Doncaster Sheffield Airport, a popular hub for Lincolnshire travellers, could be about to close permanently after WizzAir will cease operating from Robin Hood.
During a six-week review, the airport will operate as normal, but it is unclear how long this will be the case, or even how much longer Doncaster Sheffield will stay open as an airport at all.
Instead, WizzAir is reportedly bolstering its offerings at airports in the south of England.
This has left the airport with just one base carrier, TUI, operating from DSA, leaving it in a precarious financial position.
The airport is a key route for holiday goers across Greater Lincolnshire, offering flights across the globe since it opened commercially in 2005 – but that could all be about to end.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s owners, the Peel Group, has said that despite a growth in passenger numbers in recent times, the airport is on the brink of collapse.
The obvious factor is the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel industry as a whole, as well as the recent news that flight company Wizz Air would be leaving the airport after claims DSA failed to guarantee the terms of a commercial agreement.
On Wednesday, July 13, the Peel Group and Doncaster Sheffield Airport announced a consultation and engagement programme with stakeholders on what the future holds for the site.
It is hoped the review will help deliver “maximum economic and environmental benefit to the region”, concluding that “aviation activity may no longer be the use for the site.”
Robert Hough, Chairman of Peel Airports Group, which includes Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “It is a critical time for aviation globally.
“Despite pandemic related travel restrictions slowly drawing to a close, we are still facing ongoing obstacles and dynamic long-term threats to the future of the aviation industry.
“The actions by Wizz to sacrifice its base at Doncaster to shore up its business opportunities at other bases in the South of England are a significant blow for the Airport.
“Now is the right time to review how DSA can best create future growth opportunities for Doncaster and for South Yorkshire. The Peel Group remains committed to delivering economic growth, job opportunities and prosperity for Doncaster and the wider region.”
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