Doncaster Airport closure? *

The Peel Group, owners of both Doncaster (DSA) and Liverpool (LPL) airports, has put out a statement concerning the future of the Yorkshire operation.  The airport sights the very short notice of the British-registered but Hungarian-based airline Wizz Air to discontinue services.

DSA is part of a bid by Peel, to be added as one of the new ‘Freeports’. The Liverpool Region is already included in the government plan as is East Midlands and Teesside.

Peel Group has conducted a review of DSA following the pandemic and Wizz Air’s decision to close its base there. It acquired the former RAF Finningley in 1999, converting it to a commercial airport that opened in 2005, branded as Robin Hood Airport.

It said: “However, despite growth in passenger numbers, DSA has never achieved the critical mass required to become profitable and this fundamental issue of a shortfall in passenger numbers is exacerbated by the announcement on 10 June 2022 of the unilateral withdrawal of the Wizz Air-based aircraft, leaving the airport with only one base carrier, namely Tui.

“This challenge has been increased by other changes in the aviation market, the well-publicised impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasingly important environmental considerations.

“It has therefore been concluded that aviation activity may no longer be the use for the site which delivers the maximum economic and environmental benefit to the region.”

Since 2015 DSA has regularly moved over one million passengers annually and in 2019 a record 1,407,862 holidaymakers transited the airport.

The other main operator is Tui who said: “We are aware of the announcement that Doncaster Sheffield airport is currently reviewing strategic options.

“We have proudly flown to popular holiday destinations since 2005 and understand flying from a local airport is extremely important to our customers.

Peel Group said that it would now undertake an “engagement period” with all those potentially affected while the airport continued to operate as normal.

Locally a petition calling for the airport to remain open had been signed by over 40,000 Sunday evening.  The local council has called for a long-term funding package.

https://flydsa.co.uk/latest-news/strategic-review-announcement

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Susan Shanks, United Kingdom

Teesside is getting local government support and so why not Doncaster. And Wizz should be banned from ever returning!