2022 for airport’s passenger recovery
BOSSES AT Leeds Bradford Airport have said they do not expect passenger numbers to recover to pre-Covid levels until 2022 as it pushed back its long-term target of flying seven million passengers per year.
The assessment, which has been put together by socioeconomic industry experts, claimed the impact of coronavirus on the airline industry would be shortterm in terms of passenger numbers.
In such circumstances, LBA’s passenger numbers are set to reach seven million by 2032, not 2030 as initially planned.
However, it said the overall jobs and economic benefits of the scheme would therefore not be affected, just slightly delayed.
The claims are made in a report to Leeds City Council on the impact of Covid-19, published in support of its replacement terminal planning application.
The airport wants to demolish its dilapidated terminal building and replace it with a brand new construction. Planning bosses are set to deliver their verdict in the autumn.
Despite up to a possible twoyear delay in passenger demand, LBA remains committed to completing the development in 2023, with the demolition and construction time frame unaffected.
Hywel Rees, chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “Despite the short-term financial implications of Covid-19 on the aviation industry, the findings within the report demonstrate how the development of a replacement terminal building at LBA will generate much-needed jobs and economic growth for our region.”