Flight Delay due to incident at Leeds Bradford

misuel1955

Our flight home to LBA was severely delayed due to the closure of  LBA as a plane had slipped off the runway the day before in bad weather and the airport closed. It reopened on the afternoon of our flight but our flight home had been resheduled to 23.40 from 13.25. Flights in and out of LBA recommenced but we were told by Jet2 that we would be returning to Manchester and bussed back to Leeds. Tempers were raging at the airport as we saw a TUI flight departed for LBA in the late afternoon and a Ryanair flight also returned to LBA before us. We eventually returned to Manchester at midnight, bussed back to Leeds arriving at after 3am and got home at nearly 5am. Would we qualify for compensation? I suppose the initial closure of the airport was due to exceptional cirtcumstances but many passengers at the airport queried why the plane was allowed to land when Storm Babet was raging and why we could not return to Leeds when other planes were doing so

Alan_Bowen

I think you may have difficulties in claiming in this scenario. Jet2 is based in Leeds and had a number of planes trapped there when the airport closed. As a result, they had to use Manchester-based aircraft which had not been planned. TUI and Ryanair have no base in Leeds, when they operate from there, the plane is based elsewhere, flies in and leaves an hour later. Therefore on Saturday, once the airport reopened, they had no issues, Jet 2 on the other hand was way behind and trying to catch up. Why did TUI attempt to land, probably because the wind was within limits and others had done so successfully but Leeds is probably the most difficult airport in the UK to operate from, the runway points in the wrong direction, and because of the slope it appears to end before it actually does making it a very challenging airport when the weather is good, never mind Storm Babet. You can claim, but I suspect they can argue this really was beyond their control

bagand96

I agree with Alan. As frustrating as it must have been, Jet2 would have put their contingency plans into place to get people home as soon as they could.

When events like this happen it is a fluid situation, Leeds Bradford Airport would have had estimated reopening times but it would be based on many unknowns and external agencies not all of which were under their control. It's hard for the airlines to plan with much unknown. I'm sure Jet2 didn't wish to delay anyone as severely as that. 

If LBA had remained closed you might have been grateful to be taking off to Manchester whilst Ryanair passengers faced a cancelled flight and TUI an indefinite delay or diversion elsewhere?

Sometimes events happen that are outside anyone's control. Feel sorry for the airport and airline staff. 

la531983

Alan_Bowen said:

TUI and Ryanair have no base in Leeds

Pretty sure this is inaccurate.
Ryanair have two planes based there going off tomorrow mornings departures board (both flights leaving before 0645) and in fact when I flew out of there with Ryanair in April it was at the crack of dawn with a crew very much with Yorkshire accents.
Granted most of the Ryanair flights into LBA will be operated there to return to another base but worth pointing out it is a small base.

In fact I would be a bit surprised if TUI didn't base at least one plane there during the summer either.  DSA had one there all year round iirc. 

Alan_Bowen

It doesn't change the fact that Jet2 had aircraft trapped whilst TUI and Ryanair did not, and TUI have confirmed all their operations are by aircraft based elsewhere. 

la531983

Alan_Bowen said:

It doesn't change the fact that Jet2 had aircraft trapped whilst TUI and Ryanair did not, and TUI have confirmed all their operations are by aircraft based elsewhere. 

I agree. Merely correcting your statement.