LOW-COST airline Ryanair is to set up a base at Leeds Bradford International Airport – bringing the prospect of hundreds of new jobs for West Yorkshire.
The move is a major boost for the airport, which is on course to almost double in size after getting permission for a £28m development.
Basing two planes at Yeadon will bring 100 jobs directly in the form of flight crew, cabin crew and support staff.
But airport commercial director Tony Hallwood said: “Ryanair are very good at bringing inbound tourists and business visitors. That will generate secondary jobs around the region.
“We are very excited by the potential and we will be working even closer with the regional tourist body, Welcome Yorkshire, to capitalise on it.”
A Ryanair spokesman said the new base, – to open next March – would bring 1,000 “well-paid”' jobs to Yorkshire.
The company will offer 14 new routes and 63 weekly return flights to and from Leeds Bradford in an investment worth more than £84m in the airport.
The new routes will take Ryanair’s total number of destinations from Leeds Bradford to 17.
The airport was sold off two years ago.
Kirklees Council, which had a share in the business, collected £8.5m which it used to fund its Warm Zone home insulation project.
The airline expects the new flights to result in one million passengers passing through the airport each year.
Airport chief executive John Parkin said: “This is a great vote of confidence in the potential of both the airport and our region.
“This announcement makes us an exception in the sector and will help create much-needed jobs.
“It shows Ryanair shares our confidence in the tremendous opportunity for strong market growth at the airport.”
The new routes will fly from Leeds Bradford to destinations in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ibiza, Ireland, Poland, Malta and Majorca.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said Leeds Bradford had been keen to attract Ryanair.
He said: “We are the fastest-growing airline in Europe. This year we will carry almost three times the passengers British Airways will. When we show up, at our very low fares we deliver very rapid and enormous traffic growth and that’s what sustains jobs.”
Mr Hallwood said Ryanair had been attracted to Leeds Bradford by its “significant” catchment area – with about 4m people living within 40 minutes’ drive of the airport.
Raynair had also recognised the potential for further expansion at Leeds Bradford – the 16th largest airport in the UK and it had been impressed by the recent announcement of its £28m investment in improved facilities.
Said Mr Hallwood: “Ryanair will begin flying from Leeds Bradford on March 27 – just before Easter, which will give us a good early start to the summer holiday season.”
