Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Crucial step taken by Civial Aviation Authority to allow City of Doncaster Council to progress an airspace suitable for DSA’s future operations
Today the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has started the processes to allow Doncaster Sheffield Airport to move forward with its request to control an area of airspace for a potential future reopening of the airport.
The regulator has published its decision to remove the old airspace, making way for a new airspace design that is a crucial step in returning the airport to operation. The step was taken after the Transport Secretary decided to refer the decision back to the Civil Aviation Authority earlier this week.
The Civil Aviation Authority will now remove the current structure of the airspace (‘de-notify’) around Doncaster Sheffield Airport. This step allows City of Doncaster Council to progress an airspace design that suits the airport’s future operations.
Jon Round, Head of Airspace, Aerodromes and Air Traffic Management at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “Airspace is a national resource, and its safe and effective management unlocks economic benefits for everyone.
“Our decision today clears the way to redesigning the airspace around Doncaster Sheffield Airport so that flights can return in future.
“These steps are critical to reopening the airport and enabling the UK aviation sector to grow.”
What has changed today?
The Secretary of State for Transport has made the decision not to call in the Airspace Change Proposal, which means that the decision on the airspace will sit with the Civil Aviation Authority.
The Civil Aviation Authority will now proceed with closing the old airspace to allow Doncaster Sheffield Airport to progress with its request to control an area of airspace for future operations.
How did they get here?
The closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport in 2022 meant there was no air traffic control to manage the existing airspace, nor were there grounds for it to remain controlled.
Consequently, the Civil Aviation Authority launched an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP). While the airspace change has been taking place, the airspace has been classified as uncontrolled (which means that aircraft can fly without needing to communicate with or be controlled by air traffic control).
Since then, there have been three requests issued for the Transport Secretary to make the decision on the airspace change proposal rather than the CAA.
These requests triggered the ‘call-in’ process for the CAA’s ‘Consideration of the Removal of Doncaster Sheffield Airport Airspace’ airspace change proposal.
This call in process provides the option for the Transport Secretary to make an airspace change decision if it meets certain criteria. Otherwise, the change process is managed by the CAA, in line with CAP 1616 and government guidelines.
The call-in request had been on hold with no decision taken by the previous government, a General Election and change in Government. The Transport Secretary has now made that decision to refer back the decision on Doncaster Sheffield’s airspace to the CAA.
What does this mean for Doncaster Sheffield Airport?
The City of Doncaster Council submitted a statement of need for Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s (DSA) renewed operation in August 2024.
This statement of need, informed by DSA’s past operations, was the start of their airspace change proposal to request control of an area of airspace that allows for their future needs.
The UK’s airspace change process relies on a sponsor to request the change and provide everything required for the change to be fully considered. It is their responsibility to move ahead with the airspace change proposal.
The decision by the Civil Aviation Authority to de-notify the old airspace design unlocks the process for City of Doncaster Council to progress a design that suits the airport’s future operations.