by A POPULAR airport in the UK that was forced to close last year may be able to reopen following the site’s takeover plans.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport was forced to close due to an “insufficient lack of current or potential revenue stream”.
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However, there are plans to purchase the site from Peel Airports Group with the aim of reopening it.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has confirmed Doncaster Council will consider buying the airport, according to local media.
It follows an investigation into the closure, in hopes of avoiding similar closures again in the future.
He said: “Doncaster Council is pursuing a mandatory purchase of the Doncaster Sheffield Airport site, and talks continue with investors keen to reopen our airport.
“DSA’s closure has occurred over objections from our local authorities, businesses, our MPs and myself.”
He added: “That’s why I asked [former High Sheriff of South Yorkshire] Martin McKervey to conduct an independent inquiry into the future of strategic infrastructure in South Yorkshire and beyond.
“He will offer recommendations on how we can ensure that the loss of assets like our airport never happens again.”
Aviation analysis firm Cirium said it was the UK’s 26th largest airport, recording 4,609 flights in 2019.
It was also voted Britain’s best airport, according to Which?.
Flights to popular destinations from Doncaster Sheffield included Tenerife and Lanzarote.
However, the airport was hit hard when airline Wizz Air withdrew, leaving only TUI flights in service and eventually causing it to close in 2022.
David Bryon, former director of BMI Baby, warned that more regional airports could face similar difficulties.
He said: “What I think is most alarming is that we saw an airport [Doncaster Sheffield] effectively closed with similar levels to Cardiff.
“Doncaster was carrying similar pre-pandemic passenger levels of 1.5 million.”
He warned that unless airports can handle more than 2-4 million passengers a year, it will be difficult for airports “to break even, let alone make money”.
The Telegraph’s Nick Trend also warned: “[Domestic airports] seem much less resilient to economic shocks than their giant rivals […] the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis have dealt a succession of blows.
Still, some abandoned airports across the UK could reopen.
Manston Airport in Kent is being rebuilt as a cargo airport which could see passenger flights to destinations such as Cyprus and Spain.
And Plymouth Airport hopes to reopen after being closed for more than a decade.
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