Doncaster Sheffield Airport Reveals £10M Development Plans

Doncaster Sheffield Airport Reveals £10M Development Plans and meets with Government to discuss unlocking 33,000 jobs in the North
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Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) welcomed the UK Aviation Minister, Paul Maynard, MP today (Thursday 30th January) as it revealed a £10M redevelopment plan for the for terminal as part of its continued commitment to provide an easy, friendly and relaxed service to its customers.

The £10m terminal investment programme for Yorkshire’s award-winning airport includes a number of improvements and new facilities based on passenger feedback, such as an expansion of the retail food and beverage offering, new gate bridges and an expansion of the arrivals hall and security search area.

Already voted the UK’s favourite airport, the improvements are in direct response to growing passenger demand, following exponential growth over the past five years which has seen DSA become the fastest growing airport in the North of the UK. Many of the proposed improvements should be completed for Summer 2021.

As part of the Government’s Regional Connectivity Review the Aviation Minister was keen to understand how Doncaster Sheffield Airport can support Government strategy to level up the North.

Airport management discussed plans which have the potential to unlock 33,000 gross jobs over the next 10 years – 10,000 of them within the next 5 years, in engineering, manufacturing aviation, energy and construction. He heard how this ‘shovel-ready’ scheme, to bring an East Coast Mainline station into the site would significantly extend the airport’s public transport catchment area to circa 9 million people within a 90-minute travel time, equivalent to the catchment of Manchester Airport and utilising existing runway capacity capable of handling 25 million passengers. The scheme offers exceptional value for money with a 22:1 return on investment.

The creation of an East Coast Mainline Station, with just 4.5 miles of track would provide direct public transport access to and from towns and cities across the entire East of the country and relieve congestion on the East Coast Mainline. If successful, Doncaster Sheffield Airport would be only the second airport in the UK to have direct mainline rail access, with a scheme deliverable within the next five years. The Airport plays an important role in reducing car journeys from passengers forced to travel to the south due to an under-provision of airline seats in Yorkshire. It also has the potential to save up to 80 million road miles and c23,000 tonnes of CO2 which currently result from surface leakage.

Robert Hough CBE, Chairman of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said:

“Doncaster Sheffield Airport already boasts a modern purpose-built terminal building facility involving over £100 million of investment just fifteen years ago. It is so important that as we grow, we continue to maintain our award-winning passenger experience. Today’s announcement follows £3.5 million invested to create additional parking spaces to keep up with customer demand and £2m investment in our on-site solar farm that will generate 25% of the airport’s energy.

“We are pleased that the Aviation Minister recognises our position as a key part of the solution for the UK’s aviation needs and addressing the imbalance of just 1.2 seats per head of population in Yorkshire versus 10 in the South. We are committed to our part in delivering the opportunity here around DSA which with the right support from government can start making an impact on people lives in the North now, not years ahead.”

Paul Maynard, Aviation Minister, said: “Doncaster Sheffield is an award winning airport and these enhancements will make the passenger experience even better, as it provides a vital service connecting communities and business across the UK.

“We are absolutely committed to enhancing regional airports and air services and our regional air connectivity review will help deliver on the Prime Minister’s pledge to level up the whole of the UK economy.”

Nick Fletcher, MP for Don Valley, was on hand to greet the aviation minister, and highlight the potential of the scheme to support further growth and drive the creation of skilled jobs and opportunities. He said: “The airport and surrounding area have the capacity to bring much-needed jobs and skills to the region. Over 1,000 jobs and 100 businesses are already supported across the site and the potential is far greater.

“It is important that we unlock this vital asset for the region and that we encourage and develop our local children and young people to become the skilled talent pool for the growth sectors of the future”.

The development is a key part of the Airport’s 20-year Masterplan which saw passenger numbers soar to 1.45m this year and forecast to double within the next 5 years, consistent with its market breaking growth over the past five years in excess of 75%.

With a busy summer ahead, Doncaster Sheffield Airport is now just a few weeks away from TUI’s fourth based aircraft arriving, new long-haul destinations to Cancun, Mexico and Cape Verde taking off and an additional quarter of a million seats on sale; its predicting a busy summer ahead.

 

Work on the terminal has been stopped according to a post on one of the airport spotting Facebook pages.

Thumbs up for the information, not the outcome. Welcome to Forums4airports @Underwood

 

Work on the terminal has been stopped according to a post on one of the airport spotting Facebook pages.

Do you have a direct quote for this? If that has ceased then the airport can’t be confident of a replacement in the foreseeable future.

 

Do you have a direct quote for this? If that has ceased then the airport can’t be confident of a replacement in the foreseeable future.

Perhaps after today, we now know why!

 

Perhaps after today, we now know why!

Must admit, I know I’ve been one of those expecting this to happen for 20 years now.. It’s certainly not nice to actually see this on the cusp of becoming a reality.

I feel there will be pressure on the local authorities and/or local development groups to take action and/or control of the airport. Much like with MME. However, DSA is a different beast entirely, it’s proven to be a loss leader way beyond the scope of a local authority to prop up. With the departure of all the senior figures at the airport in the last few months, I do think Peel have their mind made up as to the future of the site. That future certainly doesn’t include aviation.

 

Not going to make any difference to the outcome but hopefully Peel are going to have some tricky questions to answer soon.

 

Not going to make any difference to the outcome but hopefully Peel are going to have some tricky questions to answer soon.

It’s their ball, they don’t really have anyone to answer to. Public money has been invested in good faith, but with no due diligence - fortunately the pie in the sky rail spur was knocked back pretty quickly, perhaps that’s been the catalyst to bring this closure proposal forward..?

 

It’s their ball, they don’t really have anyone to answer to. Public money has been invested in good faith, but with no due diligence - fortunately the pie in the sky rail spur was knocked back pretty quickly, perhaps that’s been the catalyst to bring this closure proposal forward..?

So on that note do you think this has been on the cards for quite a while since Covid hit, seems plausible on the basis of things that have been said, refusing training flights like previously seen with Ryanair and the cargo movements that have clearly been turned away.

 

So on that note do you think this has been on the cards for quite a while since Covid hit, seems plausible on the basis of things that have been said, refusing training flights like previously seen with Ryanair and the cargo movements that have clearly been turned away.

I think it’s been on the cards since it opened.. One head figure from Peel Holdings (as was) was overheard to say at the Public Enquiry into the airport that they could make more money churning up the runway for aggregate.. Flippant perhaps, and I suspect if the airlines flocked there in their droves as they seemed to believe would happen in the planning stage then we wouldn’t be seeing this now. But they have always had the backup plan, sadly they are going to enact it now. Think this predates Covid.

 

It all seems to be going to plan for Peel. Build an airport where most of the aviation industry said it was not required, being careful not to spend too much, secure public funds to enhance the access to it, and in so doing, enhance the land value, then start to wind things down not long after announcing a major investment scheme and finally close it down, blaming Covid and Wizz rather than themselves. The value of the entire airfield to Peel must be huge, and they can 'sell' this closure by demonstrating job numbers on offer in the warehouses and industrial units etc. which will be significantly greater than those currently at the airport.

It's a real shame for the South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire area, but I honestly believe that this has been the plan in the longer term and it was a question of when, rather than if. Ultimately, the question is whether an underused airport is better than the various industries that might move in after it's gone.

 

It all seems to be going to plan for Peel. Build an airport where most of the aviation industry said it was not required, being careful not to spend too much, secure public funds to enhance the access to it, and in so doing, enhance the land value, then start to wind things down not long after announcing a major investment scheme and finally close it down, blaming Covid and Wizz rather than themselves. The value of the entire airfield to Peel must be huge, and they can 'sell' this closure by demonstrating job numbers on offer in the warehouses and industrial units etc. which will be significantly greater than those currently at the airport.

It's a real shame for the South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire area, but I honestly believe that this has been the plan in the longer term and it was a question of when, rather than if. Ultimately, the question is whether an underused airport is better than the various industries that might move in after it's gone.

Which comes back to the start why build another airport after Sheffield City to start the ball rolling again and go through the whole process they went through before what was the reason for Peel to build the airport why couldn't they just do what they wanted with it from day one, for over 15 years they have messed around with it costing millions to operate to close it down the line to do what they want with it now, yes I get the thing of getting grants etc but Peel must have lost so much money yes they will make it back and more but it just seems a bonkers situation.

 

Which comes back to the start why build another airport after Sheffield City to start the ball rolling again and go through the whole process they went through before what was the reason for Peel to build the airport why couldn't they just do what they wanted with it from day one, for over 15 years they have messed around with it costing millions to operate to close it down the line to do what they want with it now, yes I get the thing of getting grants etc but Peel must have lost so much money yes they will make it back and more but it just seems a bonkers situation.

Well they weren’t going to get grants to build a link road to an industrial estate, were they?

I don’t think this was their long game as such, but I do think it was their backup plan. They obviously wanted it to work, and to be fair nobody else would have taken such a risk.. But it was a risk based on the knowledge that they could repurpose the land and recoup the losses should things not go to plan. Things haven’t gone to plan, and so here we are.

I’ve seen elsewhere that the local LEP and regional development agencies have offered to loan Peel £20million to keep the place afloat.. I think this is a genuine attempt to keep the place open and not to call their bluff. Their minds are made up though, that wouldn’t even cover the operating loss over the next 2 years. Added to this is the fact that TUI won’t like all this uncertainty and they’ll be looking at their exit strategy now too.

 

It's not just an industrial estate the housing the plans

Well they weren’t going to get grants to build a link road to an industrial estate, were they?

I don’t think this was their long game as such, but I do think it was their backup plan. They obviously wanted it to work, and to be fair nobody else would have taken such a risk.. But it was a risk based on the knowledge that they could repurpose the land and recoup the losses should things not go to plan. Things haven’t gone to plan, and so here we are.

I’ve seen elsewhere that the local LEP and regional development agencies have offered to loan Peel £20million to keep the place afloat.. I think this is a genuine attempt to keep the place open and not to call their bluff. Their minds are made up though, that wouldn’t even cover the operating loss over the next 2 years. Added to this is the fact that TUI won’t like all this uncertainty and they’ll be looking at their exit strategy now too.

It's not just an industrial estate though is it housing then plans to expand at the side of the airport with more housing and hotels/plaza. Peel are good at what they do they you have to give them that they aren't great at this airport game Liverpool struggled for year's Durham they destroyed like you say things are coming out here and there and plenty more will but it's a fact that over a period of time they have run the place into the ground now they just seem intent on playing a blame game and taking non of the blame themselves.

The strategic review piece they brought out was yet more nonsense blaming Wizz the environmental impact of the airport it's clear they've run the place into the ground over a good period of time they have paid people to fail paid people to leave and totally screwed the decent people working at DSA over a period of time recently. It's been said elsewhere nobody knows what the airport would of been under a different ownership if it would of been more of a success or not but it is clear that they really have pulled the plug recently and the airport could have done better could of been busier it wouldn't of changed the outcome but the people at the top have really failed everyone else with the way they've gone about things which leads to why they then have taken on the Jordan and TUI flights a smokescreen?

It will certainly be interesting to see at what pace the site develops on closure of the airport and where some of the big wigs end up working next.

 

It's not just an industrial estate the housing the plans

It's not just an industrial estate though is it housing then plans to expand at the side of the airport with more housing and hotels/plaza. Peel are good at what they do they you have to give them that they aren't great at this airport game Liverpool struggled for year's Durham they destroyed like you say things are coming out here and there and plenty more will but it's a fact that over a period of time they have run the place into the ground now they just seem intent on playing a blame game and taking non of the blame themselves.

The strategic review piece they brought out was yet more nonsense blaming Wizz the environmental impact of the airport it's clear they've run the place into the ground over a good period of time they have paid people to fail paid people to leave and totally screwed the decent people working at DSA over a period of time recently. It's been said elsewhere nobody knows what the airport would of been under a different ownership if it would of been more of a success or not but it is clear that they really have pulled the plug recently and the airport could have done better could of been busier it wouldn't of changed the outcome but the people at the top have really failed everyone else with the way they've gone about things which leads to why they then have taken on the Jordan and TUI flights a smokescreen?

It will certainly be interesting to see at what pace the site develops on closure of the airport and where some of the big wigs end up working next.

I get what you’re saying, but my point is that no other operator would have sunk the costs that were required to get the airport up to standard. Vancouver Group bought in to try to turn things around and run the group airports as a going concern. This failed. Any other possible interested party would be charged a highly inflated rate for taking the airport off their hands, it’s just not viable. I can’t see Peel relinquishing the existing development land to even subsidise for the airports losses.

In effect, the airport was built to handle large volumes of passengers on a minimum of 737 and A320 sized aircraft, but the catchment area simply is not able to support this in a sizeable number to reach critical mass. This was highlighted by aviation experts in the years before it was built, and has been consistently proven throughout DSA’s short life. I’m not really sure what any other operator would have done differently, except for not even build the place in the first place!

 

Which comes back to the start why build another airport after Sheffield City to start the ball rolling again and go through the whole process they went through before what was the reason for Peel to build the airport why couldn't they just do what they wanted with it from day one, for over 15 years they have messed around with it costing millions to operate to close it down the line to do what they want with it now, yes I get the thing of getting grants etc but Peel must have lost so much money yes they will make it back and more but it just seems a bonkers situation.

Yes but they wouldn't have been able to extract all the grants they have received, which will have enhanced their investment in the project, if they had just bought the site and developed it from day 1. Peel are very cute and professional when it comes to their investments. They may even sell the airport to a local authority whilst retaining as much of the development land as the major cash cow.