Airport in talks to bring in more airlines

Tony Hallwood made the comments after accounts filed at Companies House revealed that the airport made a pre-tax loss in its last financial year, after recording a number of one off costs.

Mr Hallwood said: “We will continue to deliver improvements that will benefit our passengers.”

In the audited financial statement for the year ended March 31, 2013, the directors of Leeds Bradford International Airport reported EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) of £3.68m, compared with £3.88m the year before.

The directors reported a loss before tax of £8.61m, compared with £8.08m the year before, which included net exceptional costs of £400,000 that relate to restructuring.

In their report, the directors stated that the year ended March 31, 2013 had seen a number of key developments at the airport, including infrastructure enhancements, airline partner acquisitions and route developments.

The company completed an £11m terminal development project during the course of the year, which increased terminal capacity to “well over” four million passengers per year.

According to the directors’ report, the terminal development includes more commercial space to accommodate a new and enlarged duty and tax free shop.

In December 2012, British Airways started services from Leeds Bradford to Heathrow, and in the summer of 2013, Monarch launched an operation from the airport.

The report states: “These and other developments should see passenger numbers at LBIA (Leeds Bradford International Airport) grow materially in 2013/14.”

Leeds Bradford recently announced that 3.3m passengers flew through the airport in 2013 – an 11 per cent increase on the previous calendar year – cementing its status as one of the UK’s fastest growing airports.

Over the past 12 months, Leeds Bradford has served more than 70 domestic and international destinations. Having added services to places such as Grenoble, Innsbruck, Split and Zante in 2013, the airport will add flights to Scandinavia soon.

Mr Hallwood said the airport planned to invest in new services and new airlines.

He added: “We are always talking to new airlines about new opportunities. We want to secure more flying for the region.”

He said the terminal development project had been driven by a desire to improve the passenger experience.

He added: “Three thousand people work at the airport, it’s one of the largest employers in the region. We anticipate that the Tour de France will be of some benefit for us and the airlines.”

The start of the 2014 Tour de France will take place on The Headrow in Leeds on the morning of Saturday, July 5. The riders will then follow a route out of the city centre and on to Otley, Ilkley and Skipton before a loop through the Yorkshire Dales on the way to the finish of stage one in Harrogate.

Stage two takes the riders from York to Sheffield. Mr Hallwood said the Tour de France was one element of its strategy to increase passenger numbers.

He added: “After significant growth, in 2014 we need to make sure that all airlines and services bed in and are successful.”

During the last financial year, Leeds Bradford supported a number of charities and community projects, including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to a total value of £29,592.

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