Regional airport Doncaster Sheffield is set to close, with the loss of 800 jobs, despite a promise by Liz Truss to “protect” it.
Owners, The Peel Group,said a strategic review had drawn to a close without coming up with clear proposals on the site’s financial viability or finding a potential buyer and blamed the high costs of running the airport.
Peel said it had been offered public funds to cover its operating losses until the end of October 2023, keeping it open while a new owner is found.
Steven Underwood, Peel Group chief executive, said: “We will not accept any public sector grant to cover the costs of an airport that is not viable due to its lack of adequate forward revenues and high operating costs.”
South Yorkshire’s mayor Oliver Coppard said he is “devastated” by an “appalling” decision to close the Airport and has called on the owners to “do the right thing” and reconsider the move.
The Prime Minister told the Commons earlier this month that the Government would “protect this airport and this infrastructure”. Regional airports are vital to her economic growth plans, she said.
