, but my hip injury saw to that. I did my coaching, spending a lot of my time with Cloughie, taking youngsters down to Nottingham Forest. I got to know him and his backroom staff and witnessed first-hand some of his styles, which were forthright to say the least.

“Sir Bobby was another, though he had many strings to his bow. He was a gentleman and could tell when he needed to be forthright, when he needed to put an arm around someone or when someone needed to be cajoled.

“I remember a time at the airport when Craig Bellamy was getting upset. Sir Bobby saw this and asked if they could go airside. The three of us did so and went to the place they’d be flying from. He was telling him ‘you are going to score the winning goal’ and things like that. It was all about getting Craig onside; it was a lot harder for him to go home from there.

“It was brilliant what Sir Bobby did; he was an unbelievable person and a big influence on me. I always remember too when I got on the national list of referees. George Courtney, who used to call me Lawsy, said to me: ‘Now you’re on the list, don’t change. You’re here on the back of what you’ve done. I went through the local leagues fairly quickly and I’m proud I came up through the Northern League.

“Within that was Mike Amos, Northern League chairman, and I remember my times in the league with him. These people are North-East icons.”

Being a referee, says Mr Laws, also helped when learning how to deal with people and create a team atmosphere. In that role, it wasn’t just the professionals he kept in check. Alongside an appointment to be fourth official at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in 2001, when Bolton Wanderers defeated Preston North End 3-0 in the Division One play-off final, he was the man in the middle for the last FA Vase final at the old Wembley, in 2000, as Deal Town beat Chippenham Town.

Fascinating football-related tales pour out of him, such as his memory of being the fourth official at Shearer’s testimonial against Celtic.

He added: “My thing with players was communication; if I had used my yellow card I thought I’d failed.

“I always tried to be preventative and if there was a decision a manager didn’t like I’d always go and have a look at it again. If I’d got it wrong, I’d call them on the Monday morning and apologise. It gave me credibility and they knew I was honest.”

Sometimes, however, there was a need to bend the rules ever so slightly.

“I was fourth official at Alan’s testimonial at St James’ Park,” said Mr Laws. “He’d been injured the week before in a tackle with Sunderland’s Julio Arca.

However, we agreed with Gordon Strachan (Celtic’s manager at that time) that Alan could come on in the last five minutes, that there would be a penalty and that he would take it.“But on the night when Celtic were winning, Gordon came marching up to me - he wasn’t too keen on the idea anymore!”

He may be referring to his time on the football field, but he is equally confident off it.

I have been there and I have done it,” he added.

“Being able to tap into my vast experience and my previous ability to deliver will help us here at Leeds Bradford.

“I would rather come to an airport that needs working on than one that is perceived to be finished.

“I love nothing more than getting my hands dirty and getting stuck in, and that is very much what I intend to do here.

“There are a lot of things ahead but there’s nothing that is keeping me awake at night, well maybe Rafa Benitez not getting enough money to spend on transfers.”

 

[lbaspotter]

Business Desk published a nice interview with the Airports CEO David Law. He as actually interview by Kayley Worsley whom was the ex PR and Public Affairs Manager at LBA until she left the company in September.

You'll need to registrar for free to read the full article:
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/york...il&utm_campaign=Yorkshire_18th_Dec_2017_Daily

Monday Interview: David Laws, CEO of Leeds Bradford Airport

December 18 2017

• Kayley Worsley

In his first six months in position as CEO at Leeds Bradford Airport, David Laws didn't expect to have to guide the business through the collapse of major airline, Monarch. But as the former Newcastle Airport boss reflected on the first half-year under his leadership at the airport, he insisted that things are in place to ensure growth and investment which spell positive things for Yorkshire. And he was also clear that air travel is still in demand, both for leisure and business passengers, with his sights set on introducing new ai... For the full story register now for free or login below...

 

[The Pole]

Probably wrong place to post, but here goes. Never dropped off at LBA before, however doing a drop on Friday, someone has said you can go up the bus lane and drop outside terminal as long as you drop and go, is this correct or can you only go through the car park? It is literally drop and go. Thanks for any info

 

[Britannia94]

Best bet is if your dropping somebody off is to drop off in the free one hour parking to avoid a charge, fair dos they will have to walk 5 minutes up to the terminal. If not your only option is the Express section which is a £3 charge. I don’t think you can use the bus lane for drop and go, but I could be wrong?

 

[White Heather]

The buses have their own lane into the bus station area directly outside the terminal. For cars there is a seperate drop off area, a few yards further out from the terminal and in there it is a minimum charge of £3. Beware that if you turn right off White House Lane into the terminal area, it is one way and there is no going back. The only way out then is via the drop off area and with the £3 charge. The free drop off area is signposted - but is a couple of hundred yards further down White House Lane with the entrance on the right, just below the Hotel on the opposite side. From there, passengers have a marked walkway up to the terminal - about a 5 minute walk. There are details of parking options on the airport website

 

[countdacash]

Always use the free drop off area now. Unless you have mobility issues or it is slinging it down, then it is the easiest £3 you will ever earn!

 

[airforced]

I always assumed (wrong to assume anything I know) that by using the free drop off area that you could then catch the free car park bus to the terminal. I also thought that I had read this somewhere official. Am I right on this one? However I have no idea how often the car park buses run so don't know, even if I am right, how feasible this would be. Perhaps someone would clarify please.

 

[White Heather]

I always assumed (wrong to assume anything I know) that by using the free drop off area that you could then catch the free car park bus to the terminal. I also thought that I had read this somewhere official. Am I right on this one? However I have no idea how often the car park buses run so don't know, even if I am right, how feasible this would be. Perhaps someone would clarify please.

The shuttle buses are quite frequent but go straight down White House Lane, past the free 1 hour drop off area, then turn right into the long stay car park areas. There is a link road from the long term car park link road, up to the free drop off area, but I don't think the buses go up there as it's a dead end and they would need to turn round and go back down again. Given the relatively short walk to the terminal (the airport says 4 minutes), I am not sure it would be worthwhile diverting the buses up there for what might just be a handful of passengers who don't want to do the walk. For those who cannot do the walk, then the drop off zone outside the terminal is clearly the best option, but it will cost £3. Just out of interest, I have previously suggested to LBA management that for disabled customers, they should not have to pay the full £3 to use this area. Meanwhile, in response to Consultative Committee comments, the airport MD did promise to review the parking charges for the drop off area, but without making any promises. What he has said however is that evidence is readily available to show that more and more airports are introducing the drop off charges and some not only charge more than LBA, but they don't have the free drop off zone option either.

 

[The Pole]

I went for the £3 option easy and painless, had to assist with cases to terminal. Thanks for advice.
Apparently Belfast City were she is flying to is only £1 drop off! So get him to reduce to a quid

 

[airforced]

Thanks for that clarification WH. When asking about using the free car park buses I had in mind disabled/limited mobility passengers being dropped off. In addition to walking to the terminal in inclement weather I seem to remember that (after having stayed one night at the Travelodge in the past) that it is an uphill walk which isn't too clever with luggage if it is lashing down. Maybe £3 is a reasonable price to pay in such circumstances.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

As a holder of a blue badge not sure how you would moniter giving disabled a free parking option, it would need cameras at either the exit or enterance to view card and match photo picture on the card. Otley Hospital had to remove the cameras at the entry barrier as they realised the passenger often the badge holder and possible to only see the drivers face, it became a complete farce.
Frankly I don't see why we should not pay as other users of the facilities, if we are to have a covered way to the terminal, would like their to be covered disabled bays close to this walkway, people get soaked being placed in to and out of wheel chairs and the need to get a trolley for cases etc.
My concern is the management of disabled bays, I am the Honorary Treasurer of a West Yorkshire Housing Association and we have had to make the regrettable step of removing disabled bays from our complexes as the spaces are taken by fit and well residents, causing complaints to the local authority, who have no staff to monitor the positions 24/7.
I don't know if LBA has local rules that allow them to fine people parked in disabled bays without blue badge, we have often struggled to find a bay at peak times and fairly sure those parked in the bays were not blue badge holders.

 

[White Heather]

As a holder of a blue badge not sure how you would moniter giving disabled a free parking option, it would need cameras at either the exit or enterance to view card and match photo picture on the card. Otley Hospital had to remove the cameras at the entry barrier as they realised the passenger often the badge holder and possible to only see the drivers face, it became a complete farce.
Frankly I don't see why we should not pay as other users of the facilities, if we are to have a covered way to the terminal, would like their to be covered disabled bays close to this walkway, people get soaked being placed in to and out of wheel chairs and the need to get a trolley for cases etc.
My concern is the management of disabled bays, I am the Honorary Treasurer of a West Yorkshire Housing Association and we have had to make the regrettable step of removing disabled bays from our complexes as the spaces are taken by fit and well residents, causing complaints to the local authority, who have no staff to monitor the positions 24/7.
I don't know if LBA has local rules that allow them to fine people parked in disabled bays without blue badge, we have often struggled to find a bay at peak times and fairly sure those parked in the bays were not blue badge holders.

I think you will find that most blue badge holders would prefer not to have to pay the full £3 to use the drop off zone. Lets face it - those people without any disabilities have a choice whether or not to use the free drop off zone. Those with disabilities might not have that choice, so a reduction in charges seems reasonable.

 

[dmrodgers]

I think you will find that most blue badge holders would prefer not to have to pay the full £3 to use the drop off zone. Lets face it - those people without any disabilities have a choice whether or not to use the free drop off zone. Those with disabilities might not have that choice, so a reduction in charges seems reasonable.

The LBA website states -

Picking Up and Dropping Off
If you need slightly more time to drop off passengers, we allow Blue Badge holders up to 30 minutes parking free of charge and up to 60 minutes for £3.00 in the Terminal Front Express car park.

So for the majority of blue badge holders there will be no charge for using the 'kiss and fly' car park in front of the terminal, only when they have exceed the free 30 minute period do the charges apply and at a reduced rate compared to able bodied persons.