Leeds Bradford Airport plans ‘don’t make a lot of sense’, claims MP

Alex Sobel (Lab) gave his opinions on the issue in a video question-and-answer session on his Facebook page at the weekend.

He claimed the planned increase in flights would not be viable in a post-Covid-19 economy, and said many locals also had concerns around the prospect of extra flights early in the morning and late at night.

He also called for an extension to the consultation period, adding that no decision should be made on the airport until at least six weeks after the lockdown is lifted.

It follows the announcement earlier this month that the airport had officially submitted its plans for the rebuilding of the terminal to Leeds City Council’s planning department.

Mr Sobel said: “I’ll be putting an objection forward to the new building. My overall objection is that the building in and of itself is more efficient and will produce fewer emissions to the current buildings, and I have no in-principle objections to the building of a new terminal.

“What I have an objection to is that the underlying business model to pay for the terminal means an increase in flights. In the current context of coronavirus and what that has done to aviation, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. What we will see is a drop in airline numbers and capacity.