Plans for airport terminal include four floors

MORE DETAIL has emerged on early plans to replace Leeds Bradford Airport’s existing terminal with a new £150m facility on a nearby site.

Previous plans to revamp the airport’s capacity, approved by Leeds Council in early 2019, had included blueprints to extend its existing terminal.

But an announcement was made earlier this month that updated plans would instead see the terminal move but remain within the airport’s boundary.

According to “pre-application” plans, set to be discussed by councillors, the new terminal would include three main floors and improved vehicle access. It was also confirmed that the new site would be closer to a proposed parkway rail station, announced by Leeds Council last year.

It is hoped that work would be able to start on construction of the site by the end of this year, and for the new terminal to be up and running by 2023. The new scheme follows concerns that existing plans would not fit with Leeds City Council’s recent climate emergency declaration.

According the a report by Leeds City Council officers, the new scheme will feature four floors and a walkway alongside aircraft.

A report on the new scheme by Leeds Council officers stated: “The existing passenger terminal has been subject to piecemeal development for several decades and has not kept pace with customer requirements and expectations of a modern airport.”

The pre-application will be discussed by members of Leeds City Council’s city plans panel on Thursday.

Meanwhile, airport chiefs hope to extend the facility’s socalled ‘daytime’ hours to begin at 6am as part of plans to revamp the airport’s capacity.

The airport currently has permission to operate flights between 7am and 11pm, but it hopes to extend its operating times to 6am to 11.30pm to stop its “competitive disadvantage” with other UK airports.