Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) is submitting fresh plans to build a new £150m state-of-the-art terminal, aiming to deliver one of the UK’s most environmentally efficient airport buildings and support greater economic prosperity for the Leeds City Region, Yorkshire and the North.

The new plans, to be submitted in spring 2020, replace the recently consented scheme and the existing terminal building with what it describes as a “more efficient and sustainable development.”

The plans propose the construction of a three floor, 34,000sq metre terminal on an alternative site within the airport’s boundary. If approved, this upgrade would create a modern airport terminal, classified as ‘excellent’ by the BREEAM sustainability standard, which is awarded only to the most environmentally efficient buildings internationally.

Completion of the terminal would also enable LBA to meet its target of net zero carbon emissions from airport operations by 2023, and the scheme would also deliver “significantly enhanced facilities,” helping LBA to meet its expected passenger demand of up to seven million passengers a year by 2030. 

Features to enhance the passenger experience include better surface access, with the site located nearer to the proposed rail link, clean and airy interiors, improved shopping, restaurants and bars and excellent access and comfort through from arrival to boarding.

Hywel Rees, chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “This proposed development is hugely exciting for Leeds Bradford Airport and the north and replaces our previously approved plans. For more than 55 years, LBA has provided an international gateway to and from Yorkshire. Our vision is to serve our region as a truly outstanding airport and to profoundly change the perception and reality of customer experience for passengers. To do this we need a terminal that meets the needs of the future in passenger flow and energy efficiency.

“This proposal is not about growing beyond our predicted capacity; it is about meeting the same demand in a more efficient way, with a smaller environmental footprint; it is about creating a more modern building that can achieve operational excellence to give passengers the best experience; and it is about addressing the challenges we know our passengers face far too frequently and that cannot be overcome within our current building.

“We’re confident that our vision will deliver an airport building that is better placed to support our region’s economic growth and become one that Yorkshire can be proud of.”

LBA’s existing terminal, built in 1965, is 15th busiest in the UK by passenger numbers. LBA contributed £475m to the local economy in 2018, employing around 2,500 people and supporting over 7,200 jobs.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: “There has long been an understanding that regional airports form a vital part of providing connectivity to access global markets, attracting inward investment, and enabling a sharing of cultures. The plans to improve Leeds Bradford Airport are crucial and form a key part of the wider Northern Powerhouse and national aviation strategy, with environmental sustainability, including closer access to rail links, once built, critical.”

LBA received consent to expand its existing terminal in January 2019 and, if the new plans are approved, it is anticipated that work could begin before the end of 2020, with the terminal completed in early 2023. The project will be privately funded by LBA’s owners AMP.