avia.wikisort.org - Aerodrome

Doncaster Sheffield Airport (IATA: DSA, ICAO: EGCN), formerly named and commonly referred to as Robin Hood Airport, is an international airport in Finningley, near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. The airport lies 6 mi (10 km) south-east of the centre of Doncaster and 19 mi (31 km) east of Sheffield.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport
IATA: DSA ICAO: EGCN
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	The Peel Group
Operator	Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited
Serves	South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire
Location	Finningley, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Opened	28 April 2005 (17 years ago) (2005-04-28)
Focus city for	TUI Airways
Elevation AMSL	56 ft / 17 m
Coordinates	53°28′31″N 01°00′15″W
Website	www.flydsa.co.uk
Map
DSA Location in South Yorkshire
Runways
Direction 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[1] Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

The airport opened to passengers in 2005. It was initially operated by Peel Airports, a division of The Peel Group.[3] Doncaster Sheffield Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. Handling 1.22 million passengers in 2018, the airport is one of two commercial international airports in Yorkshire, along with Leeds Bradford Airport.[2]

The closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport was announced in September 2022 after extensive reviews citing a lack of profitability.[4]

History

1915–1995: RAF Finningley

The airport owes its origins to military aviation, having been founded as Finningley Airfield in 1915.

During the First World War, it was used as a base by the Royal Flying Corps as they intercepted German Zeppelins targeting the industrial cities of the North. In the Second World War the airfield was used primarily for training purposes,[5] serving as a finishing school for new crews of the larger aircraft in Bomber Command; only a few combat missions took off from Finningley. The Cold War saw the airfield's importance rise when it was used for nuclear-armed Vulcan bombers. Training once again became the priority in the 1970s and 1980s before the airport was decommissioned in 1995.[6]

2005–2016: Robin Hood Airport

Following the ending of scheduled services from Sheffield City Airport, the former RAF Finningley was reopened as Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (DSA) in April 2005, after low-cost flights and rising passenger demand made a new commercial airport feasible.[7] The name of the airport was controversial with 11,000 people signing a petition to oppose it.[8]

The airport's first commercial flight flew to Palma de Mallorca in Majorca, departing at 0915 on 28 April 2005.[9][10] The airport was projected to serve at least a million passengers during 2006. The actual figure for its first year was 899,000, making the airport the 23rd largest in the UK. By August 2007, the new airport had handled 2.28 million passengers. ^{[citation needed]}

Long haul flights to North America began in summer 2007, with Flyglobespan operating to Hamilton, Ontario (for Toronto), and Thomsonfly to Orlando, Cancún and Puerto Plata. All these routes have since been discontinued. In 2007, over one million passengers used the airport, however, this had decreased to around 700,000 by 2012, before increasing again to 1.255 million in 2016.[2]

In December 2009, EasyJet announced that from April 2010 it would operate flights from Doncaster to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Faro, Palma de Mallorca and Prague. These flights were expected to carry 300,000 passengers in the first year of operation.[11] However, EasyJet withdrew all flights from the airport with effect from 4 January 2011.

By 2010, the Peel Group was attempting to secure outside investment for Peel Airports. In June 2010, it was announced that Vantage Airport Group (formerly Vancouver Airport Services) had agreed to buy a 65% stake in Peel Airports, with Peel Group retaining the remaining 35%.[12] However, following a significant decline in passenger numbers,[13] Peel Airports sold Durham Tees Valley Airport back to Peel Group in February 2012.[3] In the second half of 2012, monthly passenger numbers at Robin Hood fell significantly[14] and in December 2012 it was announced that Robin Hood would also be sold back to Peel Group.[15]^{[failed verification]} As a result, by January 2013 only Liverpool John Lennon Airport was still owned by Peel Airports, with Vantage Airport Group owning 65% of this company.[16] At Durham Tees Valley Airport and Robin Hood Airport, Vantage's involvement had ended. Robin Hood Airport was once again wholly owned by the Peel Group,[17] while at Durham Tees Valley Airport, Peel were majority shareholders, with local councils retaining a minority stake. In 2014, Peel took back full ownership of Liverpool John Lennon, bringing all of Peel's airports back into group ownership, with Liverpool retaining its own management structure separate to Doncaster and Durham.

In September 2016, the airport signed a deal with Sheffield United Football Club. This resulted in Doncaster Sheffield Airport being the club's official air travel provider. To promote the partnership, a large advertisement has been displayed across one of the stands at Bramall Lane Stadium. As a method of increasing passenger numbers at the airport, the football club has also been giving away free flights to their fans. Since the new airport link road (Great Yorkshire Way) opened, which connects Parrots Corner to the M18's junction 3, Sheffield is only 30 minutes away by road which supports the partnership between the airport and the football club further.[18]

2016–2022: Doncaster Sheffield Airport

In December 2016, the airport received an entirely new corporate design, including a change of name from Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, with the Robin Hood title being downgraded to a less prominent graphic appendix.^{[citation needed]} In September 2017, the airport entered a sponsorship deal with Sheffield Arena, giving it the new name of Fly DSA Arena.[19]

In April 2019, Flybe announced it would be closing its base at DSA, and remove all crew and aircraft from 26 October 2019.[20]

In August 2020, Wizz Air UK announced it would be opening its second UK base at the airport, basing one aircraft and opening seven new routes to add to its existing network of ten routes.[21] In September 2020, Wizz Air UK further announced another six routes along with basing a second aircraft, increasing the size of the network to 25 routes.[22]

Closure announcement

In July 2022 the airport's board said aviation activity at the site "may no longer be commercially viable" and that there would be a six-week consultation into the airport's future.[23][24] Peel L&P stated the airport had "never achieved the critical mass required to become profitable".[25] The closure proposal drew strong local reaction, with an on-line petition established by local interest group Yorkshire Plane Spotters citing concerns over the loss of local employment opportunities, to the overall detriment of the region.[26]

In late August 2022, the consultation period was extended until 16 September, with the result of the consultation announced on 26 September.[27][28][4] On 26 September, it was announced the airport would start winding down activity from 31 October 2022, after 17 years of operation.  TUI Airways is expected to operate its final inbound flight on 4 November 2022.[4]

Facilities

Runway and terminal building

The airport has a single runway designated 02/20, with dimensions of 2,895 by 60 m (9,498 by 197 ft), making it longer and wider than those at many other airports in Northern England. This stems from the airport's history as a former long-range nuclear bomber base (RAF Finningley). The runway is long enough that the airport was designated a Space Shuttle emergency landing site.

The passenger terminal has 24 check-in desks, six departure gates and three baggage carousels.

Airport hotel and car parks

A Ramada Encore chain hotel opened on 10 November 2008, with a 102-bed capacity.[29] It is situated less than ten minutes walk from the Terminal building.

There are four on-site car parks at the airport: Short Stay, Long Stay, Premium Parking and Meet & Greet. All car parks are operated and managed by the airport and are all within walking distance of the terminal building.[30]

Airport business park

Work is also progressing on a new business park across from the terminal, which will link to the access road into the airport. In March 2014 the 10-hectare (25-acre) site for the park became part of Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone.[31]

Hangar buildings

No. 3 Hangar is presently occupied by 2Excel Aviation providing Design, production and Maintenance services. Defence company BAE Systems formerly operated its Aircraft Maintenance Academy from No. 3 Hangar at the airport, before moving to Humberside Airport. Other companies that operate within the hangars include Bespoke Training Systems Limited, a Cessna Citation service centre,[32] and Anglo European Express (Doncaster) Ltd (onsite regulated agents for air freight and cargo operations).

Flight training

The airport is home to Yorkshire Aero Club[33] and Aeros Flight Training[34] who provide training for fixed wing aircraft and Hummingbird Helicopters[35] who provide training for rotary wing aircraft. Yorkshire Aero Club and Hummingbird Helicopters provide introductory flying lessons and training towards the Private Pilot's Licence for aeroplanes and helicopters respectively, while Aeros Flight Training provides training for the privates pilots license, commercial pilots license and ATPL theory exams.

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Doncaster Sheffield:[36]

Airlines	Destinations
TUI Airways[37]	Alicante (ends 1 November 2022), Gran Canaria (ends 29 October 2022), Hurghada (ends 25 October 2022), Lanzarote (ends 3 November 2022), Málaga (ends 30 October 2022), Tenerife–South (ends 4 November 2022) Seasonal: Antalya (ends 31 October 2022), Cancún (ends 31 October 2022),[38] Corfu (ends 28 October 2022), Dalaman (ends 31 October 2022), Dubrovnik (ends 27 October 2022), Enfidha (ends 31 October 2022), Faro (ends 30 October 2022), Ibiza (ends 31 October 2022), Kos (ends 26 October 2022), Melbourne/Orlando (ends 30 October 2022), Menorca (ends 29 October 2022), Palma de Mallorca (ends 1 November 2022), Paphos (ends 2 November 2022), Reus (ends 29 October 2022), Rhodes (ends 25 October 2022), Zakynthos (ends 28 October 2022)
Wizz Air[39]	Bucharest (ends 29 October 2022), Cluj-Napoca (ends 28 October 2022), Gdańsk (ends 28 October 2022), Katowice (ends 29 October 2022), Kraków (ends 28 October 2022), Vilnius (ends 28 October 2022), Warsaw–Chopin (ends 28 October 2022), Wrocław (ends 29 October 2022)

Statistics

Traffic statistics

Traffic statistics at Doncaster Sheffield[2]

Year	Passengers handled	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 routes

20 busiest routes to and from Doncaster Sheffield Airport (2019)[40]

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

Vulcan XH558

In 2011, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust relocated Avro Vulcan XH558 to the airport, arriving from its former temporary winter base, RAF Lyneham, on 29 March. It was the last airworthy example of the Vulcan bomber fleet, restored to flight by the Trust in 2007. One of the reasons for the move to a commercial airport was to improve access for the public to see XH558 up close, something not possible while based at operational RAF bases. The move was deliberately not announced in advance, both to keep costs down at the not yet complete new base, and to not overshadow ongoing repatriation flights of Britain's war casualties to Lyneham from Afghanistan.[41] The airport remained XH558's home base until its final flight, a display over the airport, on 28 October 2015.[42]

With XH558 now permanently grounded, the Trust intended to remain at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and make the Vulcan the focus of a new educational and heritage facility, the first stage being to establish the Vulcan Aviation Academy & Heritage Centre. Before 2022, the plan was to feature an academy building for 14-18 year olds, with the Vulcan housed in an adjacent heritage centre, where it would be maintained so as to be able to perform regular fast taxi runs, the frequency of which would be funding dependent.[43][44]

However, on 15 August 2022, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust announced that it would be forced to leave the airport. Its fundraising efforts had proven unsuccessful, and even prior to the announcement concerning the airport's own future, the Trust had been informed its lease at the site would not be renewed beyond June 2023. At the time of the announcement, the decision regarding XH558's new home, and the means of its journey there, hadn't been finalised, but the trust was exploring the potential option of the aircraft flying for one last time when it finally leaves the airport.[45][46]

Ground transport

Road

The airport is located close to the M18 motorway; a road link from Junction 3 of the M18 to Parrot's Corner (junction of the A638 and the B6463) was opened on 29 February 2016[47] before being extended to the airport on 15 June 2018.[48] Part of the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme, the road is called the Great Yorkshire Way, and is a continuation of the A6182 road from Doncaster town centre. In addition the M18 has been widened to three lanes northbound from junction 2 (for the A1(M)) to Junction 3. Also nearby are the A1(M) and the M180.

Taxis are available directly outside the terminal building. These are operated by the airports official partner Little Arrow Taxis.

Bus

There are regular First South Yorkshire bus services directly linking the airport with Frenchgate Interchange.

The 57a and 57c bus services link the airport with Doncaster town centre calling at a number of local areas along the journey before arriving at Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange.[49]

Rail

Doncaster railway station, located on the East Coast Main Line, is 7 mi (11 km) from the airport and is adjacent to the Frenchgate Interchange.

In addition, the airport lies alongside the Doncaster to Lincoln railway line, and plans for a station at Finningley to replace the station that closed in 1961 were granted planning permission in 2008. However, a 2012 report by Network Rail stated that more trains on the line would be required to make the station viable.[50] There have also been plans to connect the airport to the East Coast Main Line with a dedicated rail link.[51]

Accidents and incidents

• On 15 August 2014, a Links Air flight from Belfast City Airport, operated by G-GAVA, crashed on landing at the airport following a landing gear failure which caused substantial damage to the aircraft. One passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries. The airport was closed for several hours.[52][53]

In media

During its first few years of operation, the airport has featured in the media; in particular, numerous articles on its status as the UK's newest international airport have seen it become part of the debate on air tourism and environmental issues. On 24 January 2007, the airport featured in the BBC Two documentary Should I Really Give Up Flying?, with Doncaster actor Brian Blessed fronting local opinions on the issue.

• The airport has also been a filming location for popular television series such as ITV's Emmerdale,[54] BBC One drama Hustle,[55] and In the Club.
• The airport was a filming location for Film4 Productions film Four Lions.[56]
• The airport was one of the settings for the BBC mockumentary Come Fly with Me. Matt Lucas and David Walliams spent two weeks at the airport filming.[57]^{[failed verification]} The programme aired from Christmas 2010 through January 2011.
• The airport (or at that time RAF Finningley) had several appearances in the 1984 BBC nuclear war docudrama Threads, where it was destroyed by a Soviet nuclear warhead.^{[citation needed]}

Name

Until December 2016, the airport was branded Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield. The "Robin Hood" name was chosen for these reasons:^{[citation needed]}

• The airport has a historical connection to Nottinghamshire (as the parish of Finningley was, until 1974 and the Local Government Act 1972, administered as part of Nottinghamshire) and still resides in the boundary of the Diocese of Nottingham.[58]
• Some later Robin Hood legends, and the popular 20th-century books, films and TV programmes, are set in Sherwood Forest.[59]
• The forests of Sherwood and Barnsdale merged in this area of Yorkshire.[60]
• The name would provide an identity which would raise a lot of attention (if a little controversy) for the airport and create a marketing opportunity.[61]

References

Bibliography

• Delve, Ken (2006). The Military Airfields of Britain - Northern England : Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire. Marlborough: Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-809-2.

External links

Media related to Doncaster Sheffield Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website

На других языках

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[de] Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield

Der Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield ist der Flughafen der Städte Doncaster und Sheffield, er wird für internationale und nationale Verkehrsdienste genutzt. Er besitzt eine Start- und Landebahn. Betrieben wird er von der britischen Peel Group.

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- [en] Doncaster Sheffield Airport

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[es] Aeropuerto de Doncaster-Sheffield

El Aeropuerto de Doncaster-Sheffield (IATA: DSA, OACI: EGCN), anteriormente llamado Aeropuerto Robin Hood Doncaster-Sheffield, es un aeropuerto internacional situado en la antigua estación de la RAF Finningley, en el Municipio metropolitano de Doncaster en Yorkshire del Sur, Inglaterra. El aeropuerto está situado a 3 millas (5 km) al suroeste del centro de Doncaster y a 19 mi (31 km) al este de Sheffield. Con un flujo de pasajeros de 1,40 millones en 2019, este aeropuerto es el más pequeños de los dos aeropuertos comerciales que hay en Yorkshire.

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[fr] Aéroport de Doncaster-Sheffield Robin Hood

L'aéroport de Doncaster-Sheffield Robin Hood (code IATA : DSA • code OACI : EGCN) est un aéroport international situé à l'ancienne station de la Royal Air Force au Finningley (en), dans la région métropolitaine de Doncaster dans le Yorkshire du Sud, en Angleterre. L'aéroport se trouve à 5,6 km au sud-est de Doncaster et à 29 km au nord-est de Sheffield. Avec 724 252 passagers en 2014, l'aéroport Robin Hood est le deuxième plus grand aéroport du Yorkshire, derrière l'aéroport de Leeds Bradford.

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[it] Aeroporto di Doncaster-Sheffield

L'Aeroporto di Doncaster/Sheffield o Aeroporto di Doncaster/Sheffield-Robin Hood (IATA: DSA, ICAO: EGCN) è un aeroporto britannico situato nella cittadina di Finningley, nella contea del South Yorkshire, che serve le città di Doncaster e Sheffield.

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[ru] Донкастер-Шеффилд

Аэропорт Донкастер-Шеффилд (англ. Doncaster Sheffield Airport) (ИАТА: DSA, ИКАО: EGCN), ранее — Аэропорт Донкастер-Шеффилд имени Робин Гуда (англ. Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield), — международный аэропорт, расположенный на месте авиабазы RAF Finningley в Финнингли, Саут-Йоркшир, Англия. Аэропорт находится в 10 км к юго-востоку от Донкастера и в 31 км к востоку от Шеффилда. Аэропорт в основном обслуживает жителей графств Саут-Йоркшир и Уэст-Йоркшир.

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