Firms stationed at the airport have received letters from its owners Peel Holdings saying the site will shut down "due to sustained losses" and offices must be vacated by March 6.

Alpha Helicopters, which has run pleasures flights and flying lessons from the airport for the past four years, has been told its four aircraft must vacate the airport's hangars by March 31.

The news comes despite the firm's business doing "very nicely". An Alpha Helicopters spokesman told The Star 2008 "would have been our best year".

The airport closure has still not been officially confirmed, and bosses say they are consulting with staff "who may be affected by proposed changes at the site".

Some feel Peel Holdings did not do enough to ensure the commercial future of the airport. Under an original agreement signed with Sheffield Council, Peel could buy the airport from the council for just £1 if it could be proved it was not commercially viable.

Critics claim this amounted to a written incentive for it to fail.

Coun Anne Smith said: "These people initially promised us a fully-operational regional airport to run along side Robin Hood - they broke their promise.

"They then promised us an airport for general aviation purposes - they broke their promise. They promised us a heliport and now we won't even get that.

"On rough calculations it could appear the land, plus the buildings on it, are worth around £440 million. Peel get all this land for just £1 and what do the taxpayers of Sheffield and South Yorkshire get? Absolutely nothing."

Michael Wood, an independent aviation consultant from Sussex, said: "It is such a shame. Sheffield is a cracking little airport. There are towns and cities all over the world that would kill to have this type of facility on their doorstep."

Sheffield Airport stopped using electronic aircraft approach aids - regarded as standard in airports that offer regular scheduled commercial flights - back in 2002. Without them big aircraft firms would have been unlikely to base themselves at Sheffield.

Councillors last year gave permission for the airport to be turned into a business park, a move that will see part of its runway dug up and redeveloped.

But there were still hopes helicopter flights in and out could be retained, and there were talks too about short 'taxi' flights to nearby airports. This will not now happen.

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