Doncaster Airport has a future?

Politics may play an important part with plans to reopen Doncaster Airport (DSA) which closed in 2022.

The airport was shut by its owner Peel Group in Autumn 2022, but the company has since agreed to lease the site to be run by a new investor.

Doncaster Council signed a leasehold agreement with Peel earlier this year, and Monday 17 June was the deadline for investors to submit their bids to reopen the airport. The Council is evaluating applications before a preferred bidder is chosen in July or August this year.

A formal business case must then be submitted to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), with the chosen bidder expected to sign a lease this September.

The airport, whilst very well located, faces competition from Leeds/Bradford (LBA) to the North, Manchester (MAN) West, and East Midlands (EMA) from the South.  

Trying to recruit a base operator will not be easy.  Wizz is definitely out of the running having been instrumental with the airport’s closure by pulling out at short notice antagonising both passengers and the airport. Ryanair and Jet2 have been suggested, but the Dublin-based airline is known to drive a hard bargain, and the very successful Jet2 not keen to develop what might become a rival to its LBA operation.  A potential operator is easyJet, not as well known up North, but as with Southend quite happy to develop smaller operations.

Reopening the airport poses no real technical problems and staff recruitment is not seen as difficult.  Spring 2025 could be a potential target time.

www.doncasterairport.net

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READERS' COMMENT

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Tim Procter, United Kingdom

I'm surprised that the Editor, leader of the DLR station for LCY movement, hasn't spotted the high speed railway that runs just metres away from the airport terminal so surely deserves a station? Come on Malcolm.