Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Strong case for Government intervention to save site - Jayne Dowle

This is another body blow for the British travel industry, and a massive kick in the teeth for us here in South Yorkshire. So much for levelling up.

Whilst DSA is privately-owned, by Peel Group, there is a very strong case for some kind of government intervention to keep it operating, assess how it can further contribute to the economic performance of the sub-region and develop its commercial activities, particularly in the areas of freight and logistics.

I have yet to meet a fellow traveller who doesn’t cite the former RAF Finningley airbase as their favourite airport; because it’s friendly, with easy parking and a reasonably-priced departure lounge bar.

It’s also, despite the lack of a direct rail link, easy to reach from the A1. If we could fly from Doncaster Sheffield every time we left the country, we’d be very happy campers indeed.

I have had enough hellish experiences in larger airports, such as Manchester and Gatwick, to convince me that small is better.

Sadly, with the withdrawal of major budget airlines, such as Ryanair, Flybe and Wizz Air, which permanently axed the 13 flights it operated, mainly to Eastern Europe, in June this year, the option of Doncaster Sheffield is looking increasingly unlikely. In a summer marred by huge problems at UK airports – massive queues to get through passport control and security, cancelled flights, passengers booted off flights to reduce strain on the system and long waits for baggage (which might not even turn up at all) on return – air travel needs a serious re-boot.

Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, who has thrown his weight behind former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, in the leadership race, has his attention elsewhere just now.

However, if he’s still in post when the next Cabinet is formed, he would do well to devote some time to rooting out the systematic failings, bring errant airlines to heel by insisting that they treat their paying customers properly, and accept that mass tourism hasn’t been culled entirely by Covid, despite the assertions of some.

It is very easy to throw up our hands in despair and conclude it’s all doomed and from henceforth onwards, we should all stay in the UK. Whilst there are very good arguments for exploring our own country – not least supporting UK tourism – it is reductive in the extreme to cut ourselves off from the rest of the world.

In Yorkshire, with a population of 5.4m, bigger than Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Finland and Norway, we deserve at least one world-class airport.

Not just for business and leisure travel, but the potential for in-bound tourism is huge. With the cancellation of the proposed £150m extension to Leeds Bradford – airport bosses said they had withdrawn proposals because of ‘excessive delays’ and the decision to hold a public inquiry into the development – all of this is looking less likely by the month.

And yes, regional airports do work; we flew to Crete from Birmingham, because frankly, I will do anything to avoid the hellish colossus that is Manchester.

And also, even taking into account the extra cost for getting there and back, it worked out cheaper than flying from a larger airport. I did feel guilty, however, about the extra strain our two-hour motorway journey put on the environment. Yet another argument in favour of regional airports: less fuel-heavy road miles to get there and back.

Over the Pennines, Liverpool John Lennon (number two on my own personal list of favourite UK airports) is streaking ahead. It’s recently announced a new easyJet route to Paris Charles de Gaulle, starting in October, with one-way tickets starting at £23.

A number of other airlines have announced new routes from Liverpool recently. For example, Ryanair is to start flying to Malta and Zadar in Croatia in October too, as part of its winter 2022/23 schedule.

And this with Manchester airport less than 30 miles away? How come the North-West is over-blessed with regional airports and pretty soon, we may only have one, and one that’s in desperate need of modernisation and expansion at that?

Surely the Secretary of State for Transport must recognise that decent regional airport provision should be a crucial part of the transport infrastructure. And that, given the political will, an outward-facing approach to new business and a population persuaded to see that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, this can only ever be a positive thing?

It really is time for Westminster, regional and local government, airlines and supporting industries to take a long, hard, unprejudiced look at how regional airports can be supported and engaged in a modern, 21st century way of travelling instead of being regarded as second-best. The next Prime Minister must rise above the clouds and elevate aviation to the top of the levelling-up agenda.