'Commitment to growth' as airline announces new Doncaster base and new routes

An airline has announced it will create a permanent base at Doncaster Sheffield Airport – and the move could generate hundreds of jobs.
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The news comes as bosses at Doncaster airport have revealed today how they kept the facility operating right through lockdown and believe it has come through the other end of the crisis stronger.

Wizz Air will make the Finningley site its second base in the UK, and has also announced seven more destinations. Among those will be the first destinations the airline serves from Yorkshire in countries which are outside the former Eastern bloc, which has previously been its core market.

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Officials at both the airport and the airline see the move as a major boost as the air travel industry looks to bounce back from the lockdown crisis.

A Wizz Air jet takes offA Wizz Air jet takes off
A Wizz Air jet takes off

It follows the creation of the operator’s UK-registered and licensed airline Wizz Air UK two years ago, and it will increase the annual capacity of the airport by 300,000 seats.

And Wizz Air says it is looking to base additional aircraft in Doncaster if it is successful, with the new agreement meaning it will serve the additional routes of Alicante, Malaga, Larnaca, Faro, Lublin, Kosice, and Suceava.

Owain Jones, managing director of Wizz Air UK, believes his airline’s relationship with the airport is important.

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He said: “We have been flying from Doncaster since 2006, around the time it changed from RAF Finningley to Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Wizz Air were among the first flying from here.

A Wizz Air jetA Wizz Air jet
A Wizz Air jet

"We have had a long relationship with the airport. We have now set up a UK registered airline, with Luton as the main base with 12 aircraft. We have been looking to expand in the UK given the success we have seen, and we think Doncaster is an airport with a big catchment in North Lincolnshire, North Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire as well as South Yorkshire, and maybe even further north. We think there’s a market for good quality low cost airlines based here.

"This is a committment to growth, and we hope to expand further. In terms of jobs in Doncaster, basing one aircraft here brings 36 jobs directly at the airport, along with 300,000 more passengers, and we estimate that will support about 200 local jobs. There is the supply chain, with things like onboard catering.”

He said after the drop off during lockdown, flights had recovered, and their Luton planes were back to pre-lockdown levels of passengers since flights restarted at the start of May.

"People will travel if than can do so safely,” he said.

L-R Chris Harcombe and Owain JonesL-R Chris Harcombe and Owain Jones
L-R Chris Harcombe and Owain Jones
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"We want to do more destinations, and we want a diverse network. We’ve been operating here for 14 years, and our ambitions meet those of the airport to great effect. We think there is an under-served market here for the people in the area.”

The firm will base one Airbus A320 at the airport from November.

It takes the number of aircraft based at the airport to five, as TUI already had four based there, serving its holiday routes, including transatlantic flights.

Chris Harcombe, director of aviation development at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, believes the airport is now seeing the green shoots of recovery after lockdown.

Doncaster Sheffield AirportDoncaster Sheffield Airport
Doncaster Sheffield Airport
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He said: “We are delighted to bring more ultra-low fares to DSA, to these popular destinations loved by our customers and served by an airline who pride themselves on providing affordable travel, with an excellent reputation. It is a shared intention to bring further aircraft as part of this agreement within a matter of months.

“There is no doubt that the aviation sector faces its greatest challenge in modern day history at this time. It is essential that the UK Government acknowledges and supports airlines and airports that bring much needed investment into the UK economy. Doncaster Sheffield Airport contributes over £60 million to the Sheffield City Region and offers job security for thousands of people.”

Mr Harcombe said lockdown had brought pressure on all airports, but staff had worked hard to enable flying to take place, with both Wizz Air and Tui keen to return to work as soon as possible.

He added: “The airport remained open throughout lockdown, with the lifeline services that operate from here, such as the police air service, the air ambulance, and the freight flights that come here. We have been flexible and creative, and proactive, to make sure the impact of lockdown on us has been as minimal as possible, and we could come out on the other side stronger and better placed for the future.

"What we are now seeing are the green shoots of recovery.”

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He said there was a clear economic relationship between increasing connectivity to destinations and economic success for a region.

He admitted there was an objective to add major European cities like Paris and Berlin to the destinations, but destinations such as Alicante and Faro were important as they gave people a chance to get away after lockdown.

Mr Harcombe said the airport had seen its passenger numbers double in the last five or six years.