No credible offer for Doncaster-Sheffield Airport – owner

Doncaster-Sheffield Airport owner the Peel Group said on Wednesday it had not received a credible offer for the airport, despite reports of an interested consortium.

The airport remains under threat of closure with the loss of 800 jobs, with a further 1,800 jobs in its supply chain at risk.

The group announced in September that the airport was no longer financially viable following Wizz Air UK’s announcement in that it would transfer its flights to Leeds-Bradford Airport. Wizz Air’s final flights from Doncaster-Sheffield Airport (DSA) left on October 30, with the operator’s first flights from Leeds-Bradford Airport departing earlier this week.

The last scheduled flight from DSA is due to fly tomorrow, November 4.

A spokesperson for the Peel Group said, “In response to the speculation regarding the existence of a credible bidder for Doncaster Sheffield Airport, we can confirm that we are currently not in possession of what could be considered a credible offer. We have not been provided with the identity of the members of the proposed consortium. We also have no evidence as to the source or credibility of the interested party’s funding. Our initial due diligence has raised some concerns regarding the identity of the bidder consortium’s representatives which we have raised directly with Doncaster Council. We are continuing to engage with all interested parties that we have been introduced to by Doncaster Council.”

Doncaster Council last week launched a legal challenge to prevent Peel Group removing assets from the airport, which Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones called a “significant asset” for Doncaster and the wider region.