Leeds Bradford Airport looking to unlock Yorkshire’s international connectivity for years to come

With the opening of the new terminal extension at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) in June, airport CEO Vincent Hodder is making the most of celebrating the potential economic growth opportunities and future international connectivity for Yorkshire.

“We unveiled our Vision 2030 strategy in August last year and since then LBA has been on a transformational journey,” says Hodder. “Backed by £200 million in private investment, our plans will create 5,500 new jobs and contribute nearly £1 billion to the local economy as we aim to reach an anticipated seven million passengers a year by 2030.”

The first part of this transformation is the £100 million extension of the existing terminal which opened to customers in June. Passengers now benefit from more seating, new shops and eateries, a larger baggage reclaim area and immigration hall. The second phase, a complete refurbishment of the airport’s existing facilities has already kicked off and will include improved security and check-in areas, alongside larger duty free, retail and arrivals areas. 

“We are increasing terminal floorspace by 38% per cent, as well as making investments in the existing airfield to create up to 10 new aircraft stands for overnight LBA-based aircraft. These stands are intended to attract airline partners to base quieter and more efficient planes, as well as provide options to introduce new destinations and build upon existing routes. These modern aircraft have on average 21% more seats available than the current offering. All in all, this investment makes LBA a more attractive opportunity to a wider variety of airlines and we want this to be reflected in the choice available to our customers.”

LBA has highlighted ambitions to secure more routes to European hub airports with onward connectivity, as well as potential new destinations in the Middle East.

This improved connectivity can only help to boost the Yorkshire region which already has a diverse and dynamic economy with strengths in multiple traditional sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture, but also financial services and the digital industry. The region is home to 8.1% of the UK’s working age population and it contributed 6.4% of the UK’s economic activity in terms of GVA in 2022.

The Leeds City Region is one of the UK’s leading locations for foreign and direct investment, with significant interest in the digital and business services sectors. It has also firmly established itself as the UK’s leading centre for financial, legal, and professional services, with over 30 national and international banks based here. It is also a digital powerhouse, home to expertise in creative media, data analytics, cyber security, FinTech, telecoms, health and education technologies.

“Demand for air travel in our region is currently under-served and, out of the eleven million yearly journeys that originate within Yorkshire, we serve four million plus. Investment in the airport’s infrastructure and customer experience will open opportunities for Leeds Bradford Airport to serve significantly more journeys within the local catchment area.”

“Our LBA: REGEN goal is to increase our passenger numbers to 7 million per annum by 2030 and nearly 10 million per annum by 2045. To do this, we must invest in infrastructure to make our airport fit for the future. For too long, LBA has gone without, and it is now vital for us to respond to the changing needs of our passengers, business partners and employees so we can continue to offer an airport our region can be proud of.”

As well as the terminal improvements, investment in the runway and new aircraft stands, further developments include a new rail station, a new airport hotel and new and enhanced car parking facilities. Driving forward Yorkshire’s economic expansion will require the additional support of over 12,000 jobs by 2030; increasing the number of well paid, highly skilled aviation jobs available in the region.

“Leeds Bradford Airport already brings substantial benefits to the region’s economy by improving connectivity, bringing visitors to the region and providing employment opportunities for local people. With our commitment to further enhancements, the future of both the airport and the local area is incredibly bright. Our pipeline of ambitious development projects will deliver on Leeds Bradford Airport’s mission to be an outstanding airport, connecting Yorkshire to the world.”