Oliver Coppard: Here's why I'm backing reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport

After months and months of work, scrutiny, and no small number of challenges, I’m happy to say: I can now vote yes.

This has never been an easy call. From the very beginning there’s been a very real tension between two of my most significant responsibilities. On one hand, the urgent call from our communities to save DSA. On the other, my duty to protect taxpayers’ money; to only invest for the long-term in those projects that contribute to a better future for South Yorkshire’s.

That tension has shaped every step of this process.

Because airports are more than bricks and tarmac. They’re symbols of pride, of possibility, of connection. When DSA closed in November 2022, the reaction wasn’t just frustration. It was something closer to grief.

For those who worked there, I know it felt like losing family. For businesses, it meant scrambling to survive. For travellers, it was a blow to both convenience and confidence. But above all, it was the loss of something hopeful - a belief that South Yorkshire could and should have the kind of infrastructure that powers our ambitions.

That’s why the demand to save DSA was so strong, so immediate, and so powerful. I saw it in packed public meetings, in the letters and phone calls that came to my office, and in the messages on social media. People didn’t just want flights. They want a better future. And they wanted their leaders to step up. So I have.

Within days of the owners’ announcement about their ‘strategic review’ of the airport’s future, I convened partners, instructed my team at the MCA to begin negotiations, and chaired weekly meetings with Doncaster Council and our MPs. I lobbied ministers, tracked down the Aviation Minister at Conservative Party conference, and offered Peel – the owners – £7 million to keep the airport open while we worked on a sale.

I pushed for DSA to be part of the UK’s first Investment Zone. I committed £16 million to the reopening process. I secured £30 million from government. I brought both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to Doncaster to see the opportunity for themselves.

But I know any decision to invest public money on this scale can’t simply be driven by emotion. Because reopening an airport is not simple. There’s no manual, no template, and no guarantee of success. We’ve had to think about everything: from fire engines and air traffic controllers to airline negotiations and security protocols. We’ve had to build a new business case from scratch, because the private sector deal on the table didn’t work for us, and because I wasn’t willing to sign a deal that didn’t give our communities a fair share of the benefits.

There are some people who have always wanted me to say yes to DSA, no matter the cost. But my job has always been to balance both the risks and the huge opportunities of reopening our airport; to listen to those who not only tell me why they want the airport, but those experts who know how to do it.

That’s why I have consulted with experts, airlines and even those sceptical of reopening DSA. All to make sure this is the right deal for the future of South Yorkshire.

And now, with the evidence in front of me, and taking all of the risks and opportunities into consideration, I want to back this project, not simply so people across Yorkshire can get more convenient or cheaper flights, but because of its unique opportunity to create jobs and attract investment. Because of the strategic value of DSA to South Yorkshire.

And because of the opportunity it provides to build a world-leading hub for sustainable aviation and advanced manufacturing, setting new benchmarks in green innovation.

Because this isn’t just about reopening an airport. It’s about restoring pride, purpose and prosperity in South Yorkshire. And it’s about making the kind of investment that can change South Yorkshire’s future.

I have to be honest; no project of this scale is without risk. But there’s no other investment of this scale available to us right now. No other opportunity with the same potential to transform our economy. And crucially, aviation itself must evolve — not disappear. That’s why our plans include strong sustainability commitments, better public transport links, and a focus on green innovation.

I have taken some time. I have asked tough questions. But I’ve also listened — to the evidence, to the experts, and most importantly, to the people of Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

And now, I’m proud to say I can vote yes.

Because this is about more than saving DSA. It’s about building something extraordinary, and the future that we deserve in South Yorkshire.