The UK government has confirmed its support for a 30 million GBP investment by the South Yorkshire Mayor to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) using devolved regional funding.
The funding aims to help create a sustainable aviation hub, supporting economic development, job creation, and private investment in the region.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has remained closed since 2022 after the previous owners ceased operations, despite local support for its retention.
The government’s approval for its reopening aligns with wider efforts to support regional economic growth under its Plan for Change. Local estimates suggest that reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport could help create around 5,000 jobs and add up to 5 billion GBP to the regional economy by 2050, alongside 2 billion GBP in wider benefits.
Mayor for South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard said:This significant funding package, alongside the cross-departmental government working group we have now set up, is a vital signal of our shared commitment to our airport, to growth, to creating good jobs in our communities, and to the future of Doncaster and South Yorkshire.
Since day one, we have been fighting for our airport, so we can create good jobs in the industries of the future and play our part in developing the sustainable aviation technologies of tomorrow. To now have the support of a government who don’t just understand that opportunity but truly want to help us realise it, couldn’t be more important.
The Mayor’s funding decision, backed by central government, represents a key example of devolution in practice, allowing regional leaders to direct funding towards projects of local significance.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:If we are to really grow our economy and put money into the pockets of working people, regional growth needs to be hardwired into the decisions that we make.
Previous governments stood by as Doncaster Sheffield Airport was closed by its owner despite the overwhelming support for it to stay open. It now sits idle despite the potential to drive jobs and growth across the north. I am delighted to work with City of Doncaster Council and the Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard to support their efforts to recreate South Yorkshire Airport City as a thriving regional airport.
A new working group, involving the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), Doncaster Council, the Department for Transport, HM Treasury, and other government departments, has been set up to coordinate reopening efforts. Its first meeting took place on 9 April.
