Leeds Bradford Airport
Leeds Bradford Airport is the international airport serving the Leeds–Bradford conurbation in West Yorkshire, England.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Leeds Bradford Airport (commonly abbreviated LBA) is the international airport serving the twin cities of Leeds and Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire region of northern England. It is located at Yeadon, roughly midway between the two cities and close to the town of Guiseley, on a elevated site in the Aire Valley. The airport opened in 1931 as Leeds and Bradford Municipal Aerodrome, making it one of the older municipal airfields in the United Kingdom, and it has operated continuously as a commercial airport since the 1930s apart from wartime control by the Royal Air Force. The airport is a single-terminal facility that handles a mix of scheduled low-cost and charter traffic, with a route network concentrated on domestic UK links, European leisure destinations and holiday resorts around the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and Western Europe. It has long been a base for low-cost carriers and package-holiday operators, and its catchment covers much of Yorkshire and the north of England. Alongside passenger services the site supports general aviation, flight training and business aviation activity. Ownership of Leeds Bradford Airport has changed several times. For many years it was held by local authority shareholders, principally Leeds City Council and Bradford City Council together with neighbouring councils, before a majority stake was sold to private infrastructure investors. The airport has been operated as a private business in recent years, with investment directed at terminal refurbishment, car parking, and runway and airfield infrastructure. As a brand, Leeds Bradford Airport positions itself as "Yorkshire's airport" — the principal gateway for the county — competing with Manchester, Doncaster Sheffield (until its closure) and Newcastle for regional passengers. Its marketing emphasises convenience, short journey times from Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and York, and a compact, easy-to-navigate terminal. The airport has also been a focus of regional debate over night-flight restrictions, surface access and expansion, reflecting its role as a piece of regional infrastructure as much as a commercial brand.
History
Leeds Bradford Airport traces its origins to the early 1930s, when the neighbouring local authorities of Leeds and Bradford jointly developed a municipal aerodrome at Yeadon, on high ground above the Aire Valley. The site opened in 1931 as Leeds and Bradford Municipal Aerodrome, an early example of inter-war municipal investment in civil aviation. In its first years it served small airlines and flying clubs, and it became a base for training and light commercial flying. During the Second World War the airfield was taken over by the Royal Air Force and used for military purposes, including aircraft production and test flying associated with the nearby Avro works, before returning to civilian use after the war. In the post-war decades the airport developed as a regional gateway, adding terminal facilities and attracting scheduled services to London and other UK cities as well as early package-holiday flights to the Continent. The modern era of the airport began in the 1980s and 1990s, when passenger numbers grew strongly on the back of the UK low-cost airline boom. Leeds Bradford became a base for low-cost carriers and expanded its European leisure network, while the terminal was extended and redeveloped. Ownership evolved from the founding municipal shareholders — Leeds City Council and Bradford City Council, later joined by other West Yorkshire authorities — toward greater private involvement. In the 2000s a majority stake in the airport was sold to private infrastructure investors, and the airport has since been run as a commercial business, with subsequent changes of controlling shareholder. Investment has focused on terminal refurbishment, security and baggage systems, car parks and airfield works. The airport has also been at the centre of regional planning debates over night-flight restrictions, surface transport links such as rail and road access, and proposals for terminal expansion to handle projected growth in passenger numbers. Today Leeds Bradford Airport operates as a single-terminal regional international airport, serving a catchment across Yorkshire and the north of England with a route network dominated by domestic UK links and European leisure destinations, and it continues to brand itself as the principal airport for Yorkshire.
- 2007
Majority stake sold to private infrastructure investors, beginning private commercial operation.
- 1980
Passenger growth accelerates with the UK low-cost airline boom; terminal expansion follows.
- 1939
Airfield taken over by the Royal Air Force for the duration of the Second World War.
- 1931
Leeds and Bradford Municipal Aerodrome opens at Yeadon.
Products and positioning
Regional international airport positioned as "Yorkshire's airport", emphasising convenience and short access times for the Leeds–Bradford catchment.
Passenger terminal and route network
Airport car parking
General aviation and flight training
Recent events
EasyJet to end all services from Leeds Bradford Airport[2]
Reported:
EasyJet will end all services from Leeds Bradford Airport after January 5, 2027, following a review of its route network, saying it will concentrate resources on services attracting the strongest customer demand. Passengers with bookings beyond the closure date are being contacted and offered a free transfer to an alternative EasyJet flight from another airport or a full refund, and the airline apologised for the disruption.
- Unconfirmed
Jet2 launches Yorkshire-exclusive travel discounts[3]
Reported:
Jet2 launched a range of Yorkshire-exclusive travel discounts while reaffirming its commitment to Leeds Bradford Airport with its biggest ever programme from the airport.
Leeds Bradford Airport announces planned job cuts[4]
Reported:
Leeds Bradford Airport announced plans to cut 107 full-time positions and began redundancy consultations with 158 staff members. The airport said the cuts were necessary for the business to survive the short-term financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Transdev launches Flyer bus network[5]
Reported:
Transdev launched the Flyer bus network, with three routes linking Leeds Bradford Airport with Bradford, Leeds and Harrogate.
Sources5 sources
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