A POPULAR airport in the UK that was forced to close last year could be able to reopen following plans for the site to be bought out.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport was forced to close due to an “insufficient lack of current or prospective revenue streams”.
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However, there are plans to buy the site from the Peel Airports Group in a bid to reopen it.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard confirmed that Doncaster Council would be looking at buying the airport, according to local media.
It follows an inquiry into the closure, in the hopes to avoid similar closures again in the future.
He said: “Doncaster Council are pursuing a Compulsory Purchase of the Doncaster Sheffield Airport site, and talks continue with investors keen to reopen our airport.
“The closure of DSA happened despite objections from our local authorities, businesses, our MPs and me.”
He added: “That’s why I’ve asked [former High Sheriff of South Yorkshire] Martin McKervey to lead an independent inquiry into the future of Strategic Infrastructure in South Yorkshire and beyond.
“It will offer recommendations on how we can make sure the loss of assets like our airport can’t happen again.”
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said it was the 26th biggest airport in the UK, recording 4,609 flights in 2019.
It was also voted the best UK 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 pulled out, leaving just TUI flights in operation and eventually leading to its closure in 2022.
David Bryon, ex-director of BMI Baby, warned more regional airports could face similar struggles.
He said: “What I think was most alarming is, we saw an airport [Doncaster Sheffield] actually shut down with similar levels to Cardiff.
“Doncaster was carrying similar pre-pandemic passenger levels of 1.5 million.”
He warned unless airports can get above 2-4million passengers per year, it will be difficult for airports to “break even, let alone make money”.
The Telegraph’s Nick Trend also warned: “[Domestic airports] seem to be much less resilient to economic shocks than their giant rivals […] the pandemic, and the ongoing cost of living crisis have served up a succession of blows.”
Yet some abandoned airports across the UK could be able to reopen.
Manston Airport in Kent is being rebuilt as a cargo airport, which could lead to passenger flights to destinations including Cyprus and Spain.
And Plymouth Airport hopes to reopen after being closed for more than a decade.
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