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 see that the mechanic has gone crying to the Yorkshire Post again claiming that anyone calling the project a vanity protect has ‘ulterior motives’, but fails to say what these might be.

Chadwick would be best placed to understand the definition of a vanity project. The fact that it’s a political project proves that the 130,000 string petition and 36,000 strong Facebook following is exactly that. The politicians have jumped on it, they use it as a tool to self promote, meanwhile anyone with an ounce of credibility has remained completely silent. His own projection is what I would call vanity.

The full diatribe accompanying the article below.

It’s meets the definition of a vanity project in every way!
It’s time the YP actually did some real journalism and spoke to senior figures in the industry to get the reality of the situation given the amount of public funds being out at risk….
Oh and quoting 130k folks who signed a petition and 35k followers on social media proves nothing - what counts is the market analysis undertaken by the airlines!

 

I suppose he has to keep the pot boiling with irrelevant stuff in order to retain interest as there is little of real substance to talk about just at the moment. However the re-negotiated lease should be appearing soon as it was 'nearly complete' quite some time ago!! Right??????

 

I suppose he has to keep the pot boiling with irrelevant stuff in order to retain interest as there is little of real substance to talk about just at the moment. However the re-negotiated lease should be appearing soon as it was 'nearly complete' quite some time ago!! Right??????

IF there ever is a renegotiated lease, chances are that CDC will end up paying Peel compensation for agreeing to it. After all, there's absolutely no legal reason for Peel to agree to revised terms that make life easier for CDC.

 

I suppose he has to keep the pot boiling with irrelevant stuff in order to retain interest as there is little of real substance to talk about just at the moment. However the re-negotiated lease should be appearing soon as it was 'nearly complete' quite some time ago!! Right??????

Maybe, but they won’t discuss it in public due to the gagging order that’s effectively been imposed. There’s a train of thought that the only part of the agreement that may be renegotiated is the performance targets for 2031 being pushed back to 2036 and a reduction in the number of passengers and tonnes of freight that need to be handled by that point.

I’m not convinced this will satisfy the CFO of SYMCA who has a responsibility to ensure all completed in line with the Green Book rules on public spending. I can’t reiterate this enough, the SYMCA due diligence completed last summer (at a cost of £250,000) found that the only way the airport could be financially viable is if it achieves the optimistic passenger figures. They’re now predicting the airport will achieve less than 50% of the optimistic forecast by Y10. I can see this being a major concern regardless of any positive negotiations to change the terms of the lease.

 

Sounds like this mornings planned (and already delayed) extraordinary audit committee meeting didn’t go too well, least not according to Regurge Doncaster statement on their Facebook page.

NO QUESTIONS ALLOWED AT TOWN HALL

An Audit Committee meeting — due to be held this morning on Tuesday 31st March — has now been cancelled. Why? Read on.

⸻

Imagine an exam.

The exam supervisor is there to make sure no one cheats and everything is fair.

But this isn’t a normal exam.

Something big is at stake.

So the supervisor gets ready to walk around, keep an eye on things, and step in if something doesn’t look right.

But then they’re told:

“You can’t walk around.”
“You can’t look at what people are doing.”
“You can’t question anything suspicious.”

So the exam can’t be properly supervised.

⸻

That’s what’s happening at the Town Hall.

Councillors are supposed to act like the exam supervisor — making sure big decisions are properly checked, including the airport project.

But they were blocked from getting independent advice and stopped from asking the key questions.

So the meeting that was meant to hold the council to account… didn’t happen.

⸻

Irwen Martin Chair of Doncaster Reform UK said:

“We’re not going to sit there pretending everything’s fine when we’re not even allowed to check properly. Residents deserve real oversight — not a fake meeting.”

⸻

Simple truth:
The people meant to ask the questions
are being stopped from asking them.

So who’s making sure everything’s above board?

 

Sounds like this mornings planned (and already delayed) extraordinary audit committee meeting didn’t go too well, least not according to Regurge Doncaster statement on their Facebook page.

Seems to be the MO of they who are pushing this. Unacceptable. Should be illegal if it isnt already.

 

Vote to be reversed @pug NOVEMBER loan will be rescinded, Harry also reports the Chief Exec is now under investigation

 

Just maybe the truth and harsh reality is now manifesting itself

 

Vote to be reversed @pug NOVEMBER loan will be rescinded, Harry also reports the Chief Exec is now under investigation

Can they do that, or is it a move to say that they don’t support the spending so any additional funding requests will be rejected?

I’m surprised the Mayor and her team haven’t issued something in anticipation of this, could it be due to the apparent investigation of the Chief Exec? I maintain there is something deeply unpleasant about him in the way he’s gone about business on the DSA front. CH not so much but he just seems out of his depth.

Edit: ive noticed that Doncaster Labour have put out a post showing that this is why people in Donny shouldn’t have voted Regurge. They ‘didn’t want the airport’. It’s not just Regurge councillors who want to overturn the loan decision though is it? Are Donny Labour (I.e Ros Jones) finally realising that they’ve made a mistake? What will this do for confidence in the project (that already wasn’t exactly high)?

 

Crickets on the support page..

Just some tacky AI April fools images keeping the supporters engaged..

I eat my words, he has posted..

 

Crickets on the support page..

Just some tacky AI April fools images keeping the supporters engaged..

I eat my words, he has posted..
Was just about to say, ears must have feel burning.

Free press Article councillors are going to reverse funding decision they made in November

#SaveDSA
In November 2025,
City of Doncaster Council voted to approve a £57 million loan to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
A majority backed it. It passed.
Work started.

Since then, things have been moving forward, jobs advertised and roles already filled.
Heads of Departments are in place interviewing for their teams.

Suppliers and vendors are being approached.
Plans for 200 staff by the end of 2026.
Tenders sent out for Radar, Fire and Security equipment these all have lead times,
Terminal upgrade plans progressing.

This is real progress, not promises, not talk.
Terms are being agreed. Contracts are being written.
The work has started money is being spent.

Now Reform want to reverse that decision, along with the Conservatives.
You can’t approve something, set everything in motion, then suddenly try to pull it all back.
That’s not just bad politics.

IT’S BAD FOR BUSINESS

It risks real damage.
How does this look to the aviation world?
What message does this send to the airlines and cargo operators that Fly Doncaster are trying to attract to DSA

Does this undermine all the work being done behind the scenes to bring them in?
What happens to the money already committed?
What happens to local businesses depending on this reopening? And how much more will this cost in delays, disruption, and potential legal issues?

So what’s really going on here? Is this just amateur dramatics at the council.
OR is there Something or Someone else behind it driving all this uncertainty?
Who’s in the background advising these steps ? As councillors they were voted in to do what their community wants not what they want to do.

Right now, all their doing is creating confusion, damaging confidence, and putting the whole project at risk.

DSA was finally moving forward. We should be building on that, not dragging it backwards.
DSA doesnt need any more delays they need to be getting on with the job.

The Reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
#saveDSA

Views are my own.

DSA reopening at risk as Reform UK reveal intention to reverse £57m loan approval

The reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport faces crisis as Reform UK Doncaster revealed it wishes to reverse the approval of a £57million loan previously approved to support its reopening.

www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk

 

Crickets on the support page..

Just some tacky AI April fools images keeping the supporters engaged..

I eat my words, he has posted..
Was just about to say, ears must have feel burning.

Interesting he talks about interest from airlines because I understand that there has been next to no interest prior to the Iran situation. That will now be absolutely no interest from airlines as they tighten up over the next 12-24 months.

Wonder if this is a way of rolling back the project now there is zero interest for their projected 2028 launch.

 

So what’s really going on here? Is this just amateur dramatics at the council.
OR is there Something or Someone else behind it driving all this uncertainty?
Who’s in the background advising these steps ?

Standby for spittle-flecked, swivel-eyed logical contortions to somehow pin this on LBA. Or possibly Tony Blair.

 

Standby for spittle-flecked, swivel-eyed logical contortions to somehow pin this on LBA. Or possibly Tony Blair.

That darts already been blindly thrown.

 

Standby for spittle-flecked, swivel-eyed logical contortions to somehow pin this on LBA. Or possibly Tony Blair.

Well we all know that the Regurge lot are, just like the YP, in the pocket of LBA.

 

Well we all know that the Regurge lot are, just like the YP, in the pocket of LBA.

Regurge have issued the following on a Facebook post today.

YES TO DSA. NO TO A BLANK CHEQUE

Reform UK Doncaster is fully committed to seeing Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopen. We believe a thriving airport is vital for jobs, investment, and the future of our region – and we will fight for that.

But being committed to the airport means being committed to getting the DEAL RIGHT for Doncaster’s people.

Our deputy leader Councillor Jason Charity (Conisbrough) raised serious concerns at this week’s extraordinary council meeting that every Doncaster resident deserves to know about:

A leaked lease document shows 20% of DSA’s turnover – including taxpayer-funded grants – would go straight to landowner Peel
£200m–£300m of essential infrastructure upgrades (rail, motorway junctions) have no identified funding
Regional airports like Cardiff are already surviving on bailouts – margins are wafer thin

As Cllr Charity said: “We are completely behind anything that drives growth in Doncaster – but we don’t think we should write a blank cheque.”

We want the airport open. We want it to succeed. That’s exactly WHY we’re demanding a deal that protects taxpayers and gives DSA the best possible chance of long-term success – not a rushed agreement that sets it up to fail.

Reform UK Doncaster will keep fighting for transparency, accountability, and an airport that works for everyone.

'We don't think we should write a blank cheque' on DSA says Reform UK Doncaster

The reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport has been plunged into uncertainty after Reform UK Doncaster revealed it wishes to cancel a vital £57m loan to support the project.

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

#ReformUK #Doncaster #DSA #DoncasterSheffieldAirport #BackDSA #Taxpayers

Much as it pains me, I have to agree with this stance. I feel they’ve discovered the Achilles heel of the cabal. Lots of updates over the last 6 months or so have been nothing of substance at all, just more money being spent and ‘lots going on behind the scenes’ but hiding it all behind the banner of ‘commercial sensitivity’. There is very little that is commercially sensitive in the grand scheme of things, so on that alone they need to be called out.

As for Damien Allen, I hope he gets his marching orders.

 

Regurge have issued the following on a Facebook post today.


Much as it pains me, I have to agree with this stance. I feel they’ve discovered the Achilles heel of the cabal. Lots of updates over the last 6 months or so have been nothing of substance at all, just more money being spent and ‘lots going on behind the scenes’ but hiding it all behind the banner of ‘commercial sensitivity’. There is very little that is commercially sensitive in the grand scheme of things, so on that alone they need to be called out.

As for Damien Allen, I hope he gets his marching orders.

What amazes me is that its taken until now for them to realise what a bum deal this is and that the likely failure of DSA2 doesn't justify the risk or expenditure. Perhaps if they read this forum, the penny might have dropped months ago! How can we, on here, see what's happening and the controlling council take so long to figure it out?

I will bet the Labour Mayor is in a right panic. Good to see Chadders still with his head in the sand.

 

CDC out with their begging bowl again…… https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/new...government-urged-to-support-rail-link-6557893

 

CDC out with their begging bowl again…… https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/new...government-urged-to-support-rail-link-6557893

They’re now estimating it to be a cost of £1bn if I read that right?

Nothing quite like a bit of news bombing to distract and divert attention is there. What a mess.

Just a thought, as I couldn’t read the article (the tool that @radar kindly posted some time ago appears to be stuck in a captcha loop) I fed the link into Gemini to get an overview. Gemini seems to think that this rail link news has been issued by OC and RJ to pre-emptively pass the buck to Central Government in a way as to say ‘the airport can only be viable if you spend £1bn on linking it up to the ECML’. Are we seeing the off-ramps being taken now?

 

They’re now estimating it to be a cost of £1bn if I read that right?