Doncaster Sheffield Airport Reopening: What Travellers Need to Know in 2026

Quick answer: Doncaster Sheffield Airport remains closed to passengers as of August 2026. The City of Doncaster Council holds a 125-year lease, and its operating company, FlyDoncaster Ltd, is working through the airspace approval process required before flights return. No firm passenger reopening date exists yet, and officials now point to late 2027 or 2028 rather than 2026.

About this article: written and fact-checked by Remitly’s UK travel content team, drawing on primary sources including the City of Doncaster Council, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority and UK aviation press coverage published between February 2025 and August 2026. Last reviewed: August 2026.

What is the current status of Doncaster Sheffield Airport?

At Remitly, we know plenty of people across South Yorkshire keep half an eye on this story, whether you’re weighing up flights for a family holiday or simply curious about what’s happening down the road. Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has been closed to commercial passengers since November 2022, and that hasn’t changed. What has moved is the process behind reopening it: the City of Doncaster Council now holds a 125-year lease on the site, its arms-length operating company, FlyDoncaster Ltd, is leading preparations, and South Yorkshire’s regional authority has committed long-term funding towards getting the airport flying again.

In September 2025, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) approved a long-term funding package worth £159.52 million for the airport, with Mayor Oliver Coppard describing the region as “cleared for take-off”. That funding is conditional on the Council successfully renegotiating the airport’s lease terms with landowner Peel Group, and a report to SYMCA in July 2026 warned the money could be at risk if it isn’t formally released by the authority’s board meeting in September 2026.

Doncaster Airport also needs a new controlled airspace agreement from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) before any flights can operate. That process reached its third of seven stages in July 2026, when the CAA approved a public consultation on the proposed changes. The consultation opened on 3 August 2026 and runs until 4 October 2026, with in-person sessions held in Doncaster, Bawtry, Worksop, Finningley and Thorne. The CAA is expected to reach a binding decision on the airspace change in spring 2027.

Passenger forecasts submitted to the CAA have also been scaled back. An August 2025 estimate put annual passenger numbers at 2.5 million after ten years of operation; a revised technical submission in March 2026 cut that to 1.1 million a year by 2037, which sits below the roughly 1.9 million a year that SYMCA had previously described as the threshold for the project to pay for itself. Project officials have said they remain confident in the business case, and the airport already has planning permission for close to 57,000 flight movements a year, well above either forecast.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopening: key milestones and what happens next

Here’s how the reopening has progressed so far, and what still has to happen before Doncaster Sheffield Airport can welcome passengers again.

Steps to reopening:

1. Formally release the £159.52 million SYMCA funding package, which is contingent on renegotiating the airport lease with Peel Group.
2. Complete the CAA’s airspace change process, including the current public consultation and a final decision expected in spring 2027.
3. Finish recommissioning the terminal and airfield, including air traffic control, where FlyDoncaster Ltd has said more than 20 staff are recruited and training.
4. Agree commercial terms with airlines, since no carrier or route has been confirmed for the reopened airport yet.
5. Begin freight operations, targeted for 2027, ahead of any passenger flights.

Who is behind the reopening?

Several organisations are driving the project, and it helps to know who’s responsible for what.

• City of Doncaster Council owns the airport site and holds the 125-year lease agreed with landowner Peel Group.
• FlyDoncaster Ltd, the Council’s arms-length operating company led by director Christian Foster, manages day-to-day preparations, including the airspace consultation.
• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), chaired by Mayor Oliver Coppard, approved the £159.52 million funding package in September 2025 and continues to oversee its release.
• Doncaster Chamber of Commerce and local campaign groups have pushed publicly for reopening since the 2022 closure, though they don’t control funding or regulatory decisions.
• Munich Airport International (MAI) was named in 2025 as a strategic advisory partner supporting operational planning, though day-to-day management sits with FlyDoncaster Ltd as the council-owned operator.

Expected airlines and destinations at Doncaster Airport

No airline has confirmed routes or a start date for flights from Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and FlyDoncaster Ltd hasn’t announced a timetable for ticket sales. Anything you see online about specific flights before an official announcement is worth treating as speculation rather than fact.

Before the 2022 closure, the airport’s network was built around leisure travel, with routes to Spain, the Canary Islands, destinations in Eastern Europe and the Turkish coast, alongside a period of freight and charter services. Ryanair was among the airlines that had previously operated from the airport, though its return hasn’t been confirmed. If you’re booking ahead for one of those regions once routes resume, it’s worth checking whether a fast-track passport service could help you renew your travel documents in good time, since processing periods can vary.

In the meantime, South Yorkshire travellers heading to those same destinations typically use Leeds Bradford Airport, around 45 minutes away by road, or East Midlands Airport, a broadly similar driving distance to the south. Both currently offer a wider choice of live routes than Doncaster Sheffield Airport can while it remains closed. If you do hire a car once you land, it helps to check which side of the road you’ll be driving on before you set off, particularly across parts of Eastern Europe and the Canary Islands.

Getting to Doncaster Sheffield Airport: transport, parking and access

Even while the airport is closed, its transport links are worth knowing about, whether you’re planning ahead for when it reopens or simply passing through the area.

• Road: The airport sits close to Junction 3 of the M18, with direct access to the M1, A1(M) and M62. Once flights resume, driving times are likely to run to around 15 minutes from Doncaster, 30–35 minutes from Sheffield and roughly 45 minutes from Leeds, depending on traffic.
• Bus: Specific bus routes and operators serving the airport haven’t been announced yet, since services were withdrawn after the 2022 closure. FlyDoncaster Ltd hasn’t published a public transport plan at this stage.
• Rail: Doncaster railway station, on the East Coast Main Line, offers fast connections to London and Edinburgh, and sits a short taxi or bus ride from the airport site.
• Parking: Parking arrangements, including pricing in pounds sterling, haven’t been confirmed while the airport is closed. It’s worth checking directly with FlyDoncaster Ltd once a reopening date is confirmed.
• Accessibility: No accessibility provisions have been published yet, since terminal recommissioning hasn’t started. Once a reopening date is confirmed, details are expected to follow the CAA’s standard accessibility requirements for UK airports.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport: history and why it matters to South Yorkshire

Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s story goes back further than most people realise. The site began as a Royal Flying Corps airfield during the First World War, then operated as RAF Finningley from 1936 until 1995. It opened to civilian passengers in 2005 as Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, later renamed Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Peel Group, the airport’s former owner, closed the facility in November 2022, citing financial losses. The closure meant thousands of South Yorkshire residents lost a direct flight option on their doorstep, with many rerouting via Leeds Bradford Airport, East Midlands Airport or Manchester Airport instead. For a region that includes some of the biggest cities in the UK, including Sheffield and Doncaster itself, losing a local airport changed how a lot of people travelled, for both holidays and business.

An outline business case submitted by the Council in 2025 estimated the reopened airport could support more than 5,000 direct jobs by 2050, alongside a wider economic contribution the Council and SYMCA have valued in the billions of pounds over the same period. Those figures are projections tied to full build-out rather than a guarantee, and they depend on the funding and regulatory steps described above actually going ahead.

The airport’s busiest year on record was 2019, when it handled around 1.4 million passengers, so there’s a genuine base of past demand to plan around rather than starting from nothing. In April 2026, 2Excel Aviation, a firm that has long operated from the site, brought a Boeing 727 in for a test landing at the airport’s invitation. Simon Hinchley, the airport’s executive director of airport operations, said the flight showed the airport’s core infrastructure remains robust, compliant, and capable of safely supporting jet operations — a small but concrete sign that recommissioning work is under way, even with passenger flights still some way off.

Frequently asked questions about Doncaster Airport

Is Doncaster Sheffield Airport open?

No. Doncaster Sheffield Airport has been closed to commercial passengers since November 2022. The City of Doncaster Council now holds a 125-year lease on the site, and its operator, FlyDoncaster Ltd, is working through the funding and airspace approvals needed before any flights can return.

When will Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopen?

No confirmed passenger reopening date exists yet. Officials had previously targeted 2026, but South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has since pointed to late 2027 or 2028 instead, once funding is released and the Civil Aviation Authority completes its airspace approval process.

Why did Doncaster Sheffield Airport close?

Its previous owner, Peel Group, closed the airport in November 2022 after deciding continued commercial flights weren’t financially viable. The City of Doncaster Council later stepped in, securing a 125-year lease to bring the site back under local control.

Which airlines will fly from Doncaster Sheffield Airport?

No airline has confirmed routes or a launch date. Before its 2022 closure, the airport’s network focused on Spain, the Canary Islands, Eastern Europe and the Turkish coast, and Ryanair previously operated there, though none of this is confirmed for its reopening.

How can I get to Doncaster Sheffield Airport without flying from it?

You can reach the site by road near Junction 3 of the M18, or by rail via Doncaster station on the East Coast Main Line. Public bus routes to the airport haven’t been reinstated since the 2022 closure.

What are the closest alternative airports while Doncaster Sheffield Airport is closed?

Leeds Bradford Airport and East Midlands Airport are the nearest active options for South Yorkshire travellers, both roughly 30–45 minutes away by road. Manchester Airport, though further, offers a wider range of long-haul routes in the meantime.

What is the Doncaster Sheffield Airport City regeneration project?

Airport City is the wider redevelopment plan for the site, covering aviation, logistics and advanced manufacturing alongside any reopened terminal. Local authorities have linked it to long-term job creation across South Yorkshire, though detailed plans depend on the airport itself reopening first.

Key takeaways

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport remains closed to passengers as of August 2026, more than three years after its November 2022 closure by Peel Group.
• The City of Doncaster Council holds a 125-year lease, and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority approved a £159.52 million funding package for reopening in September 2025.
• A public consultation on the airport’s airspace change, required before any flights can operate, runs from 3 August to 4 October 2026, with a binding CAA decision expected in spring 2027.
• No airline or route has been confirmed, though officials now point to freight operations in 2027 and passenger flights in late 2027 or 2028 rather than the earlier 2026 target.
• South Yorkshire travellers currently rely on Leeds Bradford Airport, East Midlands Airport and Manchester Airport, all roughly 30–45 minutes away by road, until Doncaster Sheffield Airport resumes flights.

For the latest confirmed updates, it’s worth checking the City of Doncaster Council’s official airport pages or FlyDoncaster Ltd directly, since the timeline has already shifted more than once and is likely to keep evolving as the airspace consultation and funding decisions play out over the rest of 2026.

If you’re mapping out other travel plans while you wait for news, our guides to visiting Yakutsk and what to expect from Istanbul’s weather might be useful if somewhere further afield is on your list too.

Last reviewed: September 2026