'Still a big if' whether Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopens, mayor says

An operator, Munich International, is ready to run DSA, and Ms Jones has pledged flights will take off again in spring 2026.

Mr Coppard will make the final decision in September on whether the £105m of gainshare funding will be loaned to Fly Doncaster, a council-owned company created to oversee the airport.

The mayor has come under criticism from business leaders for this timescale, with the chief executive of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, Dan Fell, saying: “The risks of prolonged delay and indecision are far greater than the risks of proceeding at pace.”

Mr Coppard hit back at this, telling The Yorkshire Post: “If and when - and it is still a big if - we do take that step to fund the airport then we’ve got to get that right.

“I don’t think Doncaster Chamber of Commerce … would take a decision without being fully sighted on the opportunities and what the challenges look like.

“I’m no different, particularly when it comes to such a significant investment of taxpayers’ money for the foreseeable future, not just the money we might invest now but what we’re asking the Government to put in.”

Mr Coppard has hired independent financial auditors to go through the finances of the plan ahead of the final decision in September.

“I think when the Chamber sees some of the work we’ve done and some of the things we’ve both found out … they will understand why we’ve taken that step,” he said.

“The right thing to do is to prepare properly for that moment in September.”