Doncaster Sheffield Airport is 'number one issue' of mayoral election

It added: “Key accomplishments at the conference focused on building partnerships with airline and airport development teams to fortify DSA’s connectivity.”

The airport, which was closed in 2022 by Peel Group, has become the defining issue of Thursday’s local elections, which will see the Mayor of Doncaster and councillors elected.

Labour candidate Ros Jones, who has been elected mayor since 2013, said it was the number one talking point, and pledged that if she is re-elected “I will get it over that line”.

Ms Jones spoke to The Yorkshire Post inside Doncaster Corn Exchange, and during the interview a number of people came up to ask her about the airport.

As mayor, Ms Jones proposed that £105m will be loaned by the council to Fly Doncaster, a council-owned company created to oversee the airport, using its share of devolution funding from South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard.

She has said this plan will see DSA reopen in spring next year, however recent council papers suggested that the costs could rise to £145m.

A decision on whether the money will be provided has been delayed until summer with the mayor’s office seeking independent financial advice on whether to proceed.

However Ms Jones is confident that her plans will be approved, saying “it will be the jewel in the crown economically for Doncaster medium to long term”.

She claimed this would double Doncaster’s gross value added by 2050, and said the rate of return will be nine to one.

“I’m an accountant by profession so I do look at spreadsheets,” she said.

Ms Jones claimed that the £30m from Mr Coppard’s integrated settlement via the Government would bring the amount the council has to borrow down by £56m, including the interest saved.

She said that she has been in talks with airlines about connecting the DSA up with Heathrow as it expands, to allow travellers to get access to long-haul flights easily.

However, Conservative mayoral candidate Nick Fletcher claimed the Labour candidate is “a year behind her own schedule as we speak with another year of delay looming”.

“As Mayor, I will bring honesty and ambition to Doncaster, unlike the tired rhetoric we’ve heard from this failing mayor,” he said.

“Her so-called ‘new’ £30m for DSA is nothing but a rehash of Oliver Coppard’s existing integrated settlement—repackaged to sound fresh, but fooling no one.”

While the Reform UK candidate, gym influencer and forex trader Alexander Jones, is currently the bookies’ favourite to become mayor.

He said: “We need an integrated regeneration plan to ensure our airport can become an attractive place for businesses to invest and boost growth in our local economy while at the same time connecting Doncaster to the global economy.

“Many local residents I have spoken with on the doors don't believe Ros Jones is the right person to take our airport forward.”