Leeds Bradford Airport

Leeds Bradford Airport can be found in Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District of West Yorkshire, England, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) northwest of the city center, and approximately 14 kilometers (9 miles) from Bradford city center. The facility offers services to Leeds and Bradford and the wider Yorkshire region, including Wakefield and York, and Harrogate, and is acknowledged to be the largest airport in Yorkshire. Previously LBA was in public ownership. However, in May 2007, it was purchased by Bridgepoint Capital for £145.5 million. Bridgepoint then sold it to AMP Capital.

Leeds Bradford Airport

Leeds Bradford Airport can be found in Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District of West Yorkshire, England, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) northwest of the city center, and approximately 14 kilometers (9 miles) from Bradford city center. The facility offers services to Leeds and Bradford and the wider Yorkshire region, including Wakefield and York, and Harrogate, and is acknowledged to be the largest airport in Yorkshire. Previously LBA was in public ownership. However, in May 2007, it was purchased by Bridgepoint Capital for £145.5 million. Bridgepoint then sold it to AMP Capital.

History

Leeds Bradford officially opened on 17 October 1931. At the time, it was referred to as Leeds and Bradford Municipal Aerodrome or Yeadon Aerodrome; some of the locals call it Yeadon Airport to this day. Initially used for training purposes and general aviation early on, the first scheduled flights began on 8 April 1935. For accommodating passenger traffic, constructions started on the first terminal in the late 1930s. However, only the first wing was finished before World War II. British aircraft manufacturer Avro built a shadow factory to the north side of the aerodrome, which represented the most massive free-standing structure in Europe at that time. Avro produced around 5,515 aircraft before its closure in December 1946.

A new runway was opened in 1965. After Yeadon’s terminal building was destroyed in a fire, a necessary replacement was finished in 1968. In the early 1980s, the completion of the extension of runways was finally completed, which allowed it to be classified as a regional facility. On the same day as a runway extension was opened, Wardair started transatlantic flights to Toronto.

Further Concorde charter flights followed until 2000. In 1994, LBA operational hour limitations were removed, allowing flights at any time of day. Since 1996, the terminal has been significantly expanded in terms of facilities and size. In 2007, approximately 2.9 million passengers passed through the facility.