Wishlist and Predictions for 2024

[Seasider]

I would like LBA to be developing a new "interlining" destination (FRA or CDG) and, more importantly, retain the services they already have.

 

[Jordan-34092]

Hopefully this time next year we will all be liking to see happen a LBA-EWR/JFK route 😆

 

[Aviador]

Firstly I've joined the thread with the Predictions 2011 thread so people can go back and have a laugh at what people put for the last twelve months.

Here goes for my 2012 predictions.

I'm going to do two scenarios based on the economy.

Scenarios 1
I think the economy could stay much the same with a very gradual improvement towards the end of the year (2012). Based on this being the case here is what I feel the next twelve months will bring.

Terminal The terminal work continues to run behind schedule and it's completion runs into the busy summer season.

Work to extend the passenger Central Screening Zone using the area currently occupied by Duty Free is delayed until the winter season (2012/13) The general passenger experience is greatly enhanced and the terminal development will be well received by most people.

The airport announces new projects to widen and extend the apron from stands 9-18 along with the reconstruction of taxiway November.

Further news is forthcoming regarding the possibility of a new airport station. The government declines money to take the project further and insists private money will be required if the airport wishes to develop a new station at the airport. The government also advises that no new rolling stock will be made available before 2030.

Airlines The year will be challenging for all airlines locally and nationally. Thomas Cook manage to keep the LBA base open having achieved good loads.

Jet2 announce some head office staff to relocate to central Leeds allowing more space at LBA for Jet2 holidays staff to further expand that side of the business. No announcement of new aircraft to be based at LBA but the airline announces a couple of new summer destinations totally new to LBA for the following year. Routes to Belfast and Amsterdam go to once daily.

Ryanair announce additional new routes with another aircraft for the following summer. New winter flights added for winter 2012/13. The airline continues a good relation with the airport authority because of it's prudent approach to expansion.

Eastern Airways adds new routes to Scandinavia and continental Europe.

A totally new airline to LBA announces a new route to a European capital city.

BMI disappear from LBA altogether and Flybe fail to capitalise on this with respects to taking on the Glasgow or Edinburgh routes.

Overall a very challenging year for all airports but LBA performs better than most primarily because it is still making up so much lost ground.

Scenarios 2 is very gloomy but unfortunately still a possibility if the global economic conditions deteriorate further.

Terminal work is completed behind schedule. Additional work to expand the apron and improve taxiway November is cancelled due to the state of the economy.

Airlines Thomas Cook disappear altogether.

BMI disappears completely along with all routes served by them.

Jet2 scrap Amsterdam and Belfast

Flybe consolidation leads to the loss of Aberdeen and Exeter.

Ryanair say they are happy with the performance of the routes from LBA but make no new expansion.

 

[User0001]

1 AND ONLY SCENARIO

The terminal adjustment / retail creation work remains on schedule (was never due to start until very late 2011). The reduced scale of the project has been planned for 2 years hence why it has now bugun immediately. Bridgepoint know the retail units must be ready for the summer season to make money.

The rain shelter that is proposed to reach to between aircraft stands 9 and 10 has to be rethought after nearly blowing away in spring winds!--That's if it is even started as managers are worried about the derision and questioning it may cause.

There are no plans to spend money on any apron / taxyway / runway works and therefore none are started.

The media etc continue to believe that this is an £11 million project as part of an £28 million terminal expansion project (as part of a £70 million spend over 10 years.) :nea:

 

[Seasider]

I thought it was suggested that we await the completion of the terminal works before we post any criticism?(If needed)

 

[User0001]

Hi Seasider,

there is no criticism in my post. Just prediction.

Although I would say that the suggestion I get from this forum is that we are all invited to voice our opinions of the goings on (or not) at LBA. If you are happy with the situation then fine but others like myself are not altogether satisfied with events both in the past and possibly in the future.

 

[Aviador]

It was suggested but if people feel they need to add further that's fine. The forum would be a boring place if we all agreed with one another all of the time.

 

[Aviador]

Well it's that time of the year again when we put our tin hat on and make all sort of outrageous predictions that probably won't happen. Any thoughts for 2015....?

 

[Moo2009]

Wizz air to start opps from LBA

PIA to return with the 777

 

[yorkie40]

American airlines daily to new york and emirates daily to dubai then I woke up

 

[lbaspotter]

1/ Ryanair to reduce LBA operations to 2 based aircraft with the 3rd been moved to Manchester..
2/ Flybe to start some more routes..
3/ Monarch to make Alicante route a year round operation.
4/ Jet2 start to replace the ageing 757-200 with further B737-800's and possible new routes.
5/ My big wish is that British Airways start to night stop and offer an early morning departure to Heathrow.
6/ Aer Lingus to maybe look at going 3x daily on Dublin due to ryanair reduction in flights.
7/ Either Pegasus or Turkish Airlines to open up a Istanbul service.
8/ Eastern look into a new route to utilise the spare 3 based aircraft (Jetstream 41) instead of it been parked up.

 

[Bigman]

Funnily enough I will go with what lbaspotter said. I would like to see Newquay and Guernsey as FlyBe routes. I would also like to see an increase in Belfast rotations.

Anyway, my big off the wall not a cat in hells chance guess would be a 4 x weekly Qatar A319 to Doha.

 

[jason1-11]

What might happen:

• BA to maintain current “ops” with no night stopper
• Eastern to throw the towel in (again) on Aberdeen and Southampton routes
• Additional Jet 2 summer “ops,” possibly BLK displaced aircraft, but with the emphasis on the med and not city routes
• Ryanair and Monarch to maintain 3 and 2 x based aircraft respectively

What I’d like to see:

• Flybe base to open with 2 aircraft feeding Paris and Belfast with Copenhagen and Hamburg slotted in during the day
• BMI to return with double daily Brussels
• Thomson to fully utilise their based aircraft at LBA and receive some “w” from other bases.
• Negotiations with Turkish Airlines to be stepped up

 

[752]

I would like to see:

Monarch having ALC as a year round route, with additional frequencies added in the future say x5/6 weekly
Jet2 adding a couple of polish routes
Thomson adding more Winter services using W patterns aircraft to the likes of ACE, LPA & FUE and utilising its based aircraft better (They have added HER which is a positive)
The return of SSH (Monarch, Jet2 or Thomson are welcome to that)
Aer Lingus up to x3 daily, which I did read somewhere that they was interested in a 3rd rotation
BA night stop (one can dream)
Flybe Base with x2 aircraft

And for my final wish, the return of PIA! Using the 777 of course!

Does anyone know any more information from Jet2 when they stated that more is to come?!?!

 

[lbaspotter]

Does anyone know any more information from Jet2 when they stated that more is to come?!?!

That's the Million $ question, And it seems know one wants to answer it for us!

It's worth noting that the airport website has not been updated since October News wise and Tony Hallwood has been really quite of late. Saying that he has in the past sprung an early xmas surprise for us with a new route announcements

 

[Aviador]

Here's my take then.

This is based on the Chancellors predictions of reduced growth for at least the next two years. Even when the economy is growing we have only seen limited growth at LBA. I think this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

• Jet2 withdraw Amsterdam & Düsseldorf
  
• new BMI or Flybe base to takeover Amsterdam & Düsseldorf with at least one other additional route.
  
• Little or no movement regarding terminal development as airport enters 8th year under Bridgepoint ownership
  
• New airline to commence operation to a new route.

 

[LBA787]

Eastern airways buy a fleet of A380's and fly them on numerous domestic shuttles from LBA!

Seriously....

All I ask for is growth!

:crazy:

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Let's make a few;

Personal
*Hopefully achieve and graduate with a First or very high 2:1 in air transport management.
*Gain a Private Pilots Licence.
*Start the application for BA future pilot programme.

Political
*UKIP to put in roads into both Labour heartlands, and Conservative swing sweats.
*SNP to take the majority of seats from Labour in Scotland
*Probably a Coalition government between Con/UKIP. - If labour and the two ed's get in charge i'm bailing the sinking ship. Wouldn't trust either with a £1, or to make a good cup of tea let alone running the country

Heathrow
*Airport's commission to agree with Heathrow Hub in regards 3rd Runway.
*Also state the option for the fourth runway is good and therefore agree that a 4th Runway does need to be built on the southerly side as and when capacity demands
*The government to grow a back bone about the subject whoever it is.

LBA
*Ryanair to either

• a) Grow for Winter 15/16 and into Summer 16 with the 4th based aircraft.
  b) Shrink from 3 to 2 aircraft for Summer 15.

*Eastern airways to grow with another based aircraft offering more 'eastern' routes e.g. Norway perhaps,
*Flybe to announce the opening of a "base" to offer business routes/leisure routes.
*Monarch to announce ALC yearly throughout the winter, with more destinations in winter (will LPA return next year?)
*Jet2 to grow MAN over LBA. Winter 15/16 to grow a little, Summer 16.
*Thomson to not grow;

• *Wish list - Thomson to grow the LBA base with less W patterns from our base, and more from other bases (MAN)
  *To become either based in Winter to the four canary destinations, Sharm and Ski routes
  *OR - to use W patterns from the canaries for Regional airports e.g. ABZ/NWI/LBA from ACE/LPA. If not share a winter A/c with those bases.

*Sharm to become a destination - Jet2 perhaps with the growth from Jet2 Holidays.
*BA to continue with little growth. Maybe eventually the A320 or the night stopper if they can.
*LBA to publish its masterplan at long last with some realistic options in regards to growth and infrastructure.
*Talks to Turkish airlines, Wizzair, and Lufthansa to step up.

 

[doofhead]

I would like to see a runway extension to eliminate any doubt about aircraft capabilities and progression on terminal extension and extra parking spaces for aircraft. This in turn to encourage more airlines in and new routes. Also would like to see government and local authorities to have can and will do attitude to progress instead of doddering and having public enquiries blah blah blah. I would like them to adopt the way China has progressed. I went on a tour of China in July and was amazed at how they are building for the future at there airports. If we had there attitude all of the above would have been done and transport links would have been done too.. PS does santa have enough room in his sack for the above. :s_mad .

 

[Tarn Spotter]

My Hope for 2015 - Jet2 to sort out cabin luggage, they cant operate the chaos of the last two years. They need to take lessons from the Ryanair limit of 90 cabin cases.
2) Scottish parliament to abolish APD, SNP westminster members can then force through in Westminster after May next year.
3) Davies Airport Commission wakes up and smells the coffee and goes for Boris airport and two runways and LHR.
4) We forget about runway lengths and local weather and all get behind supporting LBA, warts and all.