Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Appeal to reinstate airspace to 'get planes in the sky' once more

The airspace above Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has been suspended since its closure in 2022, but it is believed new owners could soon be announced for the site.

A failure to have the airspace ready in time will “needlessly defer” any economic benefits to come from having a functioning airport in this part of the region, business leaders now warn.

In a letter to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Aviation, Mike Kane MP, they call for urgent action and to fast-track bids.

Among those to sign the letter are three Chambers of Commerce, covering Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley and Rotherham, along with regional bodies and representatives.

The letter calls for urgent action, warning "successful economies need successful airports". It goes on to warn "there should be no reason to delay".

Members said: “Such an intervention would be of tremendous aid to our economy, as it would allow the site’s prospective new owner to get it back up-and-running with minimal delay."

They added: "There has already been a remarkable team effort over the past two years to get us to this point and we cannot afford to let anything jeopardise that now."

Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) closed in November 2022 after its owner, the Peel Group, said the site was no longer commercially viable.

Also known as Robin Hood Airport, it is one of only two commercial international airports in Yorkshire, along with Leeds Bradford Airport.

Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, in an update to council members last week, said work continues "at pace", and with bids submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

"The procurement of an operator is in its final stages of due diligence, we have regular meetings with investors, businesses and airlines," she added.

But now, in the letter to the Aviation Minister, business leaders say they are "growing concerned".

As well as chamber leaders, the letter is co-signed by the Federation of Small Businesses, Make UK, The Confederation of British Industry for Yorkshire and the Humber, and the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.

Additional signatories include Tariq Shah, as co-chair of the South Yorkshire Business Advisory Board, Peter Kennan of the South Yorkshire Transport Forum and Mark Chadwick of the SaveDSA campaign.

Ambitions for the DSA represent a potential £1.5bn in net benefits for the area, members argue, and could also forward the nation's industrial strategy, economic growth and trade.

The letter goes on to say: “At a time when the UK economy is at its most fragile, and is in such desperate need of growth, local and national partners must work together to do everything possible to nurture the promising assets we have and remove any barriers to them unlocking their potential.

“In the case of DSA, that means ensuring that we can get planes in the sky as soon as possible."