Doncaster Sheffield Airport commercial flights date revealed - but put in doubt by loan vote
The reopening is up in the air with Reform Doncaster proposing to cancel the £57m loan.
Commercial flights will take off from Doncaster Sheffield Airport again in Easter 2028, documents have revealed, unless councillors revoke a £57m loan to kickstart the reopening project.
A 12-month delay in passenger flights would cost the airport a whopping £36m, and could make the reopening financially unviable.
This is one of a swathe of details that have been published about the reopening plans, ahead of a vote by councillors on May 11 whether to rescind the borrowing.
Doncaster’s Reform group says that the original approval was made without the “full material facts” and are seeking to axe the borrowing.
They believe the project can be continued by buying the land off owners Peel Group through a compulsory purchase order.
The report gives further details about the target date for commercial flights, if DSA gets up and running.
While no airlines have been confirmed, discussions have taken place with both previous operators - Tui and Wizz Air.
Previously, Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones has said flights will take off in 2026, late 2027 and also early in 2028.
The document confirms that the aim is for passenger flights to start in Easter 2028.
However, it claims that this would be pushed back if councillors axe the £57m loan.
The report says: “The programme is now at a critical stage, with essential equipment (with long lead times) requiring contract commitments to be agreed within the next month, which if not agreed would impact on the passenger start date of Easter 2028.”
These have “become more time critical, due to the contract agreement being delayed due to various reasons”, the document explains, including because of the vote.
“If the target passenger start date of Easter 2028 is not met, the start date does not move to the next month, it either slips to the next winter season, dependent on the business case, or the following summer season,” the report says.
This would risk the overall reopening, as a 12-month delay would reduce the projected income by a mammoth £36m.
“The potential delay in the commencement of passenger flights would have significant financial implications, due to extending the period in which the airport is not generating income, and the programme to reopen the airport could not be delivered within the funding available,” the document explains.