A new airport.... South Yorkshire Airport City?

Doncaster Sheffield Airport Strategic Review Announcement​

Forums4airports discusses the latest press release from Doncaster Sheffield airport where the airport questions the future of the airport. The owners of the airport, the Peel Group have announced they are looking at their options as the group has decided the airport is no longer viable as an operational airport. Here's the press release:

"The Board of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has begun a review of strategic options for the Airport. This review follows lengthy deliberations by the Board of DSA which has reluctantly concluded that aviation activity on the site may no longer be commercially viable.

DSA’s owner, the Peel Group, as the Airport’s principal funder, has reviewed the conclusions of the Board of DSA and commissioned external independent advice in order to evaluate and test the conclusions drawn, which concurs with the Board’s initial findings.

Since the Peel Group acquired the Airport site in 1999 and converted it into an international commercial airport, which opened in 2005, significant amounts have been invested in the terminal, the airfield and its operations, both in relation to the original conversion and subsequently to improve the facilities and infrastructure on offer to create an award winning airport.

However, despite growth in passenger numbers, DSA has never achieved the critical mass required to become profitable and this fundamental issue of a shortfall in passenger numbers is exacerbated by the announcement on 10 June 2022 of the unilateral withdrawal of the Wizz Air based aircraft, leaving the Airport with only one base carrier, namely TUI.

This challenge has been increased by other changes in the aviation market, the well-publicised impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly important environmental considerations. It has therefore been concluded that aviation activity may no longer be the use for the site which delivers the maximum economic and environmental benefit to the region. Against this backdrop, DSA and the Peel Group, will initiate a consultation and engagement programme with stakeholders on the future of the site and how best to maximise and capitalise on future economic growth opportunities for Doncaster and the wider Sheffield City Region.

The wider Peel Group is already delivering significant development and business opportunities on its adjoining GatewayEast development including the recent deal for over 400,000 sq ft logistics and advanced manufacturing development on site, creating hundreds of new jobs and delivering further economic investment in the region.

Robert Hough, Chairman of Peel Airports Group, which includes Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “It is a critical time for aviation globally. Despite pandemic related travel restrictions slowly drawing to a close, we are still facing ongoing obstacles and dynamic long-term threats to the future of the aviation industry. The actions by Wizz to sacrifice its base at Doncaster to shore up its business opportunities at other bases in the South of England are a significant blow for the Airport.

Now is the right time to review how DSA can best create future growth opportunities for Doncaster and for South Yorkshire. The Peel Group remains committed to delivering economic growth, job opportunities and prosperity for Doncaster and the wider region.”

DSA and the Peel Group pride themselves on being forward-thinking whilst prioritising the welfare of staff and customers alike. As such, no further public comments will be made whilst they undertake this engagement period with all stakeholders.
During the Strategic Review, the Airport will operate as normal. Therefore passengers who are due to travel to the airport, please arrive and check in as normal. If there are any disruptions with your flight, you will be contacted by your airline in good time.
For all press enquiries, please contact Charlotte Leach at [email protected]."

"Not great news for DSA or the region"

Should the government or local council foot the bill and provide a financial subsidy to keep the airport open, thoughts...?

 

A new static display of a Global A380. That will get the punters and the money rolling in

 

Delusions of grandeur is the appropriate phrase. Even the CDC motto 'Doncaster is Great' is somewhat ridiculous. It's actually well down the UKs list of cities. You cannot blame them for wanting to climb the league table, but blowing the budget on an airport that will never succeed isn't how to do it.

What? Don’t you know Doncaster’s nearly as big as Aylesbury? Of course it needs an international airport!

 

What? Don’t you know Doncaster’s nearly as big as Aylesbury? Of course it needs an international airport!

Wait for comments about Crawley…

If LBA didn’t exist then DSA could probably do ok, although I suspect in a world where LBA didn’t exist and where the building of an airport on the M62 also didnt materialise then Elvington would probably now be the airport for Yorkshire with its very long runway (and ASP!), ample room to expand and central location close to one of the most visited cities (along with Leeds) in the U.K. outside of London…

 

Wait for comments about Crawley…

If LBA didn’t exist then DSA could probably do ok, although I suspect in a world where LBA didn’t exist and where the building of an airport on the M62 also didnt materialise then Elvington would probably now be the airport for Yorkshire with its very long runway (and ASP!), ample room to expand and central location close to one of the most visited cities (along with Leeds) in the U.K. outside of London…

And a railway link?

 

Wait for comments about Crawley…

If LBA didn’t exist then DSA could probably do ok, although I suspect in a world where LBA didn’t exist and where the building of an airport on the M62 also didnt materialise then Elvington would probably now be the airport for Yorkshire with its very long runway (and ASP!), ample room to expand and central location close to one of the most visited cities (along with Leeds) in the U.K. outside of London…

The thing is even if LBA didn’t exist I suspect DSA would still struggle. If LBA wasn’t there most of the market jet2 attracts from the Middlesbrough area (which is fairly significant) would gravitate to NCL and no doubt MME would not be where it is today and most of the West Yorks traffic would just go to MAN given despite what DSA fans may say about it motorway links DSA is still a real pain to get to especially from the North. It’s a journey I’ve done frequent and even without the never ending roadworks on the dual carriageway A1 down from the M62 often the quickest route has been right across to Thorne and down the M18 - a 55 mile journey from Leeds for instance as opposed to a 56 mile drive to MAN!

 

And a railway link?

Wouldn’t need one, roads are pretty decent.

The thing is even if LBA didn’t exist I suspect DSA would still struggle. If LBA wasn’t there most of the market jet2 attracts from the Middlesbrough area (which is fairly significant) would gravitate to NCL and no doubt MME would not be where it is today and most of the West Yorks traffic would just go to MAN given despite what DSA fans may say about it motorway links DSA is still a real pain to get to especially from the North. It’s a journey I’ve done frequent and even without the never ending roadworks on the dual carriageway A1 down from the M62 often the quickest route has been right across to Thorne and down the M18 - a 55 mile journey from Leeds for instance as opposed to a 56 mile drive to MAN!

Very true but it’s still a solution looking for a problem that’s never likely to exist in the first place. Don’t get me wrong I’d love the option of a reliable local departure point that’s within 60 minutes of my house but I’d probably prefer that to be HUY because to my mind it’s the one that out of the two has a sustainable future. Doesn’t need millions of passengers using it to break even.

 

Just when you thought the straw clutching couldn’t get any more tenuous, the forums favourite ‘wellend’ has now highlighted, in a rather long diatribe, the support of some bloke who heads up ‘The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire’ and the fact him, escouryed by Christian Foster, (who must feel like his christmases have all come at once now he’s progressed from bin collection to airport management) have been shown around DSA and been told of the need to shore up support for the airport.

The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire

www.cutlers-hallamshire.org.uk

That’s right folks, a knife and fork maker is apparently a leading voice in the pledge to reopen DSA for international travel.

Am I missing something here? Over in Humberside there are 3 x daily flights to AMS supported by the very real shipping and offshore traffic that pays a premium to use it. But South Yorkshire has a knife and fork manufacturing industry that might use DSA if the option is there. They might also use MAN as they probably do already In their sporadic travels to places distant to sell their cutlery.

Alas Fell is convinced there will be a positive outcome in September from SYMCA, perhaps he’s clocked the desperate clamour for more cash to solidify the (non)business base. The barrel is well and truly being scraped.

 

Just when you thought the straw clutching couldn’t get any more tenuous, the forums favourite ‘wellend’ has now highlighted, in a rather long diatribe, the support of some bloke who heads up ‘The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire’ and the fact him, escouryed by Christian Foster, (who must feel like his christmases have all come at once now he’s progressed from bin collection to airport management) have been shown around DSA and been told of the need to shore up support for the airport.

The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire

www.cutlers-hallamshire.org.uk

That’s right folks, a knife and fork maker is apparently a leading voice in the pledge to reopen DSA for international travel.

Am I missing something here? Over in Humberside there are 3 x daily flights to AMS supported by the very real shipping and offshore traffic that pays a premium to use it. But South Yorkshire has a knife and fork manufacturing industry that might use DSA if the option is there. They might also use MAN as they probably do already In their sporadic travels to places distant to sell their cutlery.

Alas Fell is convinced there will be a positive outcome in September from SYMCA, perhaps he’s clocked the desperate clamour for more cash to solidify the (non)business base. The barrel is well and truly being scraped.

Desperation time Unfortunately the SY cutlery issue is nothing like it once was - it now only employs a couple of thousand at the most and is mostly very niche sales. Suspect given the niche nature of their business international sales will be very limited and mostly done online!…
They seem to be just clutching at straws now trying to make news from something which just isn’t there!!
Perhaps these folks can explain why none of this fantastic growth ever happened in the years DSA was open……
I also suspect once (if) DSA does re-open there are going to be lots of disappointed folks down there who will start to ask some difficult questions when the expectations that these folks are currently setting fail to materialise….

 

Desperation time Unfortunately the SY cutlery issue is nothing like it once was - it now only employs a couple of thousand at the most and is mostly very niche sales. Suspect given the niche nature of their business international sales will be very limited and mostly done online!…
They seem to be just clutching at straws now trying to make news from something which just isn’t there!!
Perhaps these folks can explain why none of this fantastic growth ever happened in the years DSA was open……
I also suspect once (if) DSA does re-open there are going to be lots of disappointed folks down there who will start to ask some difficult questions when the expectations that these folks are currently setting fail to materialise….

I’d like to know what these people are being told behind closed doors. Access to international markets seems to be the order of the day, but how? Are they being told that long haul is a possibility? Are they being told that there’ll be a link to a hub? I don’t believe expectations are being managed because there’s nobody to rein them in at all. Don’t imagine MAI will be keeping them grounded as they need to keep the pay cheques coming in.

 

I’d like to know what these people are being told behind closed doors. Access to international markets seems to be the order of the day, but how? Are they being told that long haul is a possibility? Are they being told that there’ll be a link to a hub? I don’t believe expectations are being managed because there’s nobody to rein them in at all. Don’t imagine MAI will be keeping them grounded as they need to keep the pay cheques coming in.

No idea what hub connection they would get……KLM have enough on their plate and are well embedded at both LBA and Humberside. BA absolutely no chance, AerLingus doubtful, maybe Lufthansa to Frankfurt but their reputation is appalling and when travelling on business or leisure LH I’ve always avoided them like the plague…….

 

No idea what hub connection they would get……KLM have enough on their plate and are well embedded at both LBA and Humberside. BA absolutely no chance, AerLingus doubtful, maybe Lufthansa to Frankfurt but their reputation is appalling and when travelling on business or leisure LH I’ve always avoided them like the plague…….

Would take a very special relationship between MAI and LH to take a punt on that. LH aren’t ones to start routes from small airports that barely anyone uses, least not in the U.K. as I’m sure there are many others well ahead of them in the queue who have been holding discussions for years. It’s not impossible that KLM might abandon Humberside but they’ve got a 50+ year established route there which serves a core market that South Yorkshire doesn’t have and with Eastern being based at HUY and operating the route it seems a bit unlikely that this would change, particularly as the previous lot consistently failed to get KLM to move across last time.

Suppose this is part of my problem with it. Nobody on the reopening side has given any indication as to the likelihood of being able to attract enough airlines. I think if they approached it realistically and said openly that they know it’s a struggle to get that market interest but they can run it much better than previously by keeping costs low AND having a much lower breakeven volume then it would be easier to accept that they know what they’re doing. As things stand they seem to be feeding into the myth that the airport has potential if only the last lot hadn’t charged too much etc etc. This will only result in the same outcome.

 

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
My American Airlines flight on Wednesday evening to Heathrow Airport pushes back from Terminal D.

As point to point flying becomes more the norm and aircraft get smaller (for example the excellent Airbus A321XLR), the opportunities for Doncaster Sheffield Airport improve further. No need to consolidate at big hubs like Heathrow to get enough passenger demand and fare yield.

Just look at what is already happening on trans-Atlantic routes. The monster A380 routes are not the only ways to make money. DSA to New York, Boston, Chicago and Toronto are going to be doable direct. Let’s hope the airlines take a look at the opportunities.

If WestJet Canada can fly to the UK from St John’s Newfoundland and Air Canada can fly from Halifax International Nova Scotia to the UK, using smaller aircraft, then surely there has to be a market, especially with much lower landing charges and with good ground transport to major UK destinations.

Can’t post a link but it’s doing the rounds on LinkedIn. This is the sort of thing that’s causing all the issues because there’s a level of expectation that just cannot be met and it’s once again going completely unchallenged. Can see history repeating itself.

Someone did comment that even MAN struggles to retain that level of service to these destinations. This persons response was that well MAI know stuff etc etc.

 

Can’t post a link but it’s doing the rounds on LinkedIn. This is the sort of thing that’s causing all the issues because there’s a level of expectation that just cannot be met and it’s once again going completely unchallenged. Can see history repeating itself.

Someone did comment that even MAN struggles to retain that level of service to these destinations. This persons response was that well MAI know stuff etc etc.

Typical of delusional people who totally fail to understand the industry.

 

Typical of delusional people who totally fail to understand the industry.

In fairness to Coppard this is the bloke he told to stop ‘being silly’ to.

 

The airport charges thing he mentions also shows a complete and utter lack of understanding. How much does he think airport charges (including navigation fees) contribute to an airlines fixed costs? Well. It all that much as backed up by an article from a couple of years ago which has it at an average of 5%.

Beyond the Rhetoric: Some Hard Facts on Airport Charges and the Industry | ACI World Insights

Uncover data-driven insights on airport charges that challenge myths and highlight their role in long-term resilience.

blog.aci.aero

Cold hard facts again. Airlines need volume. Without volume they don’t make money. Without money.. well I don’t need to explain that one!

When Flybe and easyjet flew from DSA they did so on the proviso that Peel underwrote any losses sustained by doing so. Even with this factored in the routes were unsustainable. Doesn’t take a genius to work out why, for instance, WestJet or Air Canada might not look at BHX, NCL, BRS, LBA, STN, LTN or many other much bigger U.K. airports before DSA was ever on their radar. How much traffic does he think there actually is and why does he think there’s a strong enough market for it in Yorkshire?

The mentality of the pro-DSA lot.

 

The airport charges thing he mentions also shows a complete and utter lack of understanding. How much does he think airport charges (including navigation fees) contribute to an airlines fixed costs? Well. It all that much as backed up by an article from a couple of years ago which has it at an average of 5%.

Beyond the Rhetoric: Some Hard Facts on Airport Charges and the Industry | ACI World Insights

Uncover data-driven insights on airport charges that challenge myths and highlight their role in long-term resilience.

blog.aci.aero

Cold hard facts again. Airlines need volume. Without volume they don’t make money. Without money.. well I don’t need to explain that one!

When Flybe and easyjet flew from DSA they did so on the proviso that Peel underwrote any losses sustained by doing so. Even with this factored in the routes were unsustainable. Doesn’t take a genius to work out why, for instance, WestJet or Air Canada might not look at BHX, NCL, BRS, LBA, STN, LTN or many other much bigger U.K. airports before DSA was ever on their radar. How much traffic does he think there actually is and why does he think there’s a strong enough market for it in Yorkshire?

The mentality of the pro-DSA lot.

I do wonder how these folks get appointed, even in a voluntary position, to these roles. The guy really hasn’t a clue about the industry and to think DSA would have more clout over attracting airlines to DSA over for instance MAN is prove of this. I know for a fact from folks that have attended sessions such as Routes world and Routes Europe etc and represented competitor airports to MAN the first question they get from potential operators is where exactly is Teesside or Leeds etc and then when the finally work that out they say - oh yes you’re just down the road from Manchester!
The fact is MAN has far more significant clout in the international stage then any other airport in Northern England - it’s a significant player and well known in the industry….To say Munich airport are simply going to come in and change that is very naive……DSA will never be a player in the scheduled LH market there just isn’t the demand….

 

I do wonder how these folks get appointed, even in a voluntary position, to these roles. The guy really hasn’t a clue about the industry and to think DSA would have more clout over attracting airlines to DSA over for instance MAN is prove of this. I know for a fact from folks that have attended sessions such as Routes world and Routes Europe etc and represented competitor airports to MAN the first question they get from potential operators is where exactly is Teesside or Leeds etc and then when the finally work that out they say - oh yes you’re just down the road from Manchester!
The fact is MAN has far more significant clout in the international stage then any other airport in Northern England - it’s a significant player and well known in the industry….To say Munich airport are simply going to come in and change that is very naive……DSA will never be a player in the scheduled LH market there just isn’t the demand….

There are some making bold claims elsewhere that we will be ‘surprised’ with what the interim management at DSA have managed to achieve. Suggestions of outside investment, the works! Strangely enough none elaborated on but I wouldn’t be surprised if Emirates Cargo is one of the things they’re alluding to.

Nor sure who the ‘interim management’ is exactly, far as I can see it’s just the council execs. So I don’t know what they think is going on but whatever it is it’s a high likelihood that it’s based on what they want and not what’s actually likely to happen.

Oh well, I think Coppard is poised to say yes in September so I guess we’ll hear more if these great schemes in the coming months.

 

Seems to have now been confirmed, as expected, that the final decision on Gainshare will be made by the SYMCA board on 9th September. Coppard has apparently been making more positive noises recently and so I think in all likelihood it will be given the go-ahead at that point.

 

i all ready have my e-mail typed & saved ready to post why give a certian date what's the big deal it it when the bank loan is approved

 

Are SYMCA obliged to publish the FBC before they can approve it?? I know nothing of such procedures. It seems odd that they can continue NOT to publish anything - if indeed a 'decision' is that close, they must already have made up their minds behind the scenes so what's the problem??