Cost of reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport rises to £193m
A report by the council shows that as well as rising in cost by around £50m, the airport is projected to make a loss for the first nine years of operation, up from a previous estimate of five.
The report, prepared for City of Doncaster Council, comes a month after South Yorkshire leaders and Mayor Oliver Coppard approved almost £160m in public funding for the project.
The council papers warn that a 20% increase in operating costs within the first three years could force the airport to close.
Fly Doncaster, the company set up to run the site, is expected to post £81.1m in losses between 2026 and 2034, before generating £230.2m in profit by 2049.
Reopening the airport is projected to support 5,000 jobs, deliver £5bn to the regional economy, and generate wider benefits of £2bn by 2050.
To bridge initial costs, councillors will be asked to approve a £57m loan, as the £160m allocated funding will be released in annual instalments and will not cover all start-up costs.
Mayor Ros Jones described the project as “vital for the future prosperity” of Doncaster and South Yorkshire, while SYMCA emphasised the economic opportunity and the need to safeguard taxpayers’ money.
Doncaster Chamber of Commerce said the reopening should be assessed on its wider regional impact rather than the airport’s immediate financial performance.
I’m a former pilot and very pro aviation but I just can’t see how DSA will ever be viable. There’s only so much business to go around poaching business from EMA/LBA at a lower price point may bring in some business but actually making a profit is highly unlikely.
By TeeJ
There is nothing but negative reports about the airport from the outset. There are groups of people who just don’t want it to reopen. Hands up if you want a housing estate building on the site !!! Not me.
By Anonymous
Can’t wait to not have to travel from Doncaster to Manchester for my flights soon, thank you Mayor Ros
By Doris
Better this than Heathrow.
By Anonymous