Bid to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport stuck over questions over the source of money, according to reports

The Daily Telegraph has reported that a bid by a consortium from the Middle East has not gone through because the current owners Peel, say they cannot verify the source of the funding for the proposed deal.

The Telegraph reports a prominent businessman in the United Arab Emirates is leading a consortium, and that the bidder has insisted he has provided all the relevent details, but is not interested in bidding unless they are allowed to carry out further ‘due diligence’ on the airport.Lawyers are reported to have sent proof of funds to Peel on Monday, but it reported it did not meet their requirements, with Peel said to be wanting to avoid Russian connections following the invasion of Ukraine.

A judicial review of the closure of the airport is expected to start this week, after Doncaster Council lauched a legal challenge. Mayor Ros Jones has previously said she would look at a comulsory purchase of the airport, and that planning persmission did not allow for the site to be used for other purposes.

SYMCA, the South Yorkshire combined authority, had offered to pay any losses for the next year to keep the airport open.

Neither Doncaster Council nor Peel have commented.

The airport closed at the end of October, 17 years after it opened. The site had previously been the RAF Finningley airbase, which was closed by the Government.