Exclusive:Doncaster-Sheffield Airport: investors raising airport reopening plan with government
Potential investors in South Yorkshire are raising the prospect of Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopening in conversations with the Government, a minister has said.
Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, the Investment Minister, was at the Special Melted Products factory in Burngreave this week to announce Taiwanese firm Walsin Lihwa’s plans to build a new research and development centre and superalloy forging facility.
She told The Yorkshire Post that plans to reopen in the airport in spring next year “does come up in conversations with investors”.
Both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have thrown their weight behind Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones’ plan to resurrect the airport, with more than £100m of devolved funding.
An operator, Munich International, is ready to run DSA, and Ms Jones has pledged flights will take off again in spring 2026.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard will make the final decision in September on whether loaning £105m of devolved funding to reopen the airport is a good use of taxpayer money.
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.”
Baroness Gustafsson said that investors “really value” the Government’s commitment to support reopening and expanding airports.
Last year, Sir Keir Starmer announced an additional £30m in funding for the DSA project.
Baroness Gustafsson said: “Investors really value the narrative around growth and the fact that the Government is committed to supporting growth back into the economy.
“If you’re driving growth in a business it starts with that tone at the top.
“The next level down, below strategic is the tactical, is the Government prepared to make the difficult decisions that results in growth.
“Seeing things like investing in airports and building and expanding those airports is a real tactical example of government saying it’s not just talking the talk, it’s making these decisions that result in driving growth within the economy.”
Mr Coppard has hired independent financial auditors to go through the finances of the plan ahead of the final decision in September.
He pushed back at criticism of the timescale, which has called into doubt Ms Jones’ aim of getting flights off the ground by the spring.
““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.”
Peel Group, the airport’s owner, closed DSA in 2022, after it made a loss every year from 2005.
Ms Jones has 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 Mr Coppard.
But recent council papers suggested that the reopening costs could rise to £145m.
If the airport reopened, Ms Jones has claimed this would double Doncaster’s gross value added by 2050, and said the rate of return will be nine to one.