Doncaster Sheffield Airport closing permanently: this is everything we know so far

Bosses at Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) hav said that flights will “wind down” starting next month as the airport is set for permanent closure.

Peel Group, who owns the airport, has said that starting October 31, operations will be winding down, but there is still no set date for closure.

Robert Hough, chairman of Peel Airports Group said: "We recognise that this will come as a great disappointment to many. The intractable problem remains the fundamental and insufficient lack of current or prospective revenue streams, together with the airport’s high operating costs.

"Our employees have always been DSA’s greatest asset, and we are grateful to them all, past and present, for their dedication and diligence over the years. The immediate priority remains to continue engaging closely with them over the next few weeks.

"As such, DSA will now begin a formal process of consulting with team members. We will do everything we can to minimise the impact of these proposals and work closely with local authorities and agencies to support our employees through what we know will be an extremely difficult period."

Doncaster Sheffield airport employs more than 800 people, and another 2,700 jobs will be affected along the supply chain.

Here is everything we know about Doncaster Sheffield Airport closing so far.

Why is Doncaster Sheffield Airport closing permanently?

Back in July 2022, owner Peel Group announced that the business was struggling to catch  up after the COVID pandemic and after operator Wizz Air pulled out of the airport leaving TUI the sole operator.

Despite a solid growth in passengers after becoming a commercial airport in 2005, Doncaster Sheffield never achieved enough revenue to become profitable.

This, plus the increase of environmental considerations and a great loss in passenger numbers during the pandemic lead the owners to conclude that "aviation activity may no longer be the use for the site which delivers the maximum economic and environmental benefit to the region".

Peel Group announced the airport would undergo a strategic review, but that DSA would operate as normal while the review was carried out.

But on Monday, 26 September, an announcement was made that the airport was "not viable due to its lack of adequate forward revenues and high operating costs", and is going to close permanently.

When is Doncaster Sheffield Airport closing permanently?

As of now, no official closing date has been announced.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) offered on Friday, 23 September to use public money to keep the airport running until October 2023.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: "If Peel genuinely want to safeguard the future of DSA they will accept our offer and allow more time for prospective offers to develop."

Peel Group chief executive Steven Underwood said about the offer: "Accepting funds from SYMCA may postpone the inevitable for another 13 months, but it will divert funds away from services on which communities throughout South Yorkshire rely."

During her first PMQs on 8 September, new prime minister Liz Truss said she would protect Doncaster Sheffield Airport, but so far has made no comments on its closure.

What does the public think?

Since announcing the strategic review, several rallies have taken place along with an online petition to keep the airport open with more than 100,000 signatures as of September 26.

One twitter user wrote about the closure: “This is an outrage, from a business - Peel Group - which clearly has never intended to run the airport at a profit and has only had designs for the land.

It was the same at Sheffield. It was the same at Teesside.

The airport must be saved, by state purchase if necessary.”

And another user says: “Shocking news. Millions spent on infracture access roads. Sheffield once again the biggest city in Europe without an airport”