Expansion Capacity of UK Airports: Heathrow vs Gatwick

Part A
Introduction
The planning of airport is one of the complex disciplines that involve several key elements. All
the elements are expected to be dealt with caution, this is because each point represents a vital
point that may either fail or make the airport successful project. Each element has a specified and
varied impact on the plan of the airport processes. The elements include; land use, legal
regulations, future market, local communities, surface access and operations requirement. The
airport plans are normally designed in a master plan document. The objective of the master plan
would mainly be to provide future airport guideline which would be expected to satisfy the
demand of aviation in a feasible financial system.
Access discussion questions
1. Why Leeds airport wants to build a new runway?
2. Why Leeds airport is it low rated?’
3. Why and what makes Manchester airport the best’?
Compare/contrast your own regional airport with other regional airport in terms of
current characteristics and features, such as traffic, runway, taxiways, terminals,
catchment area,
Leeds Bradford Airport is located at Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District in West
Yorkshire, England, about 7 miles northwest of Leeds city center itself, about 9 miles from
Bradford city center, whereas Manchester airport is located in greater Manchester in South-West.
Leeds Bradford Airport catchment area contains 5.3m people, 2.9m of whom live less than one
hour from the airport, while Manchester airport catchment area is about 22 million passengers,
where 60% of its international business due travel across the North.
There are numerous routes served by Leeds Bradford Airport which includes; Alicante (ALC),
Almeria (LEI), Antalya (AYT), Barcelona (BCN), Bodrum (BJV), Corfu (CFU) and many more,
whereas Manchester airport its major destinations includes; Dubai, Alicante, Malaga,
Amsterdam, Tenerife, Paris, Palma De Mallorca, Orlando, Faro and many more.

Compare/contrast the way the different airports envisage their future in terms of traffic
(aviation activities), non-aviation activities (businesses developed on the airport grounds)
and possibly accessibility (rail or road access)
The airport serves over 3.5 million passengers every year in average. The aim by 2030 is to serve
over 6 million passengers per annum with improved accessibility and services, whereas traffic
Manchester in 15 to 30 years is projected to handle over 60, 000 passengers per hectare.
Leeds Bradford airport aims to add other long haul airlines such as KQ and many other African
airlines for provision of direct flights to Africa and South American countries, whereas
Manchester airport aims at developing additional long – haul services to leisure market and key
business that included Africa, The US and Asia.
Leeds Bradford airport aims at changing its mode of operation to standard arrival routes
(STARs) and the changes are initiated by future airspace initiative (FASI), whereas Manchester
airport aims at improving its business activities through, developing route networking, adhering
to air traffic rights, developing capacity at the airport, improving its transport and expanding the
airport.
Leeds Bradford airport aims at attracting more budget airlines such as Easyjet, aiming to attract
large numbers of short haul low-cost passengers, whereas Manchester airport developed
additional long – haul services to leisure market and key business that included Africa, The US
and Asia (Maertens, S., 2010).
Assess how similar or different would the different UK regional airport plans be, and what
their priorities are. You can talk about aeronautical or non-aeronautical planning, railway
stations, linking to a high speed network, etc.
Leeds Bradford airport is planning to seek permission for development of terminal and extension
or upgrade existing one to cater for the number of flights, upgrade terminal baggage technology
and offer beverages by upgrading terminal lounges, whereas Manchester airport is planning to
expand its airport through offering more direct services for freight, offering 20,000 direct jobs
and 25,000 indirect jobs, expanding its terminal 2 and improving its terminal 3 (Ison, Francis,
Humphreys and Page, 2011).
Leeds Bradford airport is proposing to improve direct railway connections such as proposed
construction of Parkway station to increase number of passengers, whereas Manchester airport is
proposing to improve its hub railway system and transpennine railway network (Merkert, Smith
and Nash, 2012).
Leeds Bradford airport is planning to build new runway to accommodate increased number
flights per day and offer expected changes of standardizing airport operations, whereas

Manchester airport is planning to build two runways (Müller-Rosti, Niemeier, Ivanova, Müller,
Hannak and Ehmer,2010)
Leeds Bradford airport is planning to build more hotels, restaurants and retail services by
allowing private investors to invest in develops kiosks and other facilities, similarly Manchester
airport is planning to build more hotels and its shopping centers.
Leeds Bradford airport is planning to develop a new car park to cater for increased number of
passengers; similarly Manchester airport is planning to build new car parks that would cater for
the increased passengers’ number.
Leeds Bradford airport is planning to construct new access road to link both major highways
A65 and A68, similarly Manchester airport is planning to improve its surface access to the
airport.
You should compare your airport with other airports in terms of stakeholder impacts,
taking into consideration both positive and negative impacts
Leeds Bradford airport believes that the growth and development of Leeds-Bradford Airport is
underpinned by engaging the local community, stakeholders and the relevant authorities. It is
only through open and valuable engagements and partnerships of above named organizations
will the airport realize the aspects of this strategic plan, similarly Manchester airport engages the
government, its neighbors, its customers, its transport providers, its regional agencies and airline
operators to realize its goals and objectives and ensure that every service is provided efficiently.
You should conclude on why you think your airport could be a good alternative to London,
in comparison to other airports in the debate.
The growth and development of Leeds-Bradford Airport is underpinned by engaging the local
community, stakeholders and the relevant authorities. It is only through open and valuable
engagements and partnerships of above named organizations will the airport realize the aspects
of this strategic plan.
Improving the infrastructure and streamlining operations of the airport will at the end serve a
larger purpose including easing traffic congestion, better services and facilities to the local