Huge boost for closed UK airport’s chances of reopening after £138million funding green light
A CLOSED down UK airport haas received a huge boost in its hopes of reopening.
Funding has been made available for the local council to lease the airport from its owners, amid hopes that the transport hub could once again “thrive”.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has been closed since November 2022, after Wizz Air scrapped all its flights.
The airline had flown from Doncaster Sheffield to holiday hotspots like Lanzarote, Malaga, Cyprus, Amsterdam and Dublin.
Soon after those flights had been withdrawn its owners declared that keeping it running was not “financially viable”.
However, this week hopes of reopening the airport have been given renewed enthusiasm, after the South Yorkshire Mayoral Authority agreed to make £138million available to lease it from its owners.
After a meeting on Tuesday, February 13, in which the funding was given the green light, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said he believes the airport could become profitable.
He told ITV News: “I’ve got every confidence that with the right operator, DSA should thrive.
“It’s got a huge asset in terms of the runway, the terminal is great, there are hangars there that could be part of a wider project around the sustainable aviation hub.”
Ros Jones, the Mayor of Doncaster hopes that the airport could support as many as 11,000 jobs altogether and could boost the economy by as much as £2.3bn.
She added that she was “extremely hopeful we will be able to agree a deal” to lease the airport from its owners.
The aim after agreeing that deal would be to appoint an operator, which she hopes can be achieved in the spring.
It’s not the only boost the airport has received recently either, with a £30m government grant also available.
A letter from transport secretary Mark Harper to South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard sent earlier this month explained that a grant was both available and “suitable” for the project.
Reports had previously claimed that the grant had been rejected but the transport secretary said in his letter: “The government is supporting South Yorkshire through Gainshare funding, making £900 million available through £30 million funding per year over 30 years.
“This is exactly the funding which the mayor of Teesside used to support Teesside Airport and is consequently very likely to be suitable for your needs.
“I am sure we can both agree that it is excellent news that there is clear government grant available that you can choose to use to support Doncaster Sheffield Airport.”
Doncaster Sheffield Airport first opened in 2005 and was the 29th biggest airport in the UK.
Consumer champions Which? voted it the best UK airport shortly before it closed its doors for good.
It’s not the only closed down UK airport with hopes of reopening once again.
Plymouth
There are hopes that Plymouth Airport will once again welcome international flights.
It has been closed for 13 years now but residents and the local council want to bring it back into operation.
Plymouth City Council has said it is looking to gain control of the site once again.
Manston Airport
Manston Airport in Kent could host flights again by as soon as 2028.
Before its closure, the site was used as a filming location for the James Bond film Die Another Day, featuring Pierce Brosnan.
In 2022, the UK government granted approval for Manston Airport to be redeveloped.
Meanwhile, new flights are set to link the UK to this holiday country known for its wine and hot springs.
And this budget airline has scrapped flights to two UK airports,
