- South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is close to acquiring Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
- The board will vote on the proposals on 27 October 2026.
- The purchase covers more than 1,000 acres including the Innovation Quarter.
- Public investment required has risen to an estimated £193m (€221m).
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is close to acquiring Doncaster Sheffield Airport and adjacent land potentially bringing the site into public ownership. The proposals will go before the authority’s board on 27 October 2026 subject to approval from City of Doncaster Council and current owner Peel. Passenger services could return in spring 2028 with freight operations planned from autumn 2027.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will purchase the freehold for the airport and the adjacent Innovation Quarter employment land totalling more than 1,000 acres. The City of Doncaster Council will hold the operational lease. The overall public investment required to fully revive the airport project has risen to an estimated £193m (€221m).
The broader vision for the site spearheaded by South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones includes transforming the area into an Airport City to attract aerospace manufacturing, green aviation innovation and thousands of regional jobs. The airport has been closed since late 2022 after its private owners Peel Land declared it commercially unviable.
