Doncaster Sheffield Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doncaster Sheffield Airport Robin Hood Airport
IATA: DSA ICAO: EGCN
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Peel Group
Operator	Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited
Serves	South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire
Location	Finningley, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Opened	28 April 2005 (2005-04-28)
Closed	30 November 2022 (2022-11-30)
Passenger services ceased	4 November 2022 (2022-11-04)
Elevation AMSL	56 ft / 17 m
Coordinates	53°28′31″N 01°00′15″W / 53.47528°N 1.00417°W / 53.47528; -1.00417
Website	None
Map
DSA Location in South Yorkshire
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 02/20 2,893 9,491 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Passengers 1,407,862 Passenger change (18–19) 15.2% Aircraft Movements 23,043 Movements change (18–19) 21.7%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Doncaster Sheffield Airport (codes: DSA, EGCN) was an international airport in Finningley, near Doncaster, England. It was also known as Robin Hood Airport. The airport operated from 2005 to 2022. It was about 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Doncaster and 19 miles (31 km) east of Sheffield.

The airport opened for passengers in 2005. It was run by Peel Airports, part of the Peel Group. The airport had a special licence from the CAA. This licence allowed it to offer flights for public travel and flying lessons. In 2018, about 1.22 million passengers used the airport. In 2022, the owners said the airport was not making enough money. All flights stopped after November 4, 2022.

History of Doncaster Sheffield Airport

How the Airport Started: RAF Finningley (1915–1995)

The airport site first opened as Finningley Airfield in 1915.

During the First World War, it was a base for the Royal Flying Corps. Their job was to stop German Zeppelins from attacking cities in Northern England. In the Second World War, the airfield was mostly used for training RAF Bomber Command crews. Only a few combat missions took off from here. During the Cold War, it was an important base for Vulcan bombers carrying nuclear weapons. It became a training base in the 1970s and 1980s. The military stopped using it by 1995.

Becoming Robin Hood Airport (2005–2016)

After Sheffield City Airport closed, the former RAF Finningley base reopened as Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (DSA) in April 2005. There was a need for a new airport because more people wanted low-cost flights. The name "Robin Hood Airport" was a bit controversial. About 11,000 people signed a petition against it.

The first commercial flight from the airport went to Palma de Mallorca. It took off on April 28, 2005. The airport hoped to serve a million passengers in 2006. In its first year, it had 899,000 passengers. This made it the 23rd busiest airport in the UK. By August 2007, 2.28 million passengers had used it.

Long-distance flights to North America started in summer 2007. These included flights to Hamilton, Ontario (for Toronto) and Orlando. In 2007, over one million passengers used the airport. However, this number dropped to about 700,000 by 2012. It then increased again to 1.255 million in 2016.

In April 2010, EasyJet started flights from Doncaster to places like Amsterdam and Barcelona. They expected to carry 300,000 passengers. But these flights stopped on January 4, 2011.

The Peel Group, who owned the airport, looked for other investors. In 2010, Vantage Airport Group agreed to buy a 65% share in Peel's airports. But passenger numbers went down. So, Peel bought back their shares in Robin Hood Airport in 2012. This meant Peel fully owned Robin Hood Airport again.

In September 2016, Doncaster Sheffield Airport became the official air travel provider for Sheffield United F.C.. This included advertising at their stadium and some free flights for fans.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport (2016–2022)

In December 2016, the airport changed its name to Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The "Robin Hood" part was used less often. In September 2017, Sheffield Arena was even renamed Fly DSA Arena.

In October 2019, Flybe closed its base at the airport. However, Wizz Air started basing two aircraft there in 2020.

Why the Airport Closed

In June 2022, Wizz Air announced it would stop most of its flights from Doncaster/Sheffield. They said the airport could not keep its part of their business agreement. This left TUI Airways as the only regular airline using the airport.

In July 2022, the airport's leaders said that running flights there "may no longer be profitable". They started a six-week discussion about the airport's future. Peel L&P, the owners, said the airport had "never reached the size needed to make a profit". Many local people were upset about the idea of closure. An online petition was started, worrying about job losses in the area.

In late August 2022, the discussion period was made longer until September 16. The final decision was announced on September 26. It was decided that the airport would start closing down from October 31, 2022. It had been open for 17 years. TUI, the last airline based there, had its final flights on November 4, 2022.

Wizz Air moved its routes from Doncaster/Sheffield to Leeds Bradford Airport. Their last scheduled flight from Doncaster/Sheffield left on October 29, 2022. Incoming flights continued until November 4, 2022.

What Happened After Closure

Doncaster Council, the local government, tried to legally challenge the closure. But their request was turned down. After this, the Mayor of Doncaster said the council was trying to buy the airport. They wanted to make it publicly owned.

Many people want the airport to reopen. An online petition has over 100,000 signatures. A trade union petition also gathered many signatures. There is a growing Facebook group supporting the reopening. Several local Members of Parliament (MPs) also support it.

As the airport closed, air traffic control services stopped on December 3, 2022. The UK Civil Aviation Authority also started changing the airspace around the airport. It went from controlled to uncontrolled. This was because fewer large planes would be flying there.

As of March 2023, Peel said there had been no offers to buy the airport for months. The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority had offered to help Peel cover losses for two years. This was so a buyer could be found. But this offer was rejected. An offer from Doncaster City Council to buy the airport was also turned down.

On April 2, 2023, there were rumours that the airport might reopen. But no official statement came from the airport or Peel. The Council has thought about leasing the airport and reopening it.

On April 12, 2023, Doncaster Council's cabinet supported asking for £3.1 million. This money would help with legal costs if they needed to buy the airport by force. This would only happen if other options, like a sale or lease, did not work out. There has also been an offer for the council to lease the site from Peel. Discussions about this are still happening.

The council also plans to put in place rules to protect the airport's buildings. This would mean that planning permission is needed before any buildings at the airport can be knocked down.

The plan to reopen the airport is called South Yorkshire Airport City. It aims to reopen the airport. It also wants to create a group of businesses and commercial activities around it. These would support the airport's functions.

Airport Facilities

Runway and Terminal Building

Apron view, showing planes parked near the terminal.

The airport had one runway, called 02/20. It was 2,895 meters long and 60 meters wide. This made it longer and wider than runways at many other airports in Northern England. This is because it used to be a base for long-range nuclear bombers (RAF Finningley). The runway was so long that it was chosen as an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle.

The passenger terminal had 24 check-in desks. It also had six departure gates and three baggage carousels.

Hotel and Car Parks

A Ramada Encore hotel opened at the airport on November 10, 2008. It had 102 rooms and was less than a ten-minute walk from the terminal.

The airport had four on-site car parks: Short Stay, Long Stay, Premium Parking, and Meet & Greet. All car parks were run by the airport. They were all within walking distance of the terminal building.

Airport Business Park

A new business park was being built across from the terminal. It would connect to the airport's access road. In March 2014, this 10-hectare site became part of the Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone.

Hangar Buildings

Hangar No. 3 was used by 2Excel Aviation for aircraft design, production, and maintenance. The defence company BAE Systems used to have its Aircraft Maintenance Academy in Hangar No. 3. Other companies also operated in the hangars. These included Bespoke Training Systems Limited and Anglo European Express.

Flight Training

The airport was home to Yorkshire Aero Club. They taught people to fly fixed-wing aircraft. Hummingbird Helicopters taught people to fly helicopters. Both offered introductory flying lessons. They also provided training for the Private Pilot's Licence.

Commercial Flights

As of November 5, 2022, there are no more regular commercial passenger flights to or from Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The last scheduled flight left on October 29, 2022. Incoming planes continued until November 4, 2022. The airport mainly offered flights to holiday spots around the Mediterranean Sea. It also had flights to cities in Central and Southeastern Europe. TUI Airways and Wizz Air were the main airlines.

Airport Statistics

Passenger Numbers

Doncaster Sheffield Airport
passenger totals 2005–2019 (millions)

Airport Activity at Doncaster Sheffield

Year	Passengers	Passenger % change	Cargo (tonnes)	Cargo % change	Aircraft movements	Aircraft % change
2005	600,907		31		6,914
2006	900,067	49.8	167	438.7	10,642	53.9
2007	1,078,374	19.8	1,602	859.3	12,667	19.0
2008	968,481	10.2	1,350	15.7	13,066	3.1
2009	835,768	13.7	344	74.5	10,854	16.9
2010	876,153	4.8	216	37.2	11,030	1.6
2011	822,877	6.1	102	52.8	11,876	7.7
2012	693,661	15.7	276	170.6	11,724	1.3
2013	690,351	0.5	354	28.3	11,197	4.5
2014	724,885	5.0	858	142.4	11,697	4.5
2015	857,109	18.2	3,201	273.1	11,998	2.6
2016	1,255,907	46.5	9,341	191.8	16,098	34.2
2017	1,335,590	6.3	8,656	7.3	17,435	8.3
2018	1,222,347	8.4	7,107	17.8	18,930	8.5
2019	1,407,862	15.2	17,647	148.3	23,043	21.7

Busiest Flight Routes (2019)

Top 20 Busiest Routes from Doncaster Sheffield Airport (2019)

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% change 2018/19
1	Bucharest	96,612	52.0
2	Katowice	82,279	1.1
3	Gdańsk	80,842	10.1
4	Alicante	68,583	9.7
5	Warsaw	67,711	1.5
6	Vilnius	58,793	43.3
7	Palma de Malloca	55,197	4.4
8	Poznań	54,514	7.9
9	Tenerife–South	51,309	0.6
10	Amsterdam	48,840	16.2
11	Riga	43,937	3.6
12	Málaga	42,299	12.5
13	Budapest	42,116	592.6
14	Cluj Napoca	41,165	14.3
15	Lanzarote	39,993	1.5
16	Kraków	39,345	n/a
17	Wroclaw	35,194	1.4
18	Debrecen	33,605	2187.6
19	Dublin	29,779	11.5
20	Paphos	24,528	9.4

The Vulcan XH558 Bomber

In 2011, a special group called the Vulcan to the Sky Trust moved the Avro Vulcan XH558 bomber to the airport. This was the last Vulcan bomber that could still fly. The Trust had restored it in 2007. One reason for moving it to a public airport was so more people could see it up close. This was not possible when it was at military bases. The airport was XH558's home until its last flight on October 28, 2015.

After XH558 stopped flying, the Trust planned to keep it at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. They wanted to create a new learning and history center there. The first step was to set up the Vulcan Aviation Academy & Heritage Centre. The plan was to have a building for students aged 14–18. The Vulcan would be in a nearby heritage center. It would be kept in good condition to do regular fast taxi runs.

However, on August 15, 2022, the Trust announced they would have to leave the airport. They had not raised enough money. Also, even before the airport announced its own closure, the Trust was told their lease would not be renewed after June 2023. At the time, they had not decided where XH558 would go next. They were looking into the idea of the aircraft flying one last time. But this was too expensive. So, XH558 will likely be taken apart and moved by road.

Getting To and From the Airport

By Road

The airport is close to the M18 motorway. A new road, called the Great Yorkshire Way, connects the M18 to the airport. It opened in stages, fully connecting in 2018. This road is a continuation of the A6182 road from Doncaster town center. The A1(M) and the M180 motorways are also nearby.

Taxis are available right outside the terminal building. Little Arrow Taxis is the airport's official taxi partner.

By Bus

There are regular First South Yorkshire bus services. These buses directly link the airport with Frenchgate Interchange in Doncaster town center.

The 57a and 57c bus services connect the airport with Doncaster town center. They stop at several local areas along the way.

By Train

Doncaster railway station is about 7 miles (11 km) from the airport. It is on the East Coast Main Line and next to the Frenchgate Interchange.

The airport is also next to the Doncaster to Lincoln railway line. Plans for a station at Finningley were approved in 2008. This new station would replace one that closed in 1961. However, a 2012 report said more trains would be needed on the line to make the station useful. There have also been ideas to connect the airport to the East Coast Main Line with a special train link.

Airport in the News

During its first few years, the airport was often in the news. Many articles talked about it being the UK's newest international airport. It became part of discussions about air travel and environmental issues. On January 24, 2007, the airport was featured in a BBC Two show called Should I Really Give Up Flying?.

• The airport was also used as a filming location for TV shows. These included ITV's Emmerdale and BBC One dramas like Hustle.
• It was a filming location for the movie Four Lions.
• The airport was one of the places where the BBC comedy Come Fly with Me was filmed. Actors Matt Lucas and David Walliams spent two weeks filming there.
• The airport (when it was RAF Finningley) appeared in the 1984 BBC film Threads. In the film, it was destroyed by a nuclear bomb.

Why the Name "Robin Hood"?

A statue of the airport's former namesake, Robin Hood

Until December 2016, the airport was called Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield. The name "Robin Hood" was chosen for a few reasons:

• The airport area has historical ties to Nottinghamshire. Finningley was part of Nottinghamshire until 1974.
• Some stories about Robin Hood are set in Sherwood Forest.
• The forests of Sherwood and Barnsdale met in this part of Yorkshire.
• The name was meant to get a lot of attention for the airport. It also created a marketing chance.

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto de Doncaster-Sheffield para niños