Corpt

I know, but it’s a bit of a trek from the terminal.

fcfc

Do BA continue to provide fast track passes on all their LBA/LHR flights for ALL ticket types?

KARFA

Yes, all BA passengers get fast track security. No pass required so you don't need to collect anything from the check in desks, just head down the fast track security lane and show your bp.

S_W_S

They did last time I flew from there back in May, due to the sheer number of Tui cruises passengers travelling on Aer Lingus check in staff were proactively telling passengers that they could use fast track and how to get to the separate lane.

dewsburyborn

Wasn't there talk a few years ago of the possibility of relocating the airport to a site down by Stourton at the then end of the M1 ? A huge area of flat land around there.

I think it didn't really get started due to the fact that LBA could no longer be called that as it was not equidistant from Leeds and Bradford and so Bradford council would not continue to fund it.

KARFA - can you fill us in on the details ?

A lot of new houses in for PP in Otley at the moment - around 1,000 or so. The roads won't take it. Might bring a train line back in (please, no !) Wouldn't be that hard to spur off it up to the airport.

KARFA

I must admit I don't know about that dewsburyborn, perhaps before my days flying around? You are right that if you stated from scratch you wouldn't put the airport where it is. You would put it somewhere down near where the M62/M1/A1 meet, probably near an existing train line as well, on lower ground too, and have a runway alignment that was in line with the prevailing wind.


Have been doing a little reading and interestingly when this route was being planned back in April 2012 the first suggestion of flight schedules was this:

BA8583 LBA 0615 LHR 0720

BA8582 LHR 1105 LBA 1210
BA8585 LBA 1320 LHR 1420

BA8576 LHR 1730 LBA 1835
BA8593 LBA 1910 LHR 2015

BA8578 LHR 2130 LBA 2235

If the passenger numbers warranted a night stopper this would be a great schedule for LBA.

However by the time the route was announced in June 2012 this is what was loaded for the start in December 2012:

BA1340 LHR 0700 LBA 0800
BA1341 LBA 0925 LHR 1025

BA1346 LHR 1120 LBA 1220
BA1347 LBA 1515 LHR 1615

BA1342 LHR 1350 LBA 1450
BA1343 LBA 1605 LHR 1705

BA1344 LHR 1850 LBA 1950
BA1345 LBA 2050 LHR 2150

Frankly 4 rotations a day was a bit too much and some of them were due to operate with A320s rather than A319s. LBA would have two BA aircraft at the airport in the afternoon and departing within an hour of each other! This was reduced to the much more appropriate 3 rotations M-F & Sun and 2 rotations on Sat from the Summer 2013 timetable.

Also when the route first started it went in to T1, but moved across to T5 I think around April 2013.