Doncaster Chamber welcomes mayor's green light for airport take off

Responding to the announcement that he is backing £160 million of funds to the project, Doncaster Chamber described it as “a major breakthrough moment” in the long campaign to “unlock growth through South Yorkshire’s airport.”

The Chamber has also underlined the importance of this being a unanimous decision by all four South Yorkshire local authorities, to send the strongest possible signal to investors, airlines, and Government that this is truly a regional project with wide-ranging benefits.

The leaders of Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley and Sheffield councils plus Mayor Coppard will announce a final decision on September 9.

Sian Booth, Head of Policy and Partnerships at Doncaster Chamber, said: “Mayor Coppard’s announcement is hugely encouraging and a decisive step towards the airport reopening.

"We thank Mayor Coppard for his commitment to due diligence and for explicitly confirming his intention to back this critical project.”

Just last week, Mayor Coppard told Chamber members that, while he was supportive of DSA in principle, he was being cautious and could not yet commit to backing the funding package.

Businesses and stakeholders have therefore welcomed a firmer commitment, given the urgency and importance of this project.

Booth continued: “This is the clear signal that the private sector and investors have been waiting for. We want to thank our membership and business community for continuing to advocate and champion the Airport City project, and we recognise the continued leadership shown by Doncaster City Council in driving it forward.

"This campaign has always been about more than just Doncaster – this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the economic landscape of South Yorkshire. A unanimous decision across all four councils will show the world that our region is united and ready to deliver.”

The Chamber highlighted the role that the private sector has played throughout the campaign, with Chamber members consistently voicing strong support for the airport’s revival.

Doncaster Chamber has coordinated this voice, working closely with members and patrons to demonstrate that there is significant market appetite and confidence in DSA.

Fabian Braithwaite, President of Doncaster Chamber, said: “The reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport is bigger than just flights going out of Doncaster. There’s a much larger economic regeneration and growth plan that goes with it, and the number of jobs and infrastructure it will bring to the region is really important.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Offer from the 2Excel Group, a major aviation business with a long-standing presence at DSA, said: “We have 600 employees and about 30 airplanes, and before DSA shut we

had about 200 people and 20 airplanes there. We’re a growing business – hiring about two people every week – and we want to come back to Doncaster Airport and bring the majority of our company back there. So it means everything to us, and that’s why we’ve stayed throughout, working closely with the council to get it reopened.”

Steve McMenemy of Redline Assured Security said: “Fantastic news. We are an aviation security training company, and as you can imagine, the reopening of the airport for us – who are situated right across the road – is very exciting. Our lease was coming to an end, and when it looked like the airport might not reopen, we were looking for new premises because we didn’t feel like we belonged there anymore. When we found out there was a potential reopening, we renewed our lease for another ten years.

"It’s fantastic news for us personally. The location is great, the motorway links are excellent, and the reopening will be fantastic for the area.”