SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I've just been on holiday in Majorca. From Leeds Bradford. We live in Morley, lat Sunday morning at 5-15am there was very little traffic on the road, it still took us 35 mnutes to the airport. Returning today at 1-30 it took 45 minutes back to Morley. We can be at Manchester in not much longer than 45 mintues. The traffic was appallingly busy, at Rawdon lights, at Horsforth roundabout, and at Dawsons Corner. Delay after delay.Whilst we were away we met some people from Doncaster, who'd flown from there. But if they can't fly from Doncaster they go to East Midlands, not Leeds, it's quicker, evne though Leeds is nearer.Doncaster Airport is sheduled to get a link from the M18. When it does Leeds Bradford had better watch out. Surely it's time a better road or rail link was built to preserve the business it already has.

I'm afraid LBA is difficult to get to from any direction. No rail link, only in recent years has it had a travel lodge built that is away from amenities so difficult to get out for something to eat without transport. It's hard to see anywhere where it could be extended. The road network is a nightmare. Would it be better relocated nearer the motorway network in South or East Leeds?

They'll not be moving the airport - it would cost far too much.And the company that owns it seems committed to screwing every last penny of profit out of the place, regardless of the "customer experience", so don't bank on them committing to any infrastructure improvements.

majorhoundii wrote: I've just been on holiday in Majorca. From Leeds Bradford. We live in Morley, lat Sunday morning at 5-15am there was very little traffic on the road, it still took us 35 mnutes to the airport. Returning today at 1-30 it took 45 minutes back to Morley. We can be at Manchester in not much longer than 45 mintues. The traffic was appallingly busy, at Rawdon lights, at Horsforth roundabout, and at Dawsons Corner. Delay after delay.Whilst we were away we met some people from Doncaster, who'd flown from there. But if they can't fly from Doncaster they go to East Midlands, not Leeds, it's quicker, evne though Leeds is nearer.Doncaster Airport is sheduled to get a link from the M18. When it does Leeds Bradford had better watch out. Surely it's time a better road or rail link was built to preserve the business it already has. Manchester in not much more than 45 minutes? Oh yes I was forgetting how clear the M62 is; hardly see another car some days.

drapesy wrote: Manchester in not much more than 45 minutes? Oh yes I was forgetting how clear the M62 is; hardly see another car some days. You say that, but a few years ago I had to drive to Knutsford every day for a project and could do it in an hour and a half most days, passing the airport in about 55 minutes, and this was at 8am. There were rarely any major delays on the clockwise side of the M60.

drapesy wrote: majorhoundii wrote: I've just been on holiday in Majorca. From Leeds Bradford. We live in Morley, lat Sunday morning at 5-15am there was very little traffic on the road, it still took us 35 mnutes to the airport. Returning today at 1-30 it took 45 minutes back to Morley. We can be at Manchester in not much longer than 45 mintues. The traffic was appallingly busy, at Rawdon lights, at Horsforth roundabout, and at Dawsons Corner. Delay after delay.Whilst we were away we met some people from Doncaster, who'd flown from there. But if they can't fly from Doncaster they go to East Midlands, not Leeds, it's quicker, evne though Leeds is nearer.Doncaster Airport is sheduled to get a link from the M18. When it does Leeds Bradford had better watch out. Surely it's time a better road or rail link was built to preserve the business it already has. Manchester in not much more than 45 minutes? Oh yes I was forgetting how clear the M62 is; hardly see another car some days. I live in Morley, I reckon on a Sunday afternoon I could do Manchester Airport in an hour, (I did Liverpool Airport Easter 2011 in about an hour and twenty) - there are more choices of flights from Manchester. On a Sunday morning at 5-00 am I bet I could do it in under an hour - without breaking any speed limits. Many of its other potential users from say Halifax or Huddersfield - or further south - Barnsley say probably choose Manchester because it's simply such a pain to get to LBA, largely because of the poor road connections.

drapesy wrote: Manchester in not much more than 45 minutes? Oh yes I was forgetting how clear the M62 is; hardly see another car some days. Living in Bramley I can get to Manchester airport in 45/50 mins easily on a good day, not always that easy of course but it can be done.Dont go round the south side of the M60 though, carry straight on over the Barton bridge and past the Trafford centre - much quicker.As for LBA, I totally agree its hard work getting there and could do with better links but exactly where would you put the better roads or even a rail link since so much has been built on in the last thirty years or so

It's a small regional airport with holiday flights. I work about 30 mins from Heathrow 2 days a week and i still don't get charged for dropping colleagues off.The reintroduction of Heathrow flights will help but as several have said LBA is not easy to get to. It can't really be extended any further and due to the way Leeds has its traffic set up, you can't speed due to the cameras and because of development on the A65, it can take 3 times as long on a weekend as it can on a weekday to get up to Rawdon lights.Personally i use the train to get to Manchester.

There seems to be some confusion as to what is the airport's correct name. In its website it logo gives "Leeds Bradford International Airport" but it otherwise mostly uses Leeds Bradford Airport.I'm probably wrong but I think it was at onetime called 'Leeds and Bradford International Airport', whose acronym of LABIA always made me snigger (that's the adolescent teenager still in me ).

I think it only had the Bradford name tagged on because Bradford was one of the few authorities that owned it before it was sold off. Why it was not called West Yorks Airport I don't know, I think Calerdale or Kirklees was the other owner with Leeds and Bradford local authorities.