Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which has been closed for four years, has reached a 'major milestone' in plans to bring it into public ownership, with hopes that passenger flights could resume by winter 2027-28 following a £160 million investment.
The airport was forced to shut in 2022 when its former owner, Peel Group, said it was no longer economically sustainable. The closure hit travellers hard, particularly those who used it for flights to destinations such as Alicante, Palma, Amsterdam, Budapest, Dublin and Paphos with carriers including Wizz Air, TUI and Ryanair.
Public Ownership Proposal
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) now intends to acquire the airport, becoming the freehold owner and landlord under the City of Doncaster Council's lease. The terms of the proposed deal are due to be examined next week, and the move has been described as a "major win".
Doncaster mayor Ros Jones said: "This partnership proposal to bring the airport into public ownership is a major win for Doncaster and South Yorkshire. I pressed this proposal back in 2022 and the landowner declined. We are now in a different place and a different time. This proposal will end our lease with the current landowner. As a council, we need to enter into a contractual arrangement with SYMCA to agree how this progresses in a phased approach. The meeting of cabinet next week will take the decisions the council needs for this to take place."
Reopening Timeline
Earlier estimates suggest the airport could be operational with passenger flights as soon as the winter 2027-28 season, backed by the £160 million investment. For now, the site remains deserted while a final decision on its future is pending.
South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard called the agreement a "major milestone", adding: "I'm delighted to say that subject to formal approval of the MCA board next week and then Peel, we've agreed a deal that means we're taking Doncaster Sheffield Airport and adjacent Innovation Quarter employment land into public ownership."
Coppard continued: "This is a deal that puts the future of DSA back in our hands and finally gives one of the biggest and best growth opportunities in South Yorkshire the platform for long-term success that it needs and deserves. Four years ago, we were told that our airport would be closing. But alongside Ros Jones, I said I would do anything I could to save DSA, and I meant it."
He added: "When the airport closed, almost everything was against us; the owners did not want to sell, we had no legal powers to intervene or stop the airport from closing, and no backing from the government at the time. Today, the future for DSA is bright, with the airport back in our hands, the sky's the limit."
