Why closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport is bad for Levelling Up - Nick Fletcher

Much has been talked about levelling up. The swathes of money coming to areas such as mine are easy to see.

Only recently, Doncaster has been successful with two town deals and also successful in the first round of Levelling up Funding.

But it’s not just about money. I have spoken much about what we can do as individuals in speaking up for where we live and about showing our children the opportunities available in their own towns and city. Levelling up with an attitude of ‘I can, and I will.’ My Role Models programme does just that. And Education Investment Areas will also help. We are giving schools in areas like mine the resources to attract and keep the best teachers and offer additional support across the board.

But what has been asked of business? I am thinking of the huge businesses that create billionaires like John Whittaker of Peel.

I am a businessman, a capitalist and proud of it, but when a business is so successful, and I applaud all businesses that are, then there is a duty on them, corporate responsibility. So, it’s not just the government that needs to help in the process of levelling up; it’s business too.

To me, regional airports such as DSA have a key role in Levelling Up.

They will no doubt have to diversify and not simply be passenger focussed. Freight, innovation centres, educational centres, specialist manufacturing and warehousing can and should all be part of the mix, generating multiple income streams. And this is precisely what we need them to do. Varied, quality jobs dispersed across the country through economic growth areas with airports at the centre of them must be the future.

Therefore, to truly level up, regional airports must be part of this otherwise, the North-South divide will never truly end.

The Government trying to spread the wealth and moving departments across the country with only international airports to connect with the rest of the world is not going to work. Landing in Heathrow to travel to Doncaster is not levelling up, and it’s not good for the environment, which brings me directly to my second point. The environment. Our part of this planet.

Doncaster airport has its own unique central location. It is a fact that the airspace is massively underused.

This means no circling and waiting for landing slots. Little to no taxiing before take-off and after landing.

All of this can only mean one thing. Less fuel is used. Aviation industry experts reliably inform me that it is 14 per cent more fuel efficient to land an aircraft at DSA than at any London airport. With regional airports already taking up the opportunities created by over capacity at Manchester, Heathrow and Gatwick, why don’t the larger airlines make this move permanent?

Regional airports that evenly spread wealth across our country do so by creating local quality jobs.

This reduces many people’s commute. And with regard to holidaymakers, it has been stated regional airports like DSA will save tens of thousands of car journeys across the Pennines or travelling to our capital every day. Protecting our environment once again.

As the MP for the constituency in which DSA sits, I have used my voice as loudly as possible in Parliament and on social media to let my constituents and the wider area know of this travesty.

I have called on the Mayor of our combined authority to use the powers he has been given, and I have spoken with TUI, who already operate from DSA. They have been incredibly supportive of DSA. But we need more businesses like this.

If levelling up is really to happen, it needs a holistic and proactive approach from everyone, parents, teachers, devolved governments, and central government.

It also requires that big businesses and billionaires step up too.

I have therefore written to all major airlines to see if they can’t help save our Airport. Virgin has already replied, and I will be speaking with them over the coming weeks. I anticipate more will follow.

Levelling up is the right thing to do. I was brought up to do the right thing for the right reason. I can see no better example of that than saving our much-loved DSA and keeping our promise of levelling up, which will, in turn, help to save our environment too.

Nick Fletcher is the Conservative MP for Don Valley