Airport Guide
Leeds Bradford Airport
Situated almost equidistance between two of the UK's biggest cities, Leeds Bradford Airport has enjoyed a fruitful few years of late.
From humble origins, it has benefited from the cheap flights revolution and now offers a gateway from the north of England to a host of European destinations, both for leisure travellers and business people coming out of or into the booming Leeds city centre. Alongside the shiny Boeing 737s, however, passengers can still see small twin-engine planes being used for flying lessons, as the airport is one of the only major terminals still used for pilot instruction as well as for commercial flights.
Unlike many other UK airports, Leeds Bardford hosted commercial flights in the years before the Second World War, with services operating from what was then Yeadon Airport to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Blackpool on a regular basis. Once the war started, such civil use stopped and the site was used for the testing of aircraft produced nearby, including Lancaster Bombers. Commercial services recommenced as soon as peace was achieved, with an international service to Dusseldorf added in 1955.
A new runway and terminal building built in 1965 and 1968 respectively meant Leeds Bradford was well-placed to cope with the birth of the package holiday and 1976 saw the first charter flight to Spain leave the airport, with thousands more to follow.
Notably, a transatlantic service to Toronto was operated for a few years in the 1980s, but it was the growth of cheap flights that made the airport the terminal it is today.
Additional work to the terminal in 1995 and an expansion of the runway in 2005 means Leeds Bradford is now able to cope with almost three million passengers a year.
The airport is perhaps best reached by car, with easy links in place to West Yorkshire and the north of England in general, while parking facilities are good.
There is no train station serving the airport, though there are regular connections to Leeds City railway station, from where there are also regular long-distance coach services offering affordable travel to the rest of the UK.
The tarmac at Leeds Bradford is largely dominated by the red and white livery of the budget airline Jet2.com. Since arriving just a few years ago, the carrier has introduced cheap flights to more than a dozen destinations across the UK and continental Europe, including Barcelona, Madrid, Krakow, Paris, Rome, Milan, Prague and Venice. In comparison, rival Ryanair only flies to Dublin and Shannon from the airport. Flybe operates affordable services to Belfast, Bergerac, Exeter and Southampton, while Manx2, KLM and Aer Arran fly to the Isle of Man, Amsterdam and Cork respectively.
Notably, regular services to Islamabad are offered by Shaheen Air International.
During the summer months, these services are complemented by a host of charter flights, including those operated by Thomas Cook and First Choice, with an emphasis on sunshine resort destinations.
From humble origins, it has benefited from the cheap flights revolution and now offers a gateway from the north of England to a host of European destinations, both for leisure travellers and business people coming out of or into the booming Leeds city centre. Alongside the shiny Boeing 737s, however, passengers can still see small twin-engine planes being used for flying lessons, as the airport is one of the only major terminals still used for pilot instruction as well as for commercial flights.
History of Leeds Bradford Airport
Unlike many other UK airports, Leeds Bardford hosted commercial flights in the years before the Second World War, with services operating from what was then Yeadon Airport to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Blackpool on a regular basis. Once the war started, such civil use stopped and the site was used for the testing of aircraft produced nearby, including Lancaster Bombers. Commercial services recommenced as soon as peace was achieved, with an international service to Dusseldorf added in 1955.
A new runway and terminal building built in 1965 and 1968 respectively meant Leeds Bradford was well-placed to cope with the birth of the package holiday and 1976 saw the first charter flight to Spain leave the airport, with thousands more to follow.
Notably, a transatlantic service to Toronto was operated for a few years in the 1980s, but it was the growth of cheap flights that made the airport the terminal it is today.
Additional work to the terminal in 1995 and an expansion of the runway in 2005 means Leeds Bradford is now able to cope with almost three million passengers a year.
Travelling to Leeds Bradford Airport
The airport is perhaps best reached by car, with easy links in place to West Yorkshire and the north of England in general, while parking facilities are good.
There is no train station serving the airport, though there are regular connections to Leeds City railway station, from where there are also regular long-distance coach services offering affordable travel to the rest of the UK.
Airlines Flying from Leeds Bradford Airport
The tarmac at Leeds Bradford is largely dominated by the red and white livery of the budget airline Jet2.com. Since arriving just a few years ago, the carrier has introduced cheap flights to more than a dozen destinations across the UK and continental Europe, including Barcelona, Madrid, Krakow, Paris, Rome, Milan, Prague and Venice. In comparison, rival Ryanair only flies to Dublin and Shannon from the airport. Flybe operates affordable services to Belfast, Bergerac, Exeter and Southampton, while Manx2, KLM and Aer Arran fly to the Isle of Man, Amsterdam and Cork respectively.
Notably, regular services to Islamabad are offered by Shaheen Air International.
During the summer months, these services are complemented by a host of charter flights, including those operated by Thomas Cook and First Choice, with an emphasis on sunshine resort destinations.