EVERY year, hundreds of Huddersfield holidaymakers fly off to the sun from Leeds Bradford Airport.

Yet few realise that it was more than 80 years ago that flights began from the then Leeds Bradford aerodrome.

Since its opening in 1931 the airport has grown to become the most successful regional airport in the United Kingdom.

After the First World War, the civil aviation industry grew slowly using old RAF bombers converted to carry passengers.

Initially in November 1919 in the Leeds area, this was from Roundhay Park, Leeds, but as part of Sir Alan Cobham’s initiative touring British towns and cities with his “Flying Circus”, the site on Yeadon Moor was selected.

Regular flights started shortly afterwards, and within a short time services were offered to Scotland, London, Belfast and the Isle of Man.

September 1939 and the outbreak of World War Two saw all civil aircraft grounded and the majority possessed by the Government.

The war years saw a total change in activity. The site to the north of Yeadon aerodrome was selected for a vast aircraft production “shadow” factory, as aircraft production was scattered around the country, the factory being operated by Avro Aeroplane Company, building Anson light bombers and trainers, and then moving on to the mighty Avro Lancaster bomber.

The factory was skilfully camouflaged by members of the film industry, completely hidden from the Luftwaffe, and on its completion was the largest of its type in Europe.

After the war, slowly the civil market emerged from the austerity, with Yeadon Flying Services the first of many to move on to the site.

It was also at this time RAF Yeadon disappeared into history, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation took over the running of the airfield until the cities of Leeds and Bradford took control, renaming the airfield Leeds and Bradford Airport.

As larger war service ex-RAF Douglas Dakota transports emerged on to the civil market, so small airlines grew, including British European Airways, Dan Air, Silver City airways, and one that was to have a major influence on Yeadon. BKS Air Services was named after three north eastern businessman founders, Messrs Barnby, Keegan and Smith.

Over the 1950s and 1960s the BKS aircraft were very familiar sights at the aerodrome with Dakotas, Bristol Freighters, and Anson survey and charter aircraft.

A new concrete runway was built to cope with the new jet aircraft and after a disastrous fire in 1965 in the wooden terminal, financial approval was given for a new terminal building.

Full jet services commenced in 1972 with the explosion of the package holiday industry, which brought many new airlines to the airport.

Other unitary authorities became involved with the airport, with the councils controlling the cities of Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale all taking a financial interest.

It was really the 1980s that brought about the biggest changes, with the beginning of the installation of sophisticated radar and instrument landing systems, and major extensions to runway and terminal infrastructure, the former Victoria Avenue disappearing into a tunnel, and local roads re-routed.

This enabled larger aircraft up to Boeing 747 Jumbo jets to use the airport, the first of these arriving on 4 November 1984.

Large tri-jet aircraft, such as the DC-10 and Lockheed Tri-Star became regular visitors, and the biggest highlight for many years was the first arrival of Concorde, an Air France aircraft arriving on August 2, 1986, in very windy conditions.