Aviation Minister Mike Kane lands at Leeds Bradford Airport to meet Jet2 boss and view £100m terminal expansion
Aviation Minister Mike Kane has been given a tour of Leeds Bradford Airport’s ongoing £100m expansion project.
The Government minister paid a visit to LBA on Friday, where he met with the airport’s CEO Vincent Hodder.
He was given a tour of the terminal extension.
The work entails a three-storey extension to the existing terminal and a “significant refurbishment” of the existing building in the first major improvement to it since it opened in 1968.
The first phase on the extension is due to be completed by this summer, before attention turns to redeveloping the existing building.
It is intended that all work will be completed by next year.
Mr Hodder said: “It was great to have the Aviation Minister on site experiencing our brand new terminal extension which is due to open this Summer. LBA: REGEN is the first major improvement to our terminal since its opening in 1968 and is long overdue.
"It’s vitally important to upgrade LBA to the world-class facility Yorkshire deserves.
"We are confident that LBA can continue to play a significant role in improving international connectivity for the region and supporting local economic growth for many years to come.”
Mr Kane also visited Jet2’s operations, which are headquarted at LBA.
He was shown around Low Fare Finder House, where many of Jet2.com’s operational teams are based, and held meetings with CEO Steve Heapy and Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Director David Neill.
He was then taken on a guided tour of Jet2.com’s dedicated maintenance hangar at the airport.
Mr Heapy said: “We were delighted to welcome the Aviation Minister and show him some of the many elements that enable us to run our award-winning airline.
"He saw first-hand the work we do to support our busy flying programme and we discussed some of the actions detailed in our sustainability strategy, as well as key levers needed to drive decarbonisation such as airspace modernisation and SAF.”
Mr Kane said: “It was a pleasure to join Jet2 at Leeds Bradford Airport to see the sheer scale of their operations and discuss their plans for decarbonisation and economic growth.
“They are showing fantastic leadership in training and upskilling apprentices, helping to shape the aviators of the future, and their work supports hundreds of jobs and boosts the local economy.”