What Sheffield Council leader thinks of Mayors plan to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Mayor Coppard said sustainable aviation is a "challenge" but he has "no doubt" planes will be flying from DSA in decades to come

Sheffield's council leader has called the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) an "excellent opportunity" while thanking those responsible for "keeping the flame alive."

placeholder image — Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Leader of Sheffield City Council Fran Belbin was speaking at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) board meeting on Tuesday when she addressed the latest developments at the currently closed airport.

Last week (October 19), SYMCA announced plans to buy the aviation hub, bringing it back into public control.

The terminal, 25 miles from Sheffield, closed in 2022, after the private owner Peel said it was 'commercially unviable'.

Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones and South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard both committed to doing everything they can to save it, prior to their elections in 2025 and 2024 respectively.

The City of Doncaster Council signed a controversial lease with Peel in March 2024 and in September 2025, SYMCA said there were issues with it which needed to be negotiated out in order to release £160m in funding for the reopening.

According to SYMCA's papers, that renegotiation "faltered" this year before conversations moved to a freehold purchase.

Coun Belbin asked Mayor Coppard about freight emissions and tram connections to Sheffield | SYMCA

Coun Belbin said at the board meeting: "The opportunity wouldn't have come around if you hadn't dedicated so much time and energy into keeping the project going.

"I think it brings some really major opportunities, particularly the opportunities around Gateway East and develop further infrastructure in the whole area which I think has got benefits right across the region."

Gateway East is a large scale plan for developing a hub around the airport site, with advanced manufacturing and more than 1,000 homes.

Coun Belbin also questioned the Mayor of South Yorkshire on tram links and sustainability at the meeting.

She said she was particularly interested in the transport to get passengers out to the airport, particularly through tram connections.

Mayor Coppard said "The whole area around DSA will remain part of our wider plans for the South Yorkshire People's Network."

He said he has "huge ambitions" for tram extensions and trains and wants the airport to be connected to make it "even more successful."

He said there is an existing railway line at the bottom end of the runway which provides a "massive opportunity to connect it up."

Coun Belbin also questioned the Mayor on commercial developments in the area as well as environmental and sustainable outcomes, particularly the climate impact of freight emissions.

According to the Government, in 2022 the UK’s domestic and international flights produced 29.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions, which was around 7% of total UK greenhouse gasses that year.

Coun Belbin said she wanted to "ensure that we're going to have a sustainable airport."

Mayor Coppard said sustainable aviation is a "challenge" but he has "no doubt" planes will be flying from DSA in decades to come.

Mayor Coppard said he has "huge ambitions" for tram extensions and trains | SYMCA

Mayor Coppard said: "South Yorkshire is at the forefront of the solution to the challenge of sustainable aviation.

"As a place that recognises the climate emergency and absolutely wants to be part of the solution and is going to tackle it head on."

He said it is possible to fly less overall, but more from regional airports like DSA.

He said through working with partners like Boeing and University of Sheffield: "I have no doubt that when it comes to freight and passenger flights, we will be flying in 20 and 30 years time.

"We want a better connected world," he said. "But that requires us to lean in fully and make flying sustainable in the way we know it can be, and solve those technical problems."