Leeds Bradford Airport sees 256k passengers travel through during pandemic

People boarded or got off international flights at the airport 265,865 times between April and November, the latest Civil Aviation Authority data shows. However, this was still only 9% of the 3 million recorded over the same period in 2019.

The figures include arrivals and departures, and travellers who changed from one aircraft to another as part of the same journey.

The Government recently scrapped all travel corridors – which had allowed people to enter the country from certain destinations without self-isolating – to prevent the spread of new Covid-19 variants.

The major policy shift came after ministers announced inbound travellers must now test negative for Covid-19 before boarding a plane.

But the Government has come under fire for not acting sooner to tighten up the UK’s borders. PM Boris Johnson defended travel measures after it was reported that Home Secretary Priti Patel had backed tougher restrictions during the early stages of the pandemic.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: “The Government’s dither and delay in taking action saw vital opportunities to help curb the spread of the virus missed.”

The most common country for international departures and arrivals at Leeds Bradford Airport was Greece – around 57,900 passengers - followed by Spain (46,200) and Turkey (41,300).

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: “The UK border has remained open to ensure critical flows of goods and people have been able to continue, while measures for new arrivals such as self-isolation and testing are helping to keep the public safe.”