Mayor "managing expectations" says campaigner after "no flights until 2028" speech
A city businessman leading the public fight to re-open Doncaster Sheffield Airport has said South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard is “managing expectations” – after he announced that it could be 2028 before commercial passenger flights take off.
In a keynote speech to members of the Doncaster Chamber on Tuesday, Mr Coppard said reopening DSA was not as simple as it may seem from the outside and was a long-term project.
He 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.”
Responding to Mr Coppard’s speech, Mr Chadwick, who runs the city’s Stadium Garage, shared a lengthy post on his Save DSA Facebook page.
He wrote: “Oliver Coppard was very careful with how he worded some of his speech
“He has a legal obligation here, if he says anything that could be misled or even hints to the funding decision next month, he could open up the whole process to legal challenges.”
Mr Coppard is due to make a decision and announcement on funding on September 9.
Added Mr Chadwick: “All I do know is the work he discussed that's been done recently or is being done now is being done in good faith to meet certain obligations he has, to meet certain criteria or obligations.
“An open airport and a fully operational airport are two different things.
“Is he managing expectations here – 2028 for commercial passenger flights may seem like a long way away
“This situation with our airport is unprecedented – it's fluid it changes as do most business start ups and business plans.
“There's no reopening model to work to - its all new here.
“Aviation experts I've spoken to are actually astounded at how quick this is moving and how close we are to achieving a reopened DSA.”
Coppard 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.”
The Mayor said he had been driven by two “very clear, yet potentially competing imperatives”.
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.”
Following Coppard’s speech, a spokesperson for the Mayor Jones said: “Technically DSA is already open again with 2Excel planes back using the runway, but in relation to freight and passenger flights it will be a gradual re-opening.
“There of course remains a number of interdependencies. Once we have the Gainshare decision signed off in early September we can finalise our plans, including progressing with the Airspace and signing-up airlines and freight providers.”