BRITS could soon jet off to exotic long haul destinations from one of the country’s smaller airports, according to comments made by its CEO.
Currently, longer haul holiday options are only served by bigger airports, meaning people first have to travel across the UK to certain travel hubs in order to find those trips.
However, that could soon change for the people of Yorkshire, who could soon be in line for long-haul flights from Leeds Bradford Airport.
Vincent Hodder, Leeds Bradford’s CEO, has revealed that conversations are taking place with airlines about connecting the airport to further flung destinations for the first time in its history.
He told the BBC that he would be disappointed if those flights weren’t in place within the next three years, suggesting that those conversations have positive so far.
He said: “We’re already having those conversations with airlines from North America and the Middle East about how we can collectively work together to make those things happen over the next two to three years.
“I would be disappointed if by 2027 we did not have flights to North America and the Middle East.”
Included in the proposed new destinations are US cities like New York, Boston and Chicago, while Jeddah, Oman and Dubai in the Middle East are all being targeted too.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin believes that the new offering would be a good thing for the region.
She added: “It clearly states how the airport will improve Yorkshire‘s connection to the rest of the world.”
The new routes are part of a plan to expand the airport’s offering, while serving as many as seven million passengers each year.
A three-story extension is being built on the side of the terminal, at an expense of £100million, while the existing building is also being refurbished.
Initially, the owners of the airport had wanted to build a brand new £150m terminal, but had to abandon the idea due to planning delays.
Although the project is an extension rather than an entirely new terminal, the airport still believes it will offer many of the same benefits.
Included in that are more seats for passengers and quicker security checks, as well as new shops and restaurants.
There are also plans for a bigger baggage reclaim area and immigration hall.
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Meanwhile, access for people with restricted mobility will be improved too.
The work is expected to be completed by early 2026, according to early estimates.
Even so, the airport will still fall two million short of its 7m passenger target, which it hopes to achieve by 2030.
Airport bosses have held discussions with Leeds City Council about increasing the number of night flights they can operate to try and offer more flights.
Meanwhile, new flights are now linking this small UK airport with “Turquoise Coast” holiday hotspot.
And Jet2 is launching 16 new routes to and from the UK earlier than first expected.
