Mayor breaks silence on DSA "no flights until 2028" announcement

Last week, South Yorkshire Labour mayor Oliver Coppard said that re-opening DSA was not as simple as it may seem from the outside and was a long-term project – with a decision on funding due next week.

His speech to Doncaster Chamber seemed to go against previous assurances from Doncaster mayor Ros Jones that the airport would be back in business by 2026.

Now Mayor Jones has issued a statement outlining her position after a number of calls from rival politicians saying she had “misled” the public and calls for her to resign.

She said: “We have always stated that there are interdependencies out of our control in relation to issues such as airspace and aerodrome certification.

“We expect to see freight services commence in summer 2026, followed by passenger flights towards the end of 2027, meaning we should see plane tickets and holidays on sale by late 2026 flying from Doncaster for the winter 2027/28 holiday season, but again this is all dependent on several factors including Gainshare decision, airspace, aerodrome certification and negotiations with airlines.

“In relation to commercial passenger flights, we have been reviewing plans over the last few weeks in advance of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Gainshare decision whilst they were carrying out additional due diligence works.

“I want our airport fully operational as soon as possible, but we must follow the correct process.

“Further updates will be provided following the Gainshare decision (scheduled for Tuesday September 9) and at the next meeting of Doncaster Council full council.”

Last week, Mayor Coppard said: “We now know that while opening an airport is not a binary process, we’re now unlikely to be at full operational capacity until 2028.

“As a result, we would be unlikely to see commercial passenger flights into or out of DSA before then. Albeit we will of course aim for that to happen sooner.”

Coppard also refuted social media commentary that he was not committed to reopening DSA, referring to those who suggest he needs to “f***ing get on with it”.

He said: “Let me be crystal clear, I have always wanted our airport to thrive; to act as a gateway to South Yorkshire, a magnet for investment and a central driver of opportunity for our whole community.

“My commitment to that goal has never simply been an empty promise.”

One is the demand to save DSA and “exploit the huge opportunity” the project represents, but the other, he said, was “to protect the interests of taxpayers across South Yorkshire”.

He told the audience: “I have made, and will make, no apology for that approach; for doing the proper due diligence when being asked to potentially spend in excess of £150million of public money, to make real a project that has the potential to be either a huge economic driver, or a significant drain on public funds.”

Coppard said he wanted to highlight work he had already done in the project, including facilitating a visit from the prime minister and deputy prime minister – in which they confirmed a £30m package to support DSA’s reopening.

However, the Mayor added: “At this point I still cannot say we will be reopening DSA and creating a world leading sustainable aviation hub at Gateway East. There are still challenges for us to overcome.”