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...?

 

There's also the CAA lead time to factor in for lots of audits and 'approvals' before an airfield license can be granted - and the CAA are notorious for their two speed approach - 'slow' and 'stop'.
Even if by some miracle they manage to achieve it by next Spring, it does seem highly unlikely that there will be any meaningful aircraft availability. They do seem to be on a hiding to nothing unfortunately for them - and the lease clock continues ticking!


It might well reduce lead time - although I suspect that there are not that many ATC guys - even at contractors - with capacity to spare. Still to recruit I would suspect and the costs of doing that are likely to increase. Of course your point is extremely valid - it's a brave contractor who would progress some of these things without a definite go ahead on the inadequate funding.

It makes you wonder who’s adviser on these timescales. Seems they’re under pressure from the lease, anyone know why their lease costs have suddenly increased and whether there may be some performance related stipulations in there?

Regards the CAA, I’ve been a customer of theirs for over 15 years now. Although my experience is mainly in the licensing side of things I have also had reason to visit the Belgrano and their old city HQ professionally on a number of occasions. They are at best unpredictable, but what concerns me is the pressure that may be placed upon them by certain government ministers and MPs wanting to be seen to be doing something. They must not be swayed by a political pressure to see the airport reopened as soon as possible. Also I understand they can take a first come first served approach to things and I’m sure there are other ACP requirements that might take precedent over a failed airport that managed to secure far more airspace than was required the first time around.

 

I think I might know who they’ve spoken to, and if it’s the person I’m thinking of they have only posted the positive. There are fundamental issues that this person is aware of that have no mention in that article. This also includes what I’ve heard about this freight partner mentioned in the article and the amount of investment that may have been required from the airport side to get across the line, something which I understand (but could be wrong) would have resulted in a small number of flight uplifts relative to the investment. Can see with what’s happening at FedEx

I have it on good authority this was Stephen Gill

 

I have it on good authority this was Stephen Gill

I don’t believe that to be the case, he had left the business in 2019 and wasn’t there until the end.

 

I don’t believe that to be the case, he had left the business in 2019 and wasn’t there until the end.

Well it is not female as she has airport worker friends in Doncaster, if you know, you know.

 

Well it is not female as she has airport worker friends in Doncaster, if you know,

Nobody has suggested it’s a female informer.. But it is not Stephen Gill who left years before Peel decided to close the airport.

 

Nobody has suggested it’s a female informer.. But it is not Stephen Gill who left years before Peel decided to close the airport.

Well, the airport has a small SMT as my spouse worked there, so it is C, R, S and K, as R and S are bound by their agreement on the lease not to comment on DSA, you are left with C.

Edited because the person who has contributed to the article wanted to be anonymous. We should not be speculating on here about who may or may not be the person commenting until such time that they are willing themselves to put their name to their statements.

 

Well, the airport has a small SMT as my spouse worked there, so it is C, R, S and K, as R and S are bound by their agreement on the lease not to comment on DSA, you are left with C.

Edited because the person who has contributed to the article wanted to be anonymous. We should not be speculating on here about who may or may not be the person commenting until such time that they are willing themselves to put their name to their statements.

I hope you don’t feel offended but I think it’s only fair to protect the anonymity of the individual(s) involved so I have exuded full names in your post. @Aviador interested in your view?

Regardless, I don’t think it’s important who said what they said other than they did. The senior management team was indeed fairly small but there were a number of people who came and went throughout its 17 years of operations, many of whom brough with them experience from airlines or other airports and some being homegrown talent who have gone on to other things. My point was that this person has been taken out of context particularly by the mechanic so as to read overwhelmingly positive when it appears intended as a bit of a pot shot to the council and MCA for allowing the airport to close in the first place. Of course this person is probably still passionate about a regional airport at DSA but is cautioning against the struggles it will face in regaining what was a fragile and hard win market.

It’s a shame the minutes and documents are no longer available online as to the decision not to lend Peel £20 million as requested, because that is what is being alluded to in this anonymous statement. Because the airport has closed it will struggle to regain momentum that may or may not have been building up until Wizzair made the fateful decision to pull out.

 

This definitely was not a positive statement, it was a dig at South Yorkshire Mayor before Coppard.
They also explain just why it will be difficult to draw business away from competing airports.
Interesting to see days after the mechanic threatened Coppard if he did not reply to his letter, he says this on X

Here's a good question !!

Why are the other 3 authorities of South Yorkshire not involved financialy in our airport

or why is
@SouthYorksMCA dragging their feet on a decision to allow Doncaster Council to use their gainshare funding on DSA.

Or should they actually be looking at funding for the project from the combined Authority.

That's what has happened in Teesside.

They wanted in on the campaign to save DSA.

Now it's close to the wire ready for funding that they've delayed why is this ??

Its been mentioned many times DSA is the jewel in the crown of South Yorkshire not just Doncaster.

All 4 Authorities are investing in the mass transit system in Sheffield that we need

Isn't DSA also a mass transit system we need ??

Shouldn't all 4 Authorities be involved financially ?

All 4 will benefit from a reopened DSA

@MyDoncaster @SheffCouncil
@BarnsleyCouncil @RMBCPress
@MayorRos @SouthYorksMayor
@DNChamber
@sheffchamber @brchamberuk
@dan_fell @LouisaHWalker @DoncasterDamian
@DonnyFreePress
@yorkshirepost
@BBCSheffield
@itvcalendar

#SaveDSA #saveDSAairspace #syorksairportcity #teamdoncaster #teamDSA #Investment #aviation #localeconomy #regionalsupport #teameffort

#teamsouthyorkshire ?????

 

Mechanic seems very desperate, goes on random rants to gain interest / likes / comments on his posts, only to feed his ego. He bangs on about negativity towards DSA and has threatened to remove people from the group who basically do not agree / have a different opinion / have realistic views and asking serious questions he doesn’t want himself or others to hear as it could change the narrative.

He is happy for negative comments to be thrown around about neighbouring airports but ironically pledges all airports should support each other when the narrative slips

 

This definitely was not a positive statement, it was a dig at South Yorkshire Mayor before Coppard.
They also explain just why it will be difficult to draw business away from competing airports.
Interesting to see days after the mechanic threatened Coppard if he did not reply to his letter, he says this on X

Here's a good question !!

Why are the other 3 authorities of South Yorkshire not involved financialy in our airport

or why is
@SouthYorksMCA dragging their feet on a decision to allow Doncaster Council to use their gainshare funding on DSA.

Or should they actually be looking at funding for the project from the combined Authority.

That's what has happened in Teesside.

They wanted in on the campaign to save DSA.

Now it's close to the wire ready for funding that they've delayed why is this ??

Its been mentioned many times DSA is the jewel in the crown of South Yorkshire not just Doncaster.

All 4 Authorities are investing in the mass transit system in Sheffield that we need

Isn't DSA also a mass transit system we need ??

Shouldn't all 4 Authorities be involved financially ?

All 4 will benefit from a reopened DSA

@MyDoncaster @SheffCouncil
@BarnsleyCouncil @RMBCPress
@MayorRos @SouthYorksMayor
@DNChamber
@sheffchamber @brchamberuk
@dan_fell @LouisaHWalker @DoncasterDamian
@DonnyFreePress
@yorkshirepost
@BBCSheffield
@itvcalendar

#SaveDSA #saveDSAairspace #syorksairportcity #teamdoncaster #teamDSA #Investment #aviation #localeconomy #regionalsupport #teameffort

#teamsouthyorkshire ?????

I’ve not seen the full statement only what is posted on the insider media piece so could you post it for us to see?

It certainly goes some way to confirm what some of us have been saying (but a lot have been saying off the forums) that Peel did not intend to run it into the ground and close it, but they were left with no option but to do that else the money would run out had they’d not been able to continue investing to keep the place going. That’s blatantly obvious, regardless of how many close calls there may have been with interest drom freight companies. I can count at least 4 major false dawns in a 17 year history of the airport, that’s pretty damning if nothing else.

 

Mechanic seems very desperate, goes on random rants to gain interest / likes / comments on his posts, only to feed his ego. He bangs on about negativity towards DSA and has threatened to remove people from the group who basically do not agree / have a different opinion / have realistic views and asking serious questions he doesn’t want himself or others to hear as it could change the narrative.

He is happy for negative comments to be thrown around about neighbouring airports but ironically pledges all airports should support each other when the narrative slips

Clearly a similar personality to a certain orange man in the USA! Maybe he should form an organised bunch along similar lines to MAGA.
Make Doncaster Great Again (MDG).

The pro DSA lobby seem just as intent on ignoring the obvious, talking nonsense and hitting out at anyone who doesnt follow their preaching as the US presidents orange army.

 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport must aim for profitability, Insider told - Insider Media

Doncaster Sheffield Airport needs to aim for profitability if it reopens, an executive at a rival airport has told Insider.

www.insidermedia.com

tourism ?
apart from the ledger.

 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport must aim for profitability, Insider told - Insider Media

Doncaster Sheffield Airport needs to aim for profitability if it reopens, an executive at a rival airport has told Insider.

www.insidermedia.com

tourism ?
apart from the ledger.

An interesting little article which may well draw vitriol from one of the campaign pages as the comments are from management at nearby airports. However, the comments are all common business sense - no rocket science there! I noticed an MP was touting 'inbound tourism' in Parliament but with great respect to Doncaster, I doubt there is much to see that would encourage a critical mass of inbound tourists. The point that the Teesside guy stated that it had been mentioned that DSA could sustain operating losses (very dangerous strategy) in view of the commercial boost generated elsewhere (a loss leader!) seems to indicate an acceptance in some quarters that things will be tough.

 

I’ve not seen the full statement only what is posted on the insider media piece so could you post it for us to see?

It certainly goes some way to confirm what some of us have been saying (but a lot have been saying off the forums) that Peel did not intend to run it into the ground and close it, but they were left with no option but to do that else the money would run out had they’d not been able to continue investing to keep the place going. That’s blatantly obvious, regardless of how many close calls there may have been with interest drom freight companies. I can count at least 4 major false dawns in a 17 year history of the airport, that’s pretty damning if nothing else.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s best chance of success was not to close in first place, former senior manager tells Insider - Insider Media

Doncaster Sheffield Airport faces a “big challenge” to win back customer and airline confidence if it reopens, a former senior manager there has told Insider.

www.insidermedia.com

 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s best chance of success was not to close in first place, former senior manager tells Insider - Insider Media

Doncaster Sheffield Airport faces a “big challenge” to win back customer and airline confidence if it reopens, a former senior manager there has told Insider.

www.insidermedia.com

They mention the March edition of Yorkshire Business Insider, so u assumed it was part of a bigger piece. Is this available anywhere?

 

Apparently, according to a post, Labour’s Sheffield Transport spokesperson Peter Kennan has said that Doncaster Sheffield Airport will not make a profit and he wants Oliver to underwrite losses to support the business rates, VAT, Tax and NI receipts as it is fir the wider economic benefits

 

Apparently, according to a post, Labour’s Sheffield Transport spokesperson Peter Kennan has said that Doncaster Sheffield Airport will not make a profit and he wants Oliver to underwrite losses to support the business rates, VAT, Tax and NI receipts as it is fir the wider economic benefits

He’s not in a position of much influence. Posting all the time about how DSA can serve all sorts of weird and wonderful destinations. He was recently seen suggesting that LOT could come in because they don’t currently serve any northern airport. It’s this kind of wishful and frankly unrealistic thinking that is driving this. There will be no wider economic benefits, but he obviously realises it’s never going to make money. Wasn’t he a chartered accountant? Perhaps he should stick to trains.

Peel secured rates relief for a long period after the airport opened. Levying rates on businesses that might hope to invest in the surrounding ‘Gateway’ land is hardly a way to attract people to relocate is it? Peter Kennan and people like him want an airport at any cost because they think that Sheffield needs one, it doesn’t. He knows this, he also seems to know that the airport will never make money but wants to hoodwink people into allowing it to open anyway. If Sheffield did need an airport it would not need one at the far end of Doncaster, it would have been much better having a smaller airport next to the M1 that could have offered business the access to the city at a fraction of the overheads of an airport like DSA. Oh wait….

 

Its been mentioned many times DSA is the jewel in the crown of South Yorkshire not just Doncaster.

I was thinking fools gold rather than jewel in the crown.

 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport: A timeline of events - what challenges lie ahead for a 2026 re-opening? - Insider Media

The former Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has been a major talking point for locals, politicians, and airline groups as the site looks set to potentially re-open in spring 2026 after being…

www.insidermedia.com

credible offer to buy by aviation company?

 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport: A timeline of events - what challenges lie ahead for a 2026 re-opening? - Insider Media

The former Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has been a major talking point for locals, politicians, and airline groups as the site looks set to potentially re-open in spring 2026 after being…

www.insidermedia.com

credible offer to buy by aviation company?

Clearly it wasn't credible!