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...?

 

Judging by precedent set in Teesside, Peel would sell for the amount they invested. So anywhere from £280 million and they’d sell. Clearly they had no interested buyers despite this apparent untapped goldmine.

Had today off so I’ve had more chance to review what Ros Jones has said in her latest statement.

She accuses people of lying yet claims;

Approach lights bring purchased - I thought these were ‘in storage’ according to her?

The CAA have announced full removal of airspace which will let them redesign - well why were you encouraging a petition to call it in?

DSA will open in spring 2026 and it’s heavily implied this will include passenger flights. They’re in ‘advanced discussions’ with airlines and freight operators - she then goes on to state that they can’t ’sign up’ airlines until the Gainshare has been signed off in September. Well there’s a couple of issues with that, the airlines would be the ones deciding, not FlyDoncaster and a bunch of career public sector middle managers. However not only that how are they going to get airlines in with such a short lead in time?

Also note that recruitment will not start until after Gainshare sign off. That gives them at best 8 months.

Any idea what she (or her minder) means when she says ‘I am pleased that Oliver Coppard has signalled that through ongoing assurance works that this builds confidence to provide a credible update to the MCA board’? Seems a lot of words that don’t really mean much?

Is it lying or purposefully misleading?

Possibly trying to apply more pressure on Oliver Coppard? He will probably know whether the 'advanced discussions' are true or propaganda. There was a very telling and informed post on the campaign site some time ago clearly from someone involved previously in the freight forwarding side spelling out what needed doing to re-establish a viable infrastructure. In his opinion it needed as much as the security side in respect of passengers. I have no idea but it was persuasive. Seems odd there would be freight airlines without a forwarding company.

 

Possibly trying to apply more pressure on Oliver Coppard? He will probably know whether the 'advanced discussions' are true or propaganda. There was a very telling and informed post on the campaign site some time ago clearly from someone involved previously in the freight forwarding side spelling out what needed doing to re-establish a viable infrastructure. In his opinion it needed as much as the security side in respect of passengers. I have no idea but it was persuasive. Seems odd there would be freight airlines without a forwarding company.

Regarding freight, a former commercial high up said that in order to make freight viable as a revenue stream there would need to be significant investment in dedicated infrastructure such as integrated handling facilities. It’s my understanding that some freight airlines showed interest but on the proviso that such an investment was made, clearly they weren’t confident enough to invest in it themselves.

That will still be the case now. I wonder how much of the £150 million has been allocated to that?

 

Regarding freight, a former commercial high up said that in order to make freight viable as a revenue stream there would need to be significant investment in dedicated infrastructure such as integrated handling facilities. It’s my understanding that some freight airlines showed interest but on the proviso that such an investment was made, clearly they weren’t confident enough to invest in it themselves.

That will still be the case now. I wonder how much of the £150 million has been allocated to that?

under the last ownership, didnt DFS look at having a bonded warehouse there?
and the rumour about building around the airport you mention is quite strong.
but they do not want the splanning conditions attached like peel have ( most of theirs , included an operating airpport.)

 

under the last ownership, didnt DFS look at having a bonded warehouse there?
and the rumour about building around the airport you mention is quite strong.
but they do not want the splanning conditions attached like peel have ( most of theirs , included an operating airpport.)

Don’t know about DFS. Peel only have planning conditions because the council have applied them, the airport fails those conditions would change because otherwise it’d be land sitting idle and generating nothing.

The point about SAU is crucial. It’s 5 out of the 7 criteria were found unconvincing in the report. The legal aspect will not take into consideration local pride or political promises, but will look objectively at the information provided. Of Coppard fails to satisfy the criteria (and it’s difficult to see how he will achieve this) then if legal action is taken it’s almost inconceivable that the plan will stand up to scrutiny at the CAT.

So I think the planning conditions are irrelevant.

 

I can see now what is likely to happen come Spring 2026. Nothing will have developed in terms of Passenger/Cargo Services as the time frame is so short to get everything in place, Ros Jones will officially re-open the airport (with nothing changed) 2excel operating the same agreement but have an official opening date, there will be more caveats and goal posts being moved as per what's happened for the last 2 years. I can sense some DSA fans being set up for disappointment.

 

Also I read a report in one of the local newspaper ,mayor jones is saying we expect four or even five passenger airlines to start flying once we are fully open and in another recent article says we are open in terms of planning??

 

Be lucky to get more then TUI.. and whatever form of flying that could be (most likely W patterned to start) oh how very sad.

 

Be lucky to get more then TUI.. and whatever form of flying that could be (most likely W patterned to start) oh how very sad.

Someone on LinkedIn that’s very enthusiastic about it all has been advocating aer Lingus. Didn’t they try it a few times with no uptake? I know it was aer Arann and Stobart but they were getting single digits using it.

Hope is a strategy here, Ros Jones wants four or five airline, well that’s alright then wonder why Peel and VAS didn’t think of that.

As an aside and with BOH apparently struggling to fill two jet2 aircraft let alone three we might see even more consolidation towards known markets which puts DSA at potentially even more of a disadvantage. CDC are so myopic I don’t think they can even appreciate the dynamics of competition and how what happens at LBA and EMA will ultimately have a negative impact on DSA. They genuinely appear to believe that the traffic that relocated to LBA and elsewhere when it closed is rightly theirs. I doubt LBA, EMA and to an extent HUY will see it that way though.

This will be their fatal error whether the funding is approved in September or not, but what might happen is that Coppard drop feeds some money to get the airport licensed for 2Excel and small GA operators and then they kick the can down the road. That way the large sums of money aren’t at stake and Ros Jones can prance around taking everyone she saved the airport whilst only prolonging its demise.

 

Someone on LinkedIn that’s very enthusiastic about it all has been advocating aer Lingus. Didn’t they try it a few times with no uptake? I know it was aer Arann and Stobart but they were getting single digits using it.

Hope is a strategy here, Ros Jones wants four or five airline, well that’s alright then wonder why Peel and VAS didn’t think of that.

As an aside and with BOH apparently struggling to fill two jet2 aircraft let alone three we might see even more consolidation towards known markets which puts DSA at potentially even more of a disadvantage. CDC are so myopic I don’t think they can even appreciate the dynamics of competition and how what happens at LBA and EMA will ultimately have a negative impact on DSA. They genuinely appear to believe that the traffic that relocated to LBA and elsewhere when it closed is rightly theirs. I doubt LBA, EMA and to an extent HUY will see it that way though.

This will be their fatal error whether the funding is approved in September or not, but what might happen is that Coppard drop feeds some money to get the airport licensed for 2Excel and small GA operators and then they kick the can down the road. That way the large sums of money aren’t at stake and Ros Jones can prance around taking everyone she saved the airport whilst only prolonging its demise.

Yes Aer Lingus (Aer Arran/Stobart) did try for a while but the passenger figures were very poor and it didn't last long. but in mitigation there was only one flight a day if I recall with poor timing. I suppose that they may try again if it reopens and they are paid to do so. That's the sort of service that will not have much effect (if any) on nearby airports but it's apparent from the campaign site that it's only holiday destinations the vast majority of folk are interested in.
Ms Jones banging on about a Spring opening with 'four or five' airlines is so incredulous even for a politician - I don't understand why she would be that daft unless she knows something no one else does - especially those working in or associated with the industry. A half way house might indeed be the vehicle to get the politicians off the hook for a while.

 

i found this interesting, so she saying it was a a big no peel selling. not no , you have not offered enough, no we do not want to sell.

She also revealed her feelings on hearing the airport’s closure – and how relations with owners Peel have improved since the shutdown.
She said: “I was devastated. I was in the office at the time, was given a day's warning of their strategic review. We tried to persuade them, don't do that, let's see what we can do.
"And we did everything to try and keep the airport open, seek to get someone else to come in. But they were not wanting to play ball at that time.
"And therefore, we are where we are today, working with them.

"We were gutted. And we did all we could, as we said, we tried to buy the land off them, but their answer was no.
"Our officers are the ones that interface with Peel daily.
"And I'm not going to lie, some of it's been difficult at the start, but I think they've got a good working relationship now. And Peel want to see it go forward as much as possible because if you remember gateways, which is all land that Peel owns, will actually benefit from it.”

 

i found this interesting, so she saying it was a a big no peel selling. not no , you have not offered enough, no we do not want to sell.

She also revealed her feelings on hearing the airport’s closure – and how relations with owners Peel have improved since the shutdown.
She said: “I was devastated. I was in the office at the time, was given a day's warning of their strategic review. We tried to persuade them, don't do that, let's see what we can do.
"And we did everything to try and keep the airport open, seek to get someone else to come in. But they were not wanting to play ball at that time.
"And therefore, we are where we are today, working with them.

"We were gutted. And we did all we could, as we said, we tried to buy the land off them, but their answer was no.
"Our officers are the ones that interface with Peel daily.
"And I'm not going to lie, some of it's been difficult at the start, but I think they've got a good working relationship now. And Peel want to see it go forward as much as possible because if you remember gateways, which is all land that Peel owns, will actually benefit from it.”

We’ve already deduced that Ros Jones is not a reliable source of information given the motivation to blame Peel to keep her and her colleagues off the hook. Do you honestly think that the council or SYMCA had the spare £280 million or so necessary to prick Peels ears up? So what she hasn’t said is how much was offered to Peel which I gather was way below market rate for a piece of land they know is not viable as an airport. Would you sell something off cheap if you knew that someone else was going to profit hugely from it down the line when it gets changed into something else? It’s another case of careful wording so the straw clutchers can say ‘oh but Peel!’.

Ros Jones is lying. She knew it was coming, if she didn’t she’s an idiot. Peel went with a begging bowl to Dan Jarvis’ SYMCA to try to share some risk in it because the business wasn’t just flailing it was sinking. They’d already been made aware by Wizzair that the base was on shakey ground after investing in the new departure gates. Perhaps they thought Peel were bluffing, who knows because their decision to not invest when they had a chance has been removed from any online minutes and are subject to multiple unanswered FOI requests.

This isn’t supposition it’s all available information (apart from the SYMCA decision which has been deleted) so if you choose to believe what they’re saying you’re not being objective.

If you want to believe the theory that Peel werent interested and tried to block a sale to keep the airport open then you have to prove your theory against the evidence. Why would SYMCA completely remove a decision not to invest when it would have at least offered a lifeline and way in to negotiate selling the airport on down the line?

 

Someone on LinkedIn that’s very enthusiastic about it all has been advocating aer Lingus. Didn’t they try it a few times with no uptake? I know it was aer Arann and Stobart but they were getting single digits using it.

Hope is a strategy here, Ros Jones wants four or five airline, well that’s alright then wonder why Peel and VAS didn’t think of that.

As an aside and with BOH apparently struggling to fill two jet2 aircraft let alone three we might see even more consolidation towards known markets which puts DSA at potentially even more of a disadvantage. CDC are so myopic I don’t think they can even appreciate the dynamics of competition and how what happens at LBA and EMA will ultimately have a negative impact on DSA. They genuinely appear to believe that the traffic that relocated to LBA and elsewhere when it closed is rightly theirs. I doubt LBA, EMA and to an extent HUY will see it that way though.

This will be their fatal error whether the funding is approved in September or not, but what might happen is that Coppard drop feeds some money to get the airport licensed for 2Excel and small GA operators and then they kick the can down the road. That way the large sums of money aren’t at stake and Ros Jones can prance around taking everyone she saved the airport whilst only prolonging its demise.

But no doubt DSA fans will spin the reduction in a 3rd base BOH aircraft as a good thing because they could then have it?

This is they type of logic and ridiculous one liners these people come out with.

 

But no doubt DSA fans will spin the reduction in a 3rd base BOH aircraft as a good thing because they could then have it?

This is they type of logic and ridiculous one liners these people come out with.

Probably haven’t even noticed it. I saw a good post on LinkedIn by someone who used to be involved in airport planning which I will quote below;

What are your thoughts on the Southampton Airport expansion plan?
Airports Policy was professionally My Thing many years ago ; and the basic principles haven’t change very much since the arrival of jet aircraft circa 1970.
First and foremost, does an airport have a sufficiently large and exclusive catchment area? Specifically can it generate enough business to fill flights to a load level at which airlines can earn an attractive financial return? And do so flying sufficiently frequently to attract regular flyers?
Again, does the airport face competition in those respects from other, existing, airports? That has been the downfall, for example, of Sheffield- Doncaster Robin Hood Airport. Peel Avation who owned it, just couldn’t attract enough traffic to make it worthwhile.
Now run those criteria over Southampton airport. It faces serious competition from Gatwick , and a lesser extent from Bournemouth. Is there really sufficient business in the region, the catchment area, to justify a third airport? It seems unlikely.
Slightly different criteria apply to airports which specialise in package holiday flights. Seats are sold anything up to six months in advance - sometimes more - and operators ensure their flights are full, - which is how they can keep fares to a lower level than the scheduled sector.
However package flight operators still need to keep their fleets of aircraft in the air earning money : it is perhaps paradoxical that the aircraft shaped for package holiday business have tighter turn-rounds and fuller, more complicated rosters than those used on scheduled flights.
Third, there is air cargo - the dream behind the optimists who want to bring Manston Airport in Kent back into business. In reality much air cargo travels in the holds of the wide-bodied aircraft flying the major scheduled routes. Now go back to the beginning again.
So there you have it. Just 320 words from the horse’s mouth! For every commercially successful airport such as Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester, there are probably half a dozen over-optimistic projects which stand no real prospects at all.
Bournemouth Airport was used mainly to store unused aircraft during Covid.

 

i found this interesting, so she saying it was a a big no peel selling. not no , you have not offered enough, no we do not want to sell.

She also revealed her feelings on hearing the airport’s closure – and how relations with owners Peel have improved since the shutdown.
She said: “I was devastated. I was in the office at the time, was given a day's warning of their strategic review. We tried to persuade them, don't do that, let's see what we can do.
"And we did everything to try and keep the airport open, seek to get someone else to come in. But they were not wanting to play ball at that time.
"And therefore, we are where we are today, working with them.

"We were gutted. And we did all we could, as we said, we tried to buy the land off them, but their answer was no.
"Our officers are the ones that interface with Peel daily.
"And I'm not going to lie, some of it's been difficult at the start, but I think they've got a good working relationship now. And Peel want to see it go forward as much as possible because if you remember gateways, which is all land that Peel owns, will actually benefit from it.”

<Sigh>

"Don't do that, let's see what we can do"

Spoken like a true politician, and what she meant was: "We know you've been trying for 17 years, and sunk hundreds of millions into it. But maybe we (the council) have some terrific insight that you (Peel Group), and all the aviation industries that have tried to make it work but made a loss don't..."

This tells us all we needed to know, if we didn't already know it. DSA is Jones' vanity project. She wanted to be it's saviour and failed, so she's trying build her legacy & massage her ego, and she's quite prepared to spend a hell of a lot of public money to get there. It doesn't matter if not a single carrier operates from there, if they don't she can just blame someone else for not seeing her vision. And she's not interested in any views, no matter how knowledgeable about the industry they are, that don't support her vision.

If SYMCA do decide to throw £100M+ down this rabbit hole, then more fool them.

 

<Sigh>

"Don't do that, let's see what we can do"

Spoken like a true politician, and what she meant was: "We know you've been trying for 17 years, and sunk hundreds of millions into it. But maybe we (the council) have some terrific insight that you (Peel Group), and all the aviation industries that have tried to make it work but made a loss don't..."

This tells us all we needed to know, if we didn't already know it. DSA is Jones' vanity project. She wanted to be it's saviour and failed, so she's trying build her legacy & massage her ego, and she's quite prepared to spend a hell of a lot of public money to get there. It doesn't matter if not a single carrier operates from there, if they don't she can just blame someone else for not seeing her vision. And she's not interested in any views, no matter how knowledgeable about the industry they are, that don't support her vision.

If SYMCA do decide to throw £100M+ down this rabbit hole, then more fool them.

It’s about the same insight that you see on the Save DSA group. There’s a post on there today selling the virtues of Ryanair and why they will play an important role in the reopened airports operation.

They, and it seems Ros Jones, think that it’s simply a case of opening the floodgates and the airlines will flock to it. It’s bizarre. They honestly think that Peel had some sinister plan to run the airport at a loss for 17 years, sniggering at those pesky airline CEO’s by ‘putting up fees’ and making sure they didn’t want to fly from the airport they invested £millions into equipment and personnel hours to get some of the best facilities of any U.K. airport then somehow managed to sell the whole lot to VAS who again apparently didn’t know what they were doing to the point they were poised to enter it into administration.

No some people on faceache that have manage a shop or fix cars are best placed to judge and Ros Jones plays to that narrative. She needs to stick to making sure the bins are collected on schedule and the street lights are working.

Then you have the Donny Chamber of Commerce going about getting local business to say how they don’t get sales because they don’t have an airport. Well if that’s the case how are you still in business!? It’s not like Doncaster is cut off from the outside world, there’s trains and motorways and plenty of airports within 90 minutes taxi ride for your important overseas markets to come visit you and buy your ‘stuff’. Pretty sure your export market isn’t Benidorm or Magaluf!

It’s so tenuous that the joke isn’t even funny any more.

 

It’s about the same insight that you see on the Save DSA group. There’s a post on there today selling the virtues of Ryanair and why they will play an important role in the reopened airports operation.

They, and it seems Ros Jones, think that it’s simply a case of opening the floodgates and the airlines will flock to it. It’s bizarre. They honestly think that Peel had some sinister plan to run the airport at a loss for 17 years, sniggering at those pesky airline CEO’s by ‘putting up fees’ and making sure they didn’t want to fly from the airport they invested £millions into equipment and personnel hours to get some of the best facilities of any U.K. airport then somehow managed to sell the whole lot to VAS who again apparently didn’t know what they were doing to the point they were poised to enter it into administration.

No some people on faceache that have manage a shop or fix cars are best placed to judge and Ros Jones plays to that narrative. She needs to stick to making sure the bins are collected on schedule and the street lights are working.

Then you have the Donny Chamber of Commerce going about getting local business to say how they don’t get sales because they don’t have an airport. Well if that’s the case how are you still in business!? It’s not like Doncaster is cut off from the outside world, there’s trains and motorways and plenty of airports within 90 minutes taxi ride for your important overseas markets to come visit you and buy your ‘stuff’. Pretty sure your export market isn’t Benidorm or Magaluf!

It’s so tenuous that the joke isn’t even funny any more.

The same Ryanair Michael O'Leary the CEO said is a hard sell and had no interest in... but no CDC conveniently had a picture with the Corporate affairs guy from Ryanair so this must be positive.. I'm telling you now this is not the person at Ryanair you want to be talking to, he will have no influence over what Ryanair do / where Ryanair go. That would be the planning team which will no doubt be MOL making the final decision. I can not see Ryanair going in, do we need to post the video interview again of it...?

The same narrative was done like mentioned before with CDC and Jet2, which was at a Labour event, NOT a CDC event nor even to discuss DSA. All smoke and mirrors. Wake up.

 

The same Ryanair Michael O'Leary the CEO said is a hard sell and had no interest in... but no CDC conveniently had a picture with the Corporate affairs guy from Ryanair so this must be positive.. I'm telling you now this is not the person at Ryanair you want to be talking to, he will have no influence over what Ryanair do / where Ryanair go. That would be the planning team which will no doubt be MOL making the final decision. I can not see Ryanair going in, do we need to post the video interview again of it...?

The same narrative was done like mentioned before with CDC and Jet2, which was at a Labour event, NOT a CDC event nor even to discuss DSA. All smoke and mirrors. Wake up.

A post was put out on LinkedIn by the ‘Head of Policy UK and Ireland’ at TUI singing the virtues of MPs standing up for commercial aviation in the U.K. and used DSA as an example. Does this mean TUI are at the front of the queue to start flying from there? Nope. It’s their job to influence people in positions of power within the political system. That’s why this guys oppo at Ryanair has said they’d agree to meet with FlyDoncaster and why it means absolutely nothing in relation to DSA. You’re right, they played a similar game with Jet2 and I understand were told some home truths in the midst of the usual diplomacy.

Got to cut the wheat from the chaff here. They’re taking to people whose actual job is to be nice to politicians and say the right things. Why can’t people see this?

As an aside I did see that Pitcher had been at a DSA meeting recently (and following his chats with TUI and Ryanair public affairs bods) and he posted the below on facesche.

DSA ACTION GROUP

Yesterday, I chaired the latest meeting of the DSA Action Group, bringing together Munich International, Doncaster Council, and the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce.

We had a productive discussion about how MPs can continue supporting from Westminster and ensuring joined-up, consistent, and regular updates on the progress to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

#SaveDSA

With the people listed in attendance it suggests to me he might have been told, diplomatically of course, to get back in his box. I’m sure what he was doing was in the best interests of the project (o.e his own political interests), but publicly naming and shaming airlines into ‘discussions’ with an airport OPCO is a little embarrassing, particularly if there is any truth to what Ros Jones says and they really are in ‘advanced discussions’ with airlines. This could hamper any progress by loss of confidence. Out of the list of things DSA needs in its favour to succeed, confidence from airlines will be up near the top.

 

under the last ownership, didnt DFS look at having a bonded warehouse there?
and the rumour about building around the airport you mention is quite strong.
but they do not want the splanning conditions attached like peel have ( most of theirs , included an operating airpport.)

Peel had a bonded facility.

 

Peel had a bonded facility.

They did but it was a former 1930’s expansion period hangar converted into a freight facility.

In contrast in 2021 UPS opened an integrator facility at EMA at a cost of £138 million. It’s huge, having had opportunity to look around it pre-Covid during an airside visit you could see the scale of investment. DSA couldn’t compete with that but the critical point is that I was and am led to believe UPS invested in the facility and not the airport operator/local government.

The only link I’m aware of between DFS and DSA is that of the sofa retailer and Lord Kirkham, not the DFS shipping and bonded warehouse provider. Peel were actively seeking a partnership for investment in such a facility at DSA and this was a core strategy of theirs, they did concede that they couldn’t justify the speculative investment themselves. Safe to say that the Council certainly will not be in a position to do so either, particularly when it’s likely to increase the costs of reopening the airport by at least 100%!

The mechanic had provided another ‘update’. Seems he’s the unofficial (or maybe official?) outlet for Ros Jones now. Basically unless Ros Jones says anything it’s misinformation. Oh and as concluded yesterday by reading between the lines, looks like the MPs have been asked to get back in the box by not making any statements on social media themselves, rather in future they will only share information provided by Ros Jones.

Notice the ‘Great North’ event will this year be at Donny Racecourse and a big focus will be DSA - presumably after Coppard has given the green light. Very much selling the point if it being a catalyst for growth in the Airport City concept, most of which appears to be housing which is hardly airport dependant but that’s how they’ll be trying to sell it to get the subsidy challenges off their backs.

 

They did but it was a former 1930’s expansion period hangar converted into a freight facility.

In contrast in 2021 UPS opened an integrator facility at EMA at a cost of £138 million. It’s huge, having had opportunity to look around it pre-Covid during an airside visit you could see the scale of investment. DSA couldn’t compete with that but the critical point is that I was and am led to believe UPS invested in the facility and not the airport operator/local government.

The only link I’m aware of between DFS and DSA is that of the sofa retailer and Lord Kirkham, not the DFS shipping and bonded warehouse provider. Peel were actively seeking a partnership for investment in such a facility at DSA and this was a core strategy of theirs, they did concede that they couldn’t justify the speculative investment themselves. Safe to say that the Council certainly will not be in a position to do so either, particularly when it’s likely to increase the costs of reopening the airport by at least 100%!

The mechanic had provided another ‘update’. Seems he’s the unofficial (or maybe official?) outlet for Ros Jones now. Basically unless Ros Jones says anything it’s misinformation. Oh and as concluded yesterday by reading between the lines, looks like the MPs have been asked to get back in the box by not making any statements on social media themselves, rather in future they will only share information provided by Ros Jones.

Notice the ‘Great North’ event will this year be at Donny Racecourse and a big focus will be DSA - presumably after Coppard has given the green light. Very much selling the point if it being a catalyst for growth in the Airport City concept, most of which appears to be housing which is hardly airport dependant but that’s how they’ll be trying to sell it to get the subsidy challenges off their backs.

I had to look up what the 'Great North' event even was!

https://www.nationalworldevents.com/gnc-2025/

And having looked at the 2025 site, the main (only) sponsor(s) thus far are First Bus, Lumo & Hull Trains (the latter two being part of the First Group!). If DSA were a big thing that the aviation industry were enthused about, you'd expect to see Ryanair, Jet2, easyJet, TUI et al lining up to help sell DSA. As things stand the closest the discussion will get to the practicalities of DSA would be First thinking about an airport bus from Donny if it ever opens....

Or am I just being way too cynical?