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| Government backs Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopening | |
| (12 days later) | |
| Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Doncaster Sheffield should become a "thriving regional airport" | Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Doncaster Sheffield should become a "thriving regional airport" |
| The government will support the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said. | The government will support the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said. |
| In a major speech on economic growth, Reeves said the government would work with City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard to "recreate South Yorkshire Airport City as a thriving regional airport". | In a major speech on economic growth, Reeves said the government would work with City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard to "recreate South Yorkshire Airport City as a thriving regional airport". |
| The Airport City plan includes reopening the airport, building hundreds of homes and creating a "world-leading sustainable aviation hub", Coppard said. | The Airport City plan includes reopening the airport, building hundreds of homes and creating a "world-leading sustainable aviation hub", Coppard said. |
| A decision from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority on the council's plan to use £100m of public money on the reopening is expected by summer. | A decision from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority on the council's plan to use £100m of public money on the reopening is expected by summer. |
| Eight hundred jobs were lost in November 2022 when DSA closed after Peel, the owner of the airport and the land, deemed it was not financially viable. | Eight hundred jobs were lost in November 2022 when DSA closed after Peel, the owner of the airport and the land, deemed it was not financially viable. |
| Reeves said: "It now sits idle despite the potential to drive jobs and growth across the North." | Reeves said: "It now sits idle despite the potential to drive jobs and growth across the North." |
| She recalled there was "overwhelming support" for it to stay open at the time. | She recalled there was "overwhelming support" for it to stay open at the time. |
| Coppard said the Airport City plan would "create good jobs in the industries of the future", make "best use" of public money and reduce carbon emissions from flying. | Coppard said the Airport City plan would "create good jobs in the industries of the future", make "best use" of public money and reduce carbon emissions from flying. |
| Eight hundred jobs were lost in November 2022 when Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed | Eight hundred jobs were lost in November 2022 when Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed |
| Vincent Hodder, chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport, said he opposed the use of public money to reopen the site. | Vincent Hodder, chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport, said he opposed the use of public money to reopen the site. |
| He said: "Whilst we don't oppose the airport we do oppose the use of government funds to pay airlines to operate that airport. | He said: "Whilst we don't oppose the airport we do oppose the use of government funds to pay airlines to operate that airport. |
| "Having operated airline operations out of there myself when I worked for Flybe, I know that under the previous ownership a lot of airlines were paid to operate out of there. | "Having operated airline operations out of there myself when I worked for Flybe, I know that under the previous ownership a lot of airlines were paid to operate out of there. |
| "Their losses were underwritten so the taxpayer ends up funding both the cost of the operation as well as the losses incurred by the airline. | "Their losses were underwritten so the taxpayer ends up funding both the cost of the operation as well as the losses incurred by the airline. |
| "To me that's unsustainable and it distorts competition in the market that should not be allowed and we will continue to fight on that particular point of subsidisation." | "To me that's unsustainable and it distorts competition in the market that should not be allowed and we will continue to fight on that particular point of subsidisation." |
| Environmental concerns | Environmental concerns |
| Climate experts voiced concerns about the environmental impact of reopening the airport and said it could not be justified during a climate crisis. | Climate experts voiced concerns about the environmental impact of reopening the airport and said it could not be justified during a climate crisis. |
| Richard Sulley, senior research fellow at the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, said: "The authorities are stressing this [airport city] will be about building sustainable aviation, but the technologies don't exist yet, so there will be a period where aviation fuel is being burned." | Richard Sulley, senior research fellow at the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, said: "The authorities are stressing this [airport city] will be about building sustainable aviation, but the technologies don't exist yet, so there will be a period where aviation fuel is being burned." |
| Reeves also announced the government supported the expansion of Heathrow with a third runway. | Reeves also announced the government supported the expansion of Heathrow with a third runway. |
| Christine Gilligan Kubo, Green Party councillor for Hillsborough on Sheffield City Council, said airport expansion "cannot be part of any serious plans to address climate change". | Christine Gilligan Kubo, Green Party councillor for Hillsborough on Sheffield City Council, said airport expansion "cannot be part of any serious plans to address climate change". |
| "Reopening DSA with all its additional flights will only make achieving our carbon targets more difficult," she said. | "Reopening DSA with all its additional flights will only make achieving our carbon targets more difficult," she said. |
| "We see every day the impact of rising carbon emissions on our local and global environment. | "We see every day the impact of rising carbon emissions on our local and global environment. |
| "We know if these emissions aren't addressed it will only get worse." | "We know if these emissions aren't addressed it will only get worse." |
| Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson said opening the airport would be "good for climate change" as it would prioritise "sustainable aviation". | Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson said opening the airport would be "good for climate change" as it would prioritise "sustainable aviation". |
| "What we need to do [is] make flying more green, and we're not going to do that if we don't invest in those industries and that's what Doncaster Airport will be there to do," she said. | "What we need to do [is] make flying more green, and we're not going to do that if we don't invest in those industries and that's what Doncaster Airport will be there to do," she said. |
| "I think this is really a statement from Doncaster that we are ambitious, we are ambitious for our future, we back ourselves, we back our industry we back our ability to make this work." | "I think this is really a statement from Doncaster that we are ambitious, we are ambitious for our future, we back ourselves, we back our industry we back our ability to make this work." |
| Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, reiterated on Wednesday that passenger flights could return in spring 2026. | Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, reiterated on Wednesday that passenger flights could return in spring 2026. |
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