Flights due to start 'winding down' at Doncaster Sheffield Airport from today

The Peel Group announced their intention to close DSA last month

Author: Chris Davis-SmithPublished 31st Oct 2022

It's thought the local economy in South Yorkshire will be around '£100 million a year worse off' if Doncaster Sheffield Airport doesn't stay open.

The Peel Group-who own the site-confirmed their intention to close it down last month-despite a number of bids from potential investors looking to keep it open.

Flights are due to start winding down at DSA from today-just three months since a review into its future began.

Dan Fell from Doncaster's Chamber of Commerce says the move will cause a lot of disruption:

"There are a number of businesses at the airport and their plans have been turned upside down in the last few months.

"These organisations simply might not be able to exist in South Yorkshire anymore, and therefore, they'll have to relocate at pace.

"The economic consequence of this is huge and the personal consequence of this is huge.

"There's just no way that 100% of these workforces can just 'up sticks' and relocate when they have family commitments in the communities they live in.

"This is people's livelihoods we're talking about here; whether that's an employee at the airport, someone in their supply chains, or the businesses associated with the airport that have built their hopes and dreams around a vision they've been sold for the last 20 years.

"The timetable we've been working to, all through the summer and autumn, has been ridiculous-there's simply no other way to describe it.

"You can't even buy or sell a house in the time we've had to sort out new owners for an international airport.

"That to me demonstrates the absolutely herculean task that local partners have taken on to get to this point."

It's left around 800 jobs at risk at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

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