The airport is used by airlines including Tui and Wizz Air.

The airport is used by airlines including Tui and Wizz Air.
© Shutterstock

Closure-threatened Airport owners agree to meet with potential investors

UK

A last-ditch bid to save a regional UK airport has been revealed.

The owners of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, DSA, have agreed to meet with potential investors in the next 72 hours, with just weeks remaining before its planned closure. The Peel Group announced less than a month ago they intend to close the site with the potential loss of 800 jobs, as well as leaving one of the largest conurbations in the UK without an airport.

While there have been no assurances made over the outcome of any discussions, the news will offer a lifeline to the staff currently employed at the airport, who expected operations to start winding down at the end of October.

Doncaster Mayor, Ros Jones, who is actively campaigning to keep the airport open, tweeted: “We need to give these conversations the time and space they need to take place. We are requesting a further meeting with Peel after those conversations have taken place and we will not be commenting further in the meantime.”

Local political leaders had offered public money to keep DSA operating throughout 2023, but the Peel Group rejected their proposal saying that it would not be responsible to accept public money, described DSA as an unviable, loss-making operating business – the financial deal offered would see up to £7m invested over a 24-month timeframe.

The airport, which is used by airlines including Tui and Wizz Air, currently flies to destinations including the Canary Islands, Balearics, Turkey and the Baltic countries.    

Adam Murray
Adam Murray
Author
Find out more