Four bidders have joined the bidding to secure a lease for Doncaster’s airport, it has been revealed.

The Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones updated councillors on negotiations to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The airport closed last year following a strategic review by Peel Group.

Ever since, Doncaster Council has worked to find a new investor who will lease the site for a long-term period.

The mayor shared that the first stage of the procurement exercise to find an operator has closed, with four bidders being invited to the next stage.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Credit: Marie Caley

Each will now submit more formalised bids, before an operator is finalised in Spring 2024.

An outline business case will also be approved by cabinet before being submitted to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) in order to secure funding.

The council will continue to work with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to protect the airport’s airspace, amidst concerns that its protections will come to an end.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Four bidders enter next stage of negotiations