Why don't we move Leeds/Bradford Airport to Finningley (DSA)

[RATATTAK]

As title really, why is this not a good idea ?

[Eric Mc]

Who do you mean by "we"?

[hepy]

Major metropolitan area of Leeds or Doncatraz?

Also, it’s very handy for some large population centres of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Leeds, moving it to Donny moves it further away from those markets.

Ps, I know it’s not in Leeds, but Manchester Airport isn’t called Wythenshawe International.

Great airport as well compared to Manchester.

[essayer]

A lot of buildings and material to move; runway, terminal, hangars etc. would be a massive undertaking.

[RATATTAK]

essayer said:

A lot of buildings and material to move; runway, terminal, hangars etc. would be a massive undertaking.

Chuckled

[ferret50]

Probably better/cheaper/make more sense to turn Finningley into an industrial estate.

[Ezra]

That would need one hell of a flat loader!

[MarkwG]

Eric Mc said:

Who do you mean by "we"?

Quite: unless the poster speaks for Infrabridge or Peel, it's not a decision for anyone else to make.

[WyrleyD]

I see from the last notice from Donny Council that Jet2 and TUI are ready to return with first flights in the first quarter 2026 and that Search and Rescue/Survey outfit 2Excel have already returned and are now operating from there and have 150 people working at Hangar 2..

[Wills2]

hepy said:

Major metropolitan area of Leeds or Doncatraz?

Also, it’s very handy for some large population centres of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Leeds, moving it to Donny moves it further away from those markets.

Ps, I know it’s not in Leeds, but Manchester Airport isn’t called Wythenshawe International.

Great airport as well compared to Manchester.

Locally it was often referred to as Yeadon Airport, famous for being the site of the Lancaster bomber factory.

[RammyMP]

Donny council have been trying to buy the airport for a while but I don’t know where they’re going to get the money from!?!

[borcy]

Doncaster probably just as easy to get to as LBA, probably easier. I always found LBA a pain to get to when i lived that way. It's alright if you live that side of leeds or the bottom end of N yorks.

[surveyor]

RammyMP said:

Donny council have been trying to buy the airport for a while but I don’t know where they’re going to get the money from!?!

They have secured a long lease on the site. In the process of appointing an Operator to run the airport.

[Collectingbrass]

RATATTAK said:

As title really, why is this not a good idea ?

Have you ever tried to get two Yorkshire men to agree to anything, never mind two councils stuffed full of them!

[Wills2]

Collectingbrass said:

RATATTAK said:

As title really, why is this not a good idea ?

Have you ever tried to get two Yorkshire men to agree to anything, never mind two councils stuffed full of them!

It's probably got more to do with the fact that the Leeds Bradford conurbation is the 4th largest urban area in the UK and home to 40% of the Yorkshire and Humber regions population, moving the airport to Doncaster would be absurd.

[smac]

Better to Church Fenton or Rufforth

[Feirny]

hepy said:

Major metropolitan area of Leeds or Doncatraz?

Also, it’s very handy for some large population centres of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Leeds, moving it to Donny moves it further away from those markets.

Ps, I know it’s not in Leeds, but Manchester Airport isn’t called Wythenshawe International.

Great airport as well compared to Manchester.

It's easier and quicker to get from J26 M62 to DSA than it is to LBA.

As someone who grew up next to DSA and now lives next to J26 I do this trip often

[aeropilot]

WyrleyD said:

I see from the last notice from Donny Council that Jet2 and TUI are ready to return with first flights in the first quarter 2026 and that Search and Rescue/Survey outfit 2Excel have already returned and are now operating from there and have 150 people working at Hangar 2..

I wasn't aware that CAA had granted opening up the closed airspace there yet, and with no operator appointed, there will be no ATC or fire cover either I wouldn't have thought, so not sure what they mean by 'operating from'...?

[Muddle238]

I'd be quite happy if they closed LBA without replacement and built houses on the site. Dreadful place to have an airport. Same goes for Bristol.

[WyrleyD]

aeropilot said:

WyrleyD said:

I see from the last notice from Donny Council that Jet2 and TUI are ready to return with first flights in the first quarter 2026 and that Search and Rescue/Survey outfit 2Excel have already returned and are now operating from there and have 150 people working at Hangar 2..

I wasn't aware that CAA had granted opening up the closed airspace there yet, and with no operator appointed, there will be no ATC or fire cover either I wouldn't have thought, so not sure what they mean by 'operating from'...?

It seems that it's being used as a maintenance facility for their aircraft. Son-in-law is working on a pipeline adjacent to the airport at Finningley and said he's seen the Piper Navajo coming and going so not sure what ATC is being used but their own statement says they will be operating "unlicensed" flights from the airport similar to what they are doing from Lasham for the time being.