Leeds Bradford. A hilltop airport with no railway, so the car matters more.
Seven miles from Leeds, half an hour from Harrogate and with no station of its own. Everybody leaves this airport by road, which is exactly why the road part should be planned properly.
The airport
Leeds Bradford at a glance
- CodesLBA / EGNMAt Yeadon, on high ground about 7 miles north-west of Leeds city centre and a similar distance from Bradford.
- TerminalOneA single terminal, part way through a phased rebuild and extension, so signage and forecourt layouts have been moving about.
- Private aviationThe jet centre on the south sideMultiflight operates private handling and hangarage on the south side of the field, with its own entrance away from the passenger terminal.
- RailNone at the airportA parkway station has been talked about for years and has not been built. Everyone arrives and leaves by road or by bus.
The terminal works have changed drop off and pick up arrangements more than once. We check the current layout before the day rather than relying on last month's signs.
Journey times
From Leeds Bradford by road
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Ilkley and Wharfedale | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 40 minutes |
| Leeds city centre | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 50 minutes |
| Bradford | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Harrogate | 25 to 35 minutes | 35 to 50 minutes |
| Wetherby | 30 to 40 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| York | 45 to 60 minutes | 60 to 80 minutes |
| Manchester | 75 to 95 minutes | 95 to 130 minutes |
| Central London | 220 to 260 minutes | Longer again |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The airport sits above the Aire valley and the approach roads are ordinary suburban routes rather than motorways, so the first fifteen minutes are the slow part in both directions.
Being straight about it
Worked from our Manchester base
Odyssey owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in two places, London and Manchester. Leeds is not one of them, and we would rather write that here than have you find it out at the kerb. Manchester is a little over an hour away, which makes Yorkshire one of the easier places for us to cover properly with our own people.
So for most Leeds Bradford work we send a car and a chauffeur across from Manchester. For an airport run with a meeting at the other end, a day that moves between Leeds, Harrogate and York, or anything where the same chauffeur should be there in the evening as in the morning, that is the right answer and usually the better value once you count what a string of separate bookings really costs.
Where a single short local job does not justify the drive, we arrange the car through an operator we know in West Yorkshire, brief them the way we brief our own chauffeurs, and keep the movement on our own desk rather than handing it over. Whichever it is, the booking, the brief and the invoice come from us.
Practicalities
Worth knowing
- The Pick Up and Drop Off car park beside the terminal charges about eight pounds for up to ten minutes at the time of writing, with a free waiting zone a short distance away. Whatever we use is in your quote rather than added afterwards
- Private arrivals use the jet centre on the south side, which is a separate gate and a separate drive from the passenger terminal. Send the tail number and we will confirm which side of the field is handling you
- This is a hilltop airport in the Pennine foothills. It gets weather the forecast for Leeds does not, and low cloud and fog cause more disruption here than at most English airports. We watch the aircraft, not the timetable
- Harrogate, Ilkley and the Yorkshire Dales are the usual onward destinations, along with the Wetherby and Wharfedale villages: see Harrogate and Yorkshire
- Four or more passengers with luggage: ask for a V-Class. For a touring party or a crew, see group travel
Onward
Where Leeds Bradford passengers go next
Request a quote
Tell us the journey
The date, the flight or tail number, how many passengers and bags, and where you are going afterwards. If the day runs across several Yorkshire towns, send the whole day and we will build it as one journey. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Leeds Bradford transfers
Are these your own cars?
Not based at Leeds. Our own fleet and employed chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, and Yorkshire is normally worked from Manchester. Where a local car makes better sense we arrange it through an operator we know in West Yorkshire and we will tell you which we are proposing.
Where will my chauffeur meet me?
In the arrivals hall of the single terminal, or inside the jet centre for a private arrival. Because the terminal is being rebuilt in stages, we confirm the meeting point in writing before you fly.
Can you meet a private flight?
Yes, at the jet centre on the south side. Send the tail number and the handling agent and we will coordinate the timing with them.
What happens if fog closes the airport?
It happens here more than most places, and diversions usually go to Manchester or occasionally further. Tell us as soon as you know and we will move the car rather than leave it sitting at Yeadon.
Can one car do Leeds and Manchester in a day?
Yes, and it is normally easier and better value than two bookings. See long-distance UK travel.