O/T Airport closure

[KerrAvon]

Local Authorities can make compulsory purchase orders if certain criteria are met, the primary one being that the order is made in the public interest.

If the council can find a vast some of money - probably borrowed - to purchase an airport that the private sector has not been able to turn a profit, and make the argument that doing so was in the public interest whilst facing off potential legal challenges then yes,, they could do it

I could win the national lottery, but it's very unlikely and I'm not counting on it.

[Brin]

Public interest being the loss of 800+ jobs within the airport and who knows how many subsidiary losses of employment that serve the airport.
Moreover, the loss of customer foot flow and serving the immediate area.

There is the opportunity to attempt to make a profit. Talk of Peel charging over inflated landing fees/ use of facilities to airlines is now starting to leak out. Maybe this was the way Peel wanted it to go in order to sell at a vast profit?

On the back of all this and ironically, just before Peel announced the impending sale, the Government announced it had backed a brand new multi million pound project to run a line direct from Doncaster train station to the airport in order to support and encourage the airports survival, by lessening travel time for those wishing to use the rail network instead of the road network.

[KerrAvon]

Public interest being the loss of 800+ jobs within the airport and who knows how many subsidiary losses of employment that serve the airport.
Moreover, the loss of customer foot flow and serving the immediate area.

There is the opportunity to attempt to make a profit. Talk of Peel charging over inflated landing fees/ use of facilities to airlines is now starting to leak out. Maybe this was the way Peel wanted it to go in order to sell at a vast profit?

On the back of all this and ironically, just before Peel announced the impending sale, the Government announced it had backed a brand new multi million pound project to run a line direct from Doncaster train station to the airport in order to support and encourage the airports survival, by lessening travel time for those wishing to use the rail network instead of the road network.

The public interest extends beyond the people who rely upon the airport for work. It is the wider Doncaster Council Tax payer who might find themselves wearing a financial albatross around their necks, particularly as discretionary spending is squeezed over the coming years.

As for landing charges, the question you have to ask is whether Peel had to charge them to try to turn a profit from the meagre traffic that the airport attracted. It's a chicken and egg thing, but I very much doubt that Peel were trying to sabotage their own investment.

And Brexit.

[Brin]

The public interest extends beyond the people who rely upon the airport for work. It is the wider Doncaster Council Tax payer who might find themselves wearing a financial albatross around their necks, particularly as discretionary spending is squeezed over the coming years.

As for landing charges, the question you have to ask is whether Peel had to charge them to try to turn a profit from the meagre traffic that the airport attracted. It's a chicken and egg thing, but I very much doubt that Peel were trying to sabotage their own investment.

And Brexit.

Why not sabotage everything? Drive prices up, force wizzair out leaving only TUI. Not enough income to justify keeping it open, end result, sell to a raft on people who just can’t wait to buy the land.

They won’t be the first or last to do this albeit they have a record for this.

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

Here’s a bit of cut and paste that I found interesting

“Jet2 plc is pleased to announce that to meet the future anticipated growth of its Leisure Travel business and to refresh its existing aircraft fleet, the Company has entered into an agreement with Airbus to purchase 35 new firm ordered Airbus A320 neo aircraft with the ability for this to extend to up to 71 aircraft.

The firm ordered aircraft deliveries stretch over three years until 2031 and at base price represent a total value of approximately $3.9 billion, with a total transaction value for up to 71 aircraft of approximately $8.0 billion, though the Company has negotiated significant discounts from the base price.

This order, which is in addition to the A321 neo aircraft orders announced in 2021, means Jet2 now has a total of 98 firm ordered aircraft, which could eventually extend to up to 146 aircraft”


Well some of those new aircraft will replace their ageing Boeing fleet, others as they say will be an expansion of their business.

But where will they expand to?

Their current “ home base” of Leeds Bradford is pretty much up to capacity and the site itself has expansion issues following recent nimby objections.

So will Jet2 put some of their fleet in Robin Hood?

Added benefit of being a poke in the eye for their rival TUI

A lot of ifs and maybe’s but you never know

Jet2 flying from Doncaster was mentioned at one time. Moving some slots from Leeds / Bradford & East Midlands to Doncaster could have made sense.Leeds a bad airport to land for pilots in bad weather when high winds etc. Leeds a bad airport to reach for motorists, where Doncaster has a better road system. We will have to wait & see what happens.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Seems unlikely that a cash strapped council would spend money on legalities.

If they do go through with it then it would be a way of blocking houses and warehouses on the site.

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

Has we know Wizzair now based at Leeds-Bradford Airport.

Been announced -
Tee-side International Airport takes over the cargo capacity from Doncaster-Sheffield Airport.
DSA handled 10,000 tonnes of freight per year, Tee-side hope to double this in a couple of years.

[avondalemiller]

Has we know Wizzair now based at Leeds-Bradford Airport.

Been announced -
Tee-side International Airport takes over the cargo capacity from Doncaster-Sheffield Airport.
DSA handled 10,000 tonnes of freight per year, Tee-side hope to double this in a couple of years.

Hasn't Teeside recently be upgraded and re-opened?

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Hasn't Teeside recently be upgraded and re-opened?

Yes sort of. Had a refurbishment and was bought into public ownership in 2019. It used to be another Peel Holdings site

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

I see FlyBe has now gone bust