A quick history of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBIA)
Now one of the UK’s busiest regional airports serving passengers from the Pennines to the Peak District and beyond, Leeds Bradford Airport has risen quickly from humble beginnings. Find out more about its fascinating history with this quick overview put together by Leeds airport parking specialists LCS Parking.
Yeadon aerodrome is born
The current Leeds Bradford airport site was first opened as a small aerodrome in October 1931 and known as Yeadon aerodrome after the North Leeds suburb in which it was located. The airfield was operated by Yorkshire Aeroplane Club and was designed to serve the needs of private aviation enthusiasts and passionate hobbyists rather than the general public.
With the rise in popularity of air travel however, it wasn’t long before the public’s appetite for taking to the skies resulted in the expansion of the site and the introduction of the first scheduled flights.
The early years
The first scheduled flights from Leeds Bradford Airport were run by the now long-defunct North Eastern Airways and provided regular sorties between London, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Before the outbreak of war in 1939, services continued to improve at the airfield with the addition of routes to Doncaster, Liverpool, the Isle of Man and Aberdeen, and the emergence of the first terminal buildings.
During the Second World War
Between 1939 and 1945 the fledgling airport was turned over to the military. British aircraft manufacturer AVRO built an aircraft factory just north of the airfield which produced many of the iconic wartime planes including around 700 Lancaster bombers.
The factory’s production line was directly linked by taxiway to the airport to enable the swift movement of aircraft and munitions, and military defences were set up around the Otley Chevin to protect the location from attack.
The airfield also underwent major cosmetic and structural changes during this period to accommodate the needs of its military owners. Developments included the addition of two new runways, new taxiways and extra hangar facilities to enable the military to test and develop their fleet.
The post war period
Civil aviation was slow to get going again in the years succeeding the war, partly due to pressures on the public purse and partly due to a general distaste for flying and its recent associations. It wasn’t until 1947 that the first limited passenger services resumed at the airport, and it would be more than a decade before the first scheduled flights to London were reintroduced along with new routes to Europe.
With the emergence of the foreign package holiday in the 1960s, a new runway was opened to accommodate the increased traffic that it brought, followed by a new terminal building in 1968.
1970s and 80s
The airport’s popularity and status continued to grow during the 1970s with the addition of new package holiday routes to Spain, and in 1978 the former aerodrome was officially recognised as a regional airport.
The runways and facilities were upgraded further in the 1980s and new transatlantic routes were added to the airport’s list of destinations, including regular flights to and from Toronto. During the 80s and 90s Concorde also became a visitor to the airport as part of BA’s charter flights to Paris.
Recent times
In recognition of the need to continue attracting charter airlines to the region, Leeds Bradford Airport relaxed its restricted operating hours to accommodate 24 hour flights in 1994. This was something which paved the way for the introduction of low budget airlines at the site in the late 90s and early noughties, when the likes of Jet2 opened new homes at the airport.
Throughout the noughties, the airport has continued to grow apace with new improved passenger facilities and the addition of routes to new routes to the UK, Europe and Pakistan.
Looking ahead
The airport has been owned by private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital who purchased it from Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield councils for £145.5m in 2007. The new owners announced their intention to undertake a £28m redevelopment of the site in 2008 and submitted planning permission to Leeds City Council in 2009.
The plans promise the redevelopment and expansion of terminal buildings and improved check-in and retail facilities for passengers among other things.