Low blow for airport

After reading in The Star about Peel Holdings, the owners of Robin Hood Doncaster Airport, asking for a five-year rate freeze, it should be remembered that this organisation is worth millions if not billions.

By The Newsroom

Published 8th Oct 2007, 09:52 BST

Updated 9th Oct 2007, 10:52 BST

The company has received up to 30m EU funding to help build the airport. Surely we can’t carry on subsiding a private company to the detriment of competitors and taxpayers.

This organisation bought Sheffield City Airport in 2001, allowed it to run down and finished up getting the land worth 30m for just 1.

Rumour has it, that Sheffield City Airport is now profitable without revenue from scheduled flights. Rumours abound that regional airlines are wishing to start services from Sheffield.

Is it not a fact that Peel has a similar arrangement at Doncaster that existed at Sheffield: if the airport fails the land will be given to them for a nominal amount?

Is this not a repeat of what happened at Sheffield and would leave South Yorkshire without an airport?

Property development is probably more profitable than running an airport.

MM, Sheffield