Airport Expansion Project Set for Completion by Winter 2026

The planned extension of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) is set to be completed by winter 2026, as the facility gears up for its second phase of development. According to Vincent Hodder, LBA’s chief executive, this expansion has been “long overdue” and represents a much-needed upgrade for Yorkshire.

The first phase of the extension will see completion of the existing terminal by summer 2025. Following this, there is approval for a second phase that involves refurbishing the current terminal by winter 2026. The entire project’s construction is expected to conclude at the end of next year.

“It’s vitally important to upgrade LBA to the world-class facility Yorkshire deserves,” stated Hodder in an interview with Tom Holdsworth/Leeds Bradford Airport. He emphasized that this would be “the first major improvement to our terminal since its opening in 1968.”

LBA has announced that Northern Irish firm Farrans Construction will oversee the upgrade project. Cathal Montague, their regional director, expressed his company’s excitement about taking on such a significant task: “Leeds is an important region for our business,” he noted, adding, “We are all frequent users of LBA and we look forward to working with the airport team to successfully deliver this next stage.”

By 2025, it is expected that LBA will contribute 460m to the local economy. This economic impact includes direct employment for 2,100 people and indirect support for another 4,500 jobs.

The project has garnered mixed reactions. While Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, now supports the expansion – a stance that she previously opposed – activists from GALBA have been protesting outside her constituency office. Reeves justified her change in position by pointing to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as an option.

However, Nick Hodgkinson, chair of GALBA, challenged this argument: “I’m sorry to say the claim doesn’t stand up to scrutiny,” he asserted. While SAF can be made from waste matter, there is limited genuinely sustainable feedstock available for its production.

LBA aims to become a net-zero carbon airport by 2030, indicating a commitment not only to expansion but also sustainability and environmental responsibility.