Leeds Bradford: TUI Airways Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[HX3]

I didn’t say they were new, but like you say they are focusing more on the use of third party flights, so Tui will remove flights where there is sufficient capacity. They have done this with FAO and PFO (in the winter) from Man, so not just at their non-bases like LBA.

 

[Jerry]

Its transferring the one flight to DSA.🙄

Or using the aircraft for something else at it's based airport?

 

[Len Fish]

It may be a sign of the relatively poor performance of the TUI Northern Region which includes the U.K., Ireland and the Nordic countries. Although the TUI Group as a whole increased its profits in 2025 the profits of the Northern Region declined so it stands to reason they will be looking critically at the Northern operation. Of course this decline all stems from them not being able to fly from DSA, the jewel in the crown of their U.K. operations!

 

[lbaspotter]

PMI goes from 3 to 2x weekly for S27, with the Sunday flight being removed

The Sunday w-legged Leeds - Palma flight is operated by Manchester based aircraft & crews.

As usual I suspect TUi have dropped our service seen as they have just added some extra flights out of Manchester for next summer 2027 and I bet that's where our allocated aircraft is going instead.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039806029542588652

 

[CM.]

TUI resume Leeds ops from this Tuesday.

Looks like an aircraft will night stop tomorrow night positioning in from Stansted and operate to Palma on Tuesday morning 06:00am departure

 

[YorkshireLad]

This may have been mentioned before, but with TUI offering holidays to quite a few places using easyJet and Ryanair, are they block-booking seats on these flights or do they just get what's available?

 

[SierraHotel]

It appears that TUI are reducing their LBA ops from S27 with only 4 flights per week ( 2 x PMI, 1 x DBV and 1 x CFU).

 

[LBAYORKIE]

That's bad news. We have all been saying the lack of significant growth has been due to the on-going building work. With that scheduled to finish before next Summer maybe thats not the case.

Other than some limited expansion by Jet2 we are actually seeing reductions from airlines we had pinned our hopes on.

 

[Finger66]

It appears that TUI are reducing their LBA ops from S27 with only 4 flights per week ( 2 x PMI, 1 x DBV and 1 x CFU).

Can we start a new thread called "Route Undevelopment and Rumours" because we seem to be suffering a bit just now

 

[Speedbird1]

Can we start a new thread called "Route Undevelopment and Rumours" because we seem to be suffering a bit just now

I can’t see TUI staying too much longer as all there flying is operated on “W” patterns which just add large amounts of cost.

What is going on at the moment? easyJet, Sun Express, Wizz and TUI all massively reducing or leaving. All airlines (bar TUI) who have only come to LBA in the past 5 years. Can’t be good for confidence of new airlines they are trying to attract.

 

[SierraHotel]

The TUI flights from LBA are cruise flights which have always been well used. I dont foresee TUI removing these flights.

 

[Speedbird1]

The TUI flights from LBA are cruise flights which have always been well used. I dont foresee TUI removing these flights.

Not the way TUI will be working going forward unfortunately. The main focus is to be more of a commercial airline than a tour operator. Marella will still be a customer but that won’t be how networks are decided. Cost will play a big part.

In my opinion anything that doesn’t have a based aircraft (even just for summer) will be under huge scrutiny.

 

[YorkshireLad]

TUI have never been willing to give LBA a proper go, and whoever pins their hopes on TUI expansion really should think again - we’re never going to have a significant TUI presence and we haven’t for decades

 

[LBA4EVER]

At this rate we will only be seeing jet2 and ryanair at LBA next year! Who will be next, wizz pulling out! People can say what they want "oh its because fuel prices have increased, the orange man, MAN over the hill," etc etc Nah im afraid to say they is deffinetly something not right, what the heck is going off! This is west yorkshire with a huge catchment area and 200million of investment going into LBA, it just does not add up, i still put lack of new airlines and routes on the stigma the airport has due to certain things but surely airlines can see beyond that now esp with the millions of investment happening at the airport.

 

[752]

W patterns adding costs, airport like MME & HUY should be very worried also. Agreed not good at all. What on earth is going on?

 

[Aviador]

TUI have never been willing to give LBA a proper go, and whoever pins their hopes on TUI expansion really should think again - we’re never going to have a significant TUI presence and we haven’t for decades

Back in the day - pre Doncaster era Tui / Thomson had a very good relationship with LBA and they actively promoted LBA and supported the airports efforts to obtain relaxed night flying hours.

When you look at the cold commercial facts, it’s completely obvious why LBA management pivoted so aggressively.

Thomson may have provided the vital political cover to help the airport win those 24-hour night flying rights in 1994, but a single based aircraft was never going to unlock the airport’s true potential. It was an old school, low-frequency charter model that had hit its ceiling and wasn't providing LBA with the growth it needed.

Then Jet2 turns up in 2003 and completely blows Thomson out of the water. Offering an immediate four-aircraft base with a guaranteed contractual commitment to add at least two aircraft a year for the foreseeable future. It was a commercial proposition no airport operator on the planet could turn down.

Following that, the airport had a spat with Thomson bosses as they were being pushed out of B-Hall. To put this into perspective, it wasn't a case of LBA being deliberately disrespectful to a historic partner, it was a pure capacity play. Jet2 was delivering a massive, high utilisation scheduled network that required priority infrastructure and lightning fast 30-minute turnarounds. Thomson's single aircraft charter operation simply didn't have the commercial weight to demand prime terminal real estate anymore.

Thomson might have used the opening of Doncaster in 2005 as a convenient exit strategy, but looking back, LBA had already backed the absolute right horse for long term passenger volume. Jet2 completely built the modern-day Yeadon we see today.

 

[Pudseylad]

It goes without saying that AENA would have been extremely diligent in their approach to buying the majority of shares in LBA.
I highly doubt they would have parted with their brass if they had sniffed out any issues with the airport or if they didn't think that it had potential.

 

[Finger66]

Let's look at the positives and negatives here starting with the latter:
TUI: Perhaps lost their way generally, not just at LBA
easyJet: Big changes coming network wide as part of the Castlelake takeover (proposed)
Wizz: Losing faith with the UK market generally:
Industry as a whole: In some challenging times
Moving on to the positives:
Ryanair: Expanding at LBA and have supposedly applied for loads more slots.
KLM: Ultimately now E295s outside of summer holiday season
Emerald: Maintaining good frequencies on both routes
Jet2: Steady LBA growth with new routes and have made LBA what it is today.
AENA: As is said wouldn't have invested without any development potential.
Yes this may in the short term mean mainly Jet2 and Ryanair but I would take that any day over the pre Jet2 days.
It isn't an ideal situation but it's one that reflects an industry in a certain amount of turmoil. Think I am frustrated rather than worried about what is currently going on and we certainly shouldn't be surprised with any of this TUI related.

 

[lbaspotter]

It appears that TUI are reducing their LBA ops from S27 with only 4 flights per week ( 2 x PMI, 1 x DBV and 1 x CFU).

I’m more surprised that this TUI cut has been brought back up again. As it was posted on here way back in April by user @CWL94 see below.

PMI goes from 3 to 2x weekly for S27, with the Sunday flight being removed

TUI/Thomson/Britannia have never really committed to LBA, they we quick to move ops down to DSA when it opened. Then when if closed moved 2x aircraft to EMA & MAN, LBA got a token additional flights that’s all. It I’ll happen again If and when DSA ever reopens too.

Oh don’t even get me started on the topic crews regularly diverting to MAN so they got home early.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

So do we all still think there will be an increase in airlines/destinations when the terminal works are completed?

And if not how are the airport are to get to the 7m figure they are aiming for- and must have to be able to pay back the loans on the terminal?