Leeds Bradford Airport wants flights from 6am

The facility currently has permission to operate flights during the day between 7am and 11pm, but as part of early plans for a brand new £150m terminal, the airport also wishes to extend its operating times to 6am-11.30pm.

According to a report from Leeds City Council officers, LBA wants to make the changes to ‘accommodate new airline operators’ and bring the airport in line with other facilities across the UK.

LBA also claimed its current restrictions give it a ‘competitive disadvantage’ with other UK airports.

The report listed 10 other airports across the UK, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, which all operated flights between 6am-11.30pm.

It stated: “LBA wish to change the day time regime for flights at the airport by reducing the current restrictions during the night to one additional hour in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening.

“LBA states that this is to accommodate new airline operators and designations including a greater emphasis on business flights.

“LBA also states that this change in flight time regime will bring the airport in line with the large majority of the operations of other UK commercial airports and enable

LBA to increase passenger numbers from the existing [four million passengers per annum] to [seven million passengers per annum] by 2030.

“LBA considers that the current restriction on the flights outside of the hours of 7am and 11pm, places the airport at a competitive and economic disadvantage compared to almost every airport in the UK, particularly those with which LBA competes for airlines and passengers in the north of the country.”

“Pre-application” plans into the proposed rebuild of LBA’s terminal are set to be discussed by Leeds City Council’s city plans panel on Thursday, January 31.