A DEAL which will result in the county’s only airport reopening after being closed for almost two years has been welcomed by a Barnsley MP.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed in 2022 after its owner, Peel Group, decided it was no longer financially viable.
Since then, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and leaders of the four councils in the region approved a funding package to support the reopening of the airport.
Stephanie Peacock, who represents the Barnsley East constituency, welcomed the news that Doncaster Sheffield Airport will reopen.
She said: “It’s fantastic news that Doncaster Council have agreed a lease with Peel for the former Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
“This is an important first step towards the reopening of our regional airport.
“Well done to Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, and South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, for all their work.
“I know this will be good news for people across the region.”
Mr Coppard said the economic case for reopening was ‘compelling’.
“This is part of our plan for growth across our whole region, delivering long-term benefits for the whole of South Yorkshire, with a thriving regional airport at its heart,” he added.
“Getting to this point has not been easy - I’ve always said reopening our airport would take time and huge amounts of hard work.
“No ambitious plan is without risks, but alongside the other leaders in South Yorkshire, I believe the economic case is compelling.
“That cannot mean a blank cheque or a bad deal, so we are rightly following a process that is underpinned by robust governance.
“We’ve seen in other parts of the country what can go wrong if we don’t put transparency, accountability and the interests of taxpayers at the forefront of our thinking.
“There remain steps ahead on this journey, the next one being bringing in a private operator with the capability and experience to turn DSA into the thriving regional airport we know it can be.
“I am keen to see the council now secure that private sector operator to run the airport as swiftly as possible.”
