UK airport that closed 4 years ago takes a step towards reopening

The airport served several thousands of passengers before its closure in 2022 (Picture: Getty Images) This week marks the start of the consultation period for the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA). Over the next three months, residents, stakeholders, and business owners will have the opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and share their opinions on the proposed plans. Once a major aviation hub in South Yorkshire, flying passengers to 50 destinations in Europe, Doncaster Sheffield Airport was forced to close its doors four years ago. Its owners at the time, Peel Group, claimed that the airport was no longer financially viable to keep it open. However, that should hopefully soon change. The consultation follows several crucial developments earlier this year. The airport was an integral transport hub for locals in South Yorkshire (Picture: Getty Images) Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. In April, a large jet landed at Doncaster Sheffield Airport for the first time since its closure, marking the beginning of ambitious plans to bring the site back into operation. Staff celebrated the arrival, which is kept on constant standby as a response aircraft to oil spills around the world, calling it an ‘amazing moment’ for aviation and the for the community. Christian Foster, director of airport operator FlyDoncaster Ltd, was equally thrilled by the development, telling news outlets: ‘It’s quite a moment seeing a jet land at the airport for the first time in almost four years.’ And just a few weeks later, in the middle of May, more good news arrived. Doncaster Council officially approved a £57 million loan to help kickstart the project — a rather shocking turn of events given the fact that Labour and Reform UK councillors had been at odds over the matter for months. The consultation phase will run until October 4 (Picture: Getty Images) Reacting to the news, #SaveDSA campaigner Mark Chadwick told the Doncaster Free Press: ‘After years of uncertainty, today’s result provides long-awaited clarity and sends a strong message that elected representatives have listened to the voices of local residents, businesses, trade unions and 40k plus supporters across the region. ‘People have consistently made it clear: they want Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopened and delivering jobs, connectivity, and economic growth once again.’ Tourism expert Christian Petzold previously told Metro that the DSA project is an important step towards international connections for South Yorkshire. Manchester Airport is one of the busiest airports outside of London (Picture: Getty Images) He shared: ‘Currently it remains the largest city-region in Europe without access to a functioning airport. ‘When reopened, the airport will significantly reduce the reliance of passengers and businesses on airports like Manchester, Leeds Bradford and East Midlands.’ Travel times would be reduced from over 90 minutes down to approximately 30-40 minutes, he added. Airport bosses have described the consultation phase as ‘crucial’, emphasising that they want to hear from as many people as possible. As well as delivering leaflets to nearby households, the airport also plan on hosting webinars and in-person events. ‘Abandoned’ £864,000,000 airport in Spain set to reopen after 14 years In other news, a Spanish airport that was once put on sale for £1 has now reopened after being shut for 14 years. Known as the country’s ‘ghost airport’, Ciudad Real International Airport (CRIA), located around 150 miles south of Madrid, will officially resume operations later this year, with its abandoned 28,000 sq ft terminal welcoming passengers for the first time in over a decade. In a statement, new managing director Rafael Gómez Arribas confirmed Ciudad Real will operate private flights mainly from Europe and the US and specialist aviation, rather than commercial journeys. So although most holidaymakers likely won’t get a chance to see it for themselves, those travelling via charter planes may now be redirected to the hub. This could help ease pressure for other Spanish airports, which are already dealing with millions of commercial travellers a year. 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