Doncaster Airport is set to see flights return in 2026

Doncaster-Sheffield Robin Hood Airport (DSA) hopes flight operations at the airport will resume in 2026 after a buyer for the facility has been identified. The airport, that one closed its doors to commercial flights in November 2022hopes the news will give airlines time to plan their own returns to the gateway, which saw 230 flights a month departing before the closure, with low-cost carrier Wizz Air the main carrier.

According to a statement published by Doncaster City Council on November 4, 2024, bidder details will remain confidential further into the purchase process and while commercial negotiations are ongoing. “The legal and contract confirmation phases are now underway and are expected to be completed before Christmas 2024,” the statement added.

The council states that reopening the airport and making it operational will additionally require financial support and that the government agency will ask the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) for the immediate release of a £3 million ($3.9 million) financial support package to finance ongoing commercial negotiations and “help prepare timely activities on the site.”

The revised business case for the airport is expected to be heard by SYMCA in mid-November 2024, which it is hoped will confirm a referral to the Government’s Grants Advisory Unit with details of the proposed package of public support.

This support request forms part of Doncaster’s £138 million ($180 million) share of the SYMCA allocation. This financing is subject to the Grant Advice Unit. A decision is expected in early January 2025, the council advises.

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“Reopening our airport is my number one priority and I am pleased to announce that we have reached the key milestone of identifying the bidder that will help us reopen our beloved airport,” said City of Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones Council. “This current step in the reopening process is certainly great news.”

“I appreciate that people want to know who the successful bidder is, but at this time we must continue to speak to them on a strictly confidential basis. I will of course share who has been appointed as soon as I can. I know our residents and businesses are eager for the airport to reopen and would like that to happen yesterday, but rest assured we are working as hard as possible to get the airport reopened with the goal of being operational in the spring of 2026 to be,” he added.

“Our proposition is not just an airport, but will be a hub for a sustainable aviation-related industry. South Yorkshire Airport City – the program to reopen the airport – has incredible potential to bring jobs and prosperity to Doncaster and the wider South Yorkshire region,” Jones concluded.

Wizz Air

The business case highlights the significant opportunities around the region’s aviation recovery, including the creation of more than 5,000 direct jobs and 6,500 indirect jobs, and could boost the economy by £6.6 billion ($8.6 billion) if it is fully operational. The council is also awaiting an update on airspace restoration, which is currently being considered by the Civil Aviation Authority.