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...?

 

... I do wonder why the ‘potentially affected area’ map was changed on the day of the technical feedback phase ended on the same day if the change.

Should find out in February some time as to whether this progresses to stage 3 or is sent back for redesign.

I wouldn't read too much into when things get updated on the airspace change portal. From what I've seen over the years it can be very inconsistent, such as a proposal jumping several stages in one go, with documentation going back many months. I know that the BGA and BHPA (paragliding) struggle to keep up to date with what is really happening sometimes.

The latest timeline (updated and published on Jan 5th) gives the dates as Mar 5th for document submission and Apr 30th for the gateway meeting for Stages 1 and 2.

 

I wouldn't read too much into when things get updated on the airspace change portal. From what I've seen over the years it can be very inconsistent, such as a proposal jumping several stages in one go, with documentation going back many months. I know that the BGA and BHPA (paragliding) struggle to keep up to date with what is really happening sometimes.

The latest timeline (updated and published on Jan 5th) gives the dates as Mar 5th for document submission and Apr 30th for the gateway meeting for Stages 1 and 2.

Appreciate it’s a tricky and technical process, however I do think that the decision to charge the potentially affected area is due to a change in direction whilst the council (and Trax International) are trying to figure out the best way of achieving what they want. Clearly, and in spite of the CAA apparently trying to manage expectations on the baseline, they’ve gone for a reinstatement of what they had before. This is why the Chamber (and mechanic) decided to say what they did on Monday.

Someone from the paragliding community appears to have alluded to challenges heading their way in the coming months, leads me to suspect that challenges are being drafted now. It’s not like before, compromise will only go so far but let’s be clear here, the airport never achieved traffic levels necessary to maintain the airspace previously granted. The CAA admitted as much. Now any objectors have proof.

 

It seems to me that asking for the same airspace back is just pure laziness on the part of CDC which hopefully comes back to bite them.

While other airports are struggling to come up with revised airspace proposals which integrate together and which the CAA are content with, CDC just think they can reopen DSA, get their old airspace back (despite there being no justification) and leave neighbouring airports to find solutions while they do nothing. It demonstrates a remarkable level of entitlement which CDC and their Mayor have shown throughout. Riding roughshod over neighbouring airports, boasting they'd take 20% of their passenger traffic, failing to consider adequately the impact of public incentives on competing airports, and other similar matters, will hopefully ensure these other airports, and the CAA, teach CDC a lesson.

 

Opinion: Let's pull together and support Doncaster Shefffield Airport

So, we’ve got a reopened airport in the wings – and yes, it still feels a bit strange saying that.

www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Another opinion piece by the mechanic published on the DFP website this evening. Apparently despite his apparent victory he still feels it appropriate to have a pop at those ‘outsiders who just want to see it fail’. What Mark, like the local tax payers including a not insignificant number of my colleagues and friends who are Donny council tax payers and are vehemently against it?

People have the right to ask questions or even oppose it, does not mean they don’t ’believe In Doncaster’, they just don’t want yet another expensive folly. Wonder what his opinion pieces will be if the CAA decide that the ACP proposal is not satisfactory and has to be designed from scratch.

 

Opinion: Let's pull together and support Doncaster Shefffield Airport

So, we’ve got a reopened airport in the wings – and yes, it still feels a bit strange saying that.

www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Another opinion piece by the mechanic published on the DFP website this evening. Apparently despite his apparent victory he still feels it appropriate to have a pop at those ‘outsiders who just want to see it fail’. What Mark, like the local tax payers including a not insignificant number of my colleagues and friends who are Donny council tax payers and are vehemently against it?

People have the right to ask questions or even oppose it, does not mean they don’t ’believe In Doncaster’, they just don’t want yet another expensive folly. Wonder what his opinion pieces will be if the CAA decide that the ACP proposal is not satisfactory and has to be designed from scratch.

He will no doubt draft a AI response as to why DSA is fantastic *yawns*

 

Appreciate it’s a tricky and technical process, however I do think that the decision to charge the potentially affected area is due to a change in direction whilst the council (and Trax International) are trying to figure out the best way of achieving what they want. Clearly, and in spite of the CAA apparently trying to manage expectations on the baseline, they’ve gone for a reinstatement of what they had before. This is why the Chamber (and mechanic) decided to say what they did on Monday.

Someone from the paragliding community appears to have alluded to challenges heading their way in the coming months, leads me to suspect that challenges are being drafted now. It’s not like before, compromise will only go so far but let’s be clear here, the airport never achieved traffic levels necessary to maintain the airspace previously granted. The CAA admitted as much. Now any objectors have proof.

It is not actually hard to find holes in their proposal. The purpose of Stage 1 is to present the design principles to the stakeholders, listen to the feedback, modify the principles if required, then submit them and the feedback to the CAA for consideration.

There are three three mandatory principles (Safety, Policy and Environment) and 18 discretionary design principles which must be considered, of which only the impact on "Other aviation stakeholders" (ANSPs and airports) has been included.

Given that the 2017 post implementation review (PIR) highlighted the concerns of GA, the mllitary and other airspace users, it would be reasonable to expect that at least one of the discretionary principles that take into account the needs of other airspace users would have been included.

Feedback like this is going to cause a problem for CDC. They cannot really ignore it because the PIR document has already considered a range of mitigations, so they must acknowledge it by creating an additional design principle. But doing this immediately renders their single design option for Stage 2 (the previous airspace structure) as incompatible. So other design options would be needed, which is clearly something they are keen to avoid.

That's just one hole. Another is that the previous airspace structure is not compliant with the mandatory Policy design principle of CAP1616. It is an 18-year-old design which was regarded as over-provisioned in the 2017 PIR and is completely contrary to the many principles laid out in the CAA's airspace modernisation strategy.

It must feel like shooting fish in a barrel at the moment, so it will be interesting to see what transpires.

 

It is not actually hard to find holes in their proposal. The purpose of Stage 1 is to present the design principles to the stakeholders, listen to the feedback, modify the principles if required, then submit them and the feedback to the CAA for consideration.

There are three three mandatory principles (Safety, Policy and Environment) and 18 discretionary design principles which must be considered, of which only the impact on "Other aviation stakeholders" (ANSPs and airports) has been included.

Given that the 2017 post implementation review (PIR) highlighted the concerns of GA, the mllitary and other airspace users, it would be reasonable to expect that at least one of the discretionary principles that take into account the needs of other airspace users would have been included.

Feedback like this is going to cause a problem for CDC. They cannot really ignore it because the PIR document has already considered a range of mitigations, so they must acknowledge it by creating an additional design principle. But doing this immediately renders their single design option for Stage 2 (the previous airspace structure) as incompatible. So other design options would be needed, which is clearly something they are keen to avoid.

That's just one hole. Another is that the previous airspace structure is not compliant with the mandatory Policy design principle of CAP1616. It is an 18-year-old design which was regarded as over-provisioned in the 2017 PIR and is completely contrary to the many principles laid out in the CAA's airspace modernisation strategy.

It must feel like shooting fish in a barrel at the moment, so it will be interesting to see what transpires.

Thanks for your clarity on this. I do wonder whether the CDC are asking for derogations on the proposal based on the fact that, well, they had it before so what’s the problem? Hence the focus on other ANSPs and airports but not the other considerations. Problem with that is the CAA are obliged to follow their own procedures otherwise it would open a can of worms (and legal action I suspect!). I do think there’s a chance that LBA might support it though, given the previous ability to conduct CDAs with the help of DSA.

As you can probably tell I’ve no sympathy for them, I know their business case isn’t worth the bandwidth it’s apparently clogging up. However I do appreciate the work all the consultants will be doing in order to achieve an outcome! Can’t be easy, particularly with all the noise going on.

 

Opinion: Let's pull together and support Doncaster Shefffield Airport

So, we’ve got a reopened airport in the wings – and yes, it still feels a bit strange saying that.

www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Another opinion piece by the mechanic published on the DFP website this evening. Apparently despite his apparent victory he still feels it appropriate to have a pop at those ‘outsiders who just want to see it fail’. What Mark, like the local tax payers including a not insignificant number of my colleagues and friends who are Donny council tax payers and are vehemently against it?

People have the right to ask questions or even oppose it, does not mean they don’t ’believe In Doncaster’, they just don’t want yet another expensive folly. Wonder what his opinion pieces will be if the CAA decide that the ACP proposal is not satisfactory and has to be designed from scratch.

He said he has 200,000 supporters if you aggregate all his social media accounts

 

He said he has 200,000 supporters if you aggregate all his social media accounts

It’s like me saying I’d be a millionaire in Zimbabwe.

 

According to one of the airport groups, the Mechanic is a lead member of the Consultative Committee @White Heather

@pug Look at the Yorkshire Post

 

According to one of the airport groups, the Mechanic is a lead member of the Consultative Committee @White Heather

@pug Look at the Yorkshire Post

Looks like I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what these secret documents say. Looks like it might be an interesting full council.

 

Well it was nothing that wasn’t already blatantly obvious. Peel stipulated planning consent for three developments surrounding the airport including the 1200 houses (which appears to how be 1400 houses) otherwise they’d pull the lease on the airport. Pretty standard stuff all told, but considering there are apparently 96 pages in this document I’m disappointed this hasn’t been reported on in more detail, specifically what are the performance metrics that the airport must meet to ensure continuation of the lease?

 

'North Heathrow' ambitions outlined for Doncaster Sheffield Airport - Place Yorkshire

Freight operations and fuel infrastructure are at the heart of Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s growth plans, with 'no glass ceiling' being imposed on the site's potential.

www.placeyorkshire.co.uk

Yes you read that right, the ‘Heathrow of the north’ with a glass ceiling. All from the Program Director DSA. A bloke who’s spent his life climbing the greasy pole of civil service.

 

'North Heathrow' ambitions outlined for Doncaster Sheffield Airport - Place Yorkshire

Freight operations and fuel infrastructure are at the heart of Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s growth plans, with 'no glass ceiling' being imposed on the site's potential.

www.placeyorkshire.co.uk

Yes you read that right, the ‘Heathrow of the north’ with a glass ceiling. All from the Program Director DSA. A bloke who’s spent his life climbing the greasy pole of civil service.

Too late to the party EMA have the freight traffic…..better road links and an integrated rail link plus Freeport status….but DSA has a long runway you know

 

'North Heathrow' ambitions outlined for Doncaster Sheffield Airport - Place Yorkshire

Freight operations and fuel infrastructure are at the heart of Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s growth plans, with 'no glass ceiling' being imposed on the site's potential.

www.placeyorkshire.co.uk

Yes you read that right, the ‘Heathrow of the north’ with a glass ceiling. All from the Program Director DSA. A bloke who’s spent his life climbing the greasy pole of civil service.

It's 05:35, and I'm just prepping to leave for work and haven't had my minimum caffeine intake yet, so it's too early for jokes....

Oh wait, they're being serious, they think DSA can become the 'Heathrow of the North'? I'll have a tug at whatever they're smoking, that'll get me through the day...

 

Wow 86M pax and yes lots of cargo which comes in on passenger flights under belly as there are not many pure cargo in LHR or Gatwick to think of it nowadays

 

Wow 86M pax and yes lots of cargo which comes in on passenger flights under belly as there are not many pure cargo in LHR or Gatwick to think of it nowadays

Ah but the program director and the mayor say that 70% of the air freight entering or leaving the uk does so via LHR so therefore there’s a massive untapped potential.

I bet that’s quoted in their elusive business plan too.

 

Ah but the program director and the mayor say that 70% of the air freight entering or leaving the uk does so via LHR so therefore there’s a massive untapped potential.

I bet that’s quoted in their elusive business plan too.

Foster is really scraping the barrel now - air taxis which transport 5 folks now considered part of DSA growth strategy - you really couldn’t make this up!
Given DSA is nowhere near a major conurbation and you’d actually have to drive there in the first place to take one of these it’s the last place you’d deploy them….
All done I suspect to keep the airport in the news and try and maintain a level of support which is envy away…

Doncaster Sheffield Airport set to examine 'sky taxi' potential

Doncaster Sheffield Airport says it wants to do something "different and unique" when it reopens.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

Foster is really scraping the barrel now - air taxis which transport 5 folks now considered part of DSA growth strategy - you really couldn’t make this up!
Given DSA is nowhere near a major conurbation and you’d actually have to drive there in the first place to take one of these it’s the last place you’d deploy them….
All done I suspect to keep the airport in the news and try and maintain a level of support which is envy away…

Doncaster Sheffield Airport set to examine 'sky taxi' potential

Doncaster Sheffield Airport says it wants to do something "different and unique" when it reopens.

www.bbc.co.uk

It’s being done to turn attention away from the YP ‘scoop’ which I believe is the first of a number of things that may come out in the coming weeks and months. The planning aspect will not be the only point of possible contention in that 96 page leaked document, that’s for sure!

 

‘Heathrow of the North’ has a familiar ring to it. How did that work out last time?