The ambitious plans to create more jobs and investment around Leeds Bradford Airport and at the airport itself will provide a significant boost for the economy of the whole region.

Councillors in Leeds meet next week to consider releasing land near the airport for business growth, along with improved transport links.

This scheme would also allow expansion of the airport itself, including the creation of a larger passenger terminal and the development of an ‘air innovation park’, which would include an airport village with a hotel, restaurant and more retail developments.

The continued growth of the airport will play an important role in any genuine attempt to create the much-touted ‘Northern Powerhouse’ for the region.

LBA is one of the great success stories of the area, and year after year it continues to grow and attract more flight operators. It handles 3.3 million passengers a year and is one of the UK’s fastest growing airports.

As well as creating more opportunities and jobs in itself, the proposed additional investment will obviously also help improve links to the region by air.

What is important though is that proper consideration is given to transport infrastructure to and from the airport from the Bradford district, with ideally some sort of rail link on the cards.

But what these ambitious ideas do show is the confidence that exists in the continued growth of the airport.

Hopefully that confidence can be transformed into investment – and that investment will spread out from the airport to the rest of the district and help lead the economic recovery.