Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Mayor accuses Peel Group of ‘asset stripping’ airport ahead of closure

The mayor of Doncaster has accused owners of Doncaster Sheffield Airport of “stripping critical assets” at the site. The Peel Group announced earlier this year that the airport would close this month due to being unable to find “tangible proposals” over its overnership.

The airport employs around 800 people, but on September 26 it was announced it would begin to close the week commencing October 31.  The mayor believes the closure of the airport must be paused so a buyer for the airport can be found and therefore these jobs can be saved.

Earlier this week, mayor Ros Jones outlined the move from the Peel Group as “totally unacceptable” and added she has written to the group. She said: "We have been made aware that Peel has apparently started to degrade the site by stripping out critical assets to the operation of the airport, therefore potentially making it unusable and unsellable.

"This is totally unacceptable when we have brought potential buyers to their door and conversations are ongoing. I have written to Peel setting this legal action out and that they must pause the airport closure so a sale can be agreed and jobs saved."

The Peel Group has been approached for comment on this statement from Ms Jones.

When the airport closure was announced last month, a spokesperson for the Peel Group said: “Today the Peel Group announces that the Strategic Review at Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has ended.

"Regretfully, no tangible proposals have been received regarding the ownership of the airport or which address the fundamental lack of financial viability. The high fixed costs associated with running a safe, regulated airport, together with recent events materially reducing prospective future aviation income streams, mean that a break-even business plan cannot be identified for the foreseeable future.

“As a result, DSA will begin winding down the provision of aviation services during the week commencing Monday, 31 October 2022. DSA will continue to work closely with airport customers and other users to explain the impact of this service reduction and work with them to minimise the disruption to their operations and customers.”