Doncaster Sheffield Airport: "We need to keep ball rolling," says delighted campaigner

Mayor Ros Jones today announced that City of Doncaster Council has agreed a 125-year-lease with landowners Peel – who closed the airport in 2022 – with the search now on to find an operator and returning planes to the skies.

You can read the mayor’s statement in full HERE

Garage owner Mark Chadwick, whose Save Doncaster Sheffield Airport Facebook page has more than 26,000 members, said: "City of Doncaster Council have a full lease for the site and are also very close to announcing an operator.

“We now need to keep this ball rolling.

“Hopefully we will be as involved if not more so in the future as we have been with the work to save DSA.

“We need to be even more supportive now.”

Today’s announcement has also been welcomed by Doncaster Chamber and the city’s three MPs, with Dame Rosie Winterton, Ed Miliband and Nick Fletcher all welcoming the news.

More details of the deal are expected to be revealed when Mayor Jones addresses the media later today.

The closure of the airport by owners Peel in November 2022 sent shockwaves across the region, with a petition to save it garnering more than 100,000 signatures.

He added: “Our local authorities here in Doncaster took up the baton and recognised that the airport was an economic driver not just for Doncaster but with help from South Yorkshire Combined Authority for the region as well.

“Mayor Ros Jones has led the officials in the council and has been resolute in getting DSA back open and operational and here we are today.

“The work behind the scenes to get a lease with Peel has been successful, we are now waiting for the announcement of a new operator for DSA.

"Once that happens, we will need to offer continued support to DSA and when operational we will need to use the airport.

"We have all supported the #saveDSA campaign. We will need to support it further when opened by buying flights and holidays.

"The advantage of flying from our doorstep may be back soon and the biggest benefit of using DSA is its ours and we will be buying into our region and adding to our local economy, creating jobs and sustaining jobs - a successful airport will attract more businesses and further investment for our local and regional economy.

“If we don’t use it, we lose it.”

He added: “It has been a busy 18 months but well worth all the effort, the sleepless nights and the hours spent on this project.

“I would now personally like to thank everyone involved with this project, mayor Ros Jones, City of Doncaster Council and all officers, Mayor Oliver Coppard and SYMCA - but most of all, all our members and supporters of the group to Save DSA.”