Doncaster-Sheffield Airport is set to reopen to passengers in 2028 after a £193million revamp, with ambitious plans for new routes to Croatia, Azerbaijan, India and Pakistan — as well as a terminal makeover featuring local Yorkshire and South Yorkshire produce alongside the usual high street brands.
The airport closed in 2022 after being deemed "not financially viable," but work is now underway to bring it back to life. Christian Foster, Director of FlyDoncaster, the company managing the reopening explained what travellers can expect.
No airlines have yet been confirmed for the revamped hub, though Foster said commercial negotiations were well under way. Doncaster-Sheffield was previously home to TUI and Wizz Air.
Foster said the post-Covid shift towards city breaks had shaped the airport's ambitions. "It does feel like the world has changed post-Covid, whereas people were focused two weeks in Spain or Greece, nowadays we're seeing a lot of people keen to take city breaks," he said. "We'd love to fly to places like Croatia, and other destinations that are a bit more quirky like Azerbaijan."
The airport also has longer-term ambitions for emerging markets. "We're keen to look at emerging places to visit as well, like India," Foster said. "And Pakistan is one of our largest ethnic populations in the UK, so could we ensure greater connections there? But of course, we won't forget about the bucket and spade holidays either."
The runway stretches to 2,893 metres, placing it among the longest in Europe, which means the airport has the infrastructure to accommodate wide-body jets on long-haul services if demand develops.
In an interview with The Sun, Foster said considerable thought was going into the passenger experience between check-in and boarding gate. A key feature will be a dedicated space for local independent vendors, described as a "corridor for the local supply chain" alongside the national and international brands passengers typically expect.
"When people go through a terminal, they tend to look for Costa Coffee, Starbucks or World Duty Free," Foster said. "What we've created is a corridor for the local supply chain, whether that's actually fixed base or pop-up market stores is yet to be decided. But the idea is that individuals will get a sense of some of the great produce to show off the region, for example, rhubarb from Wakefield, then butterscotch from Doncaster."
One of the more significant physical changes will be to the security area, which Foster acknowledged had been poorly positioned, the lanes are being moved to a new location designed to speed up the journey from check-in to gate. New technology is being invested in throughout, bringing the airport in line with post-2022 developments including the scrapping of the 100ml liquids rule. The team is also committed to making the airport among the most accessible in the UK for passengers with disabilities.
The airport's convenient car park, situated directly outside the terminal, will be retained. However, Foster also flagged the possibility of new rail connections, pointing to the East Coast Mainline as a potentially transformative link.
"There's a railway that runs to the north of the site, but we're also keen to look at connections on the East Coast Mainline," he said. "It comes through Doncaster already and is in close proximity to the site, so for the airport, it would be a game-changer."
A five-star hotel is also taking shape nearby. Foster described the Bawtry Park Hotel in the village of Austerfield as a "Dubai-style" resort complete with a golf course and spa.
The reopening has been warmly received by residents who have had to make the journey to Manchester or Leeds Bradford since the closure. Around 130,000 people signed a petition to save the airport — an unusually strong show of public support.
Foster explained the appeal: "For locals, once they land, they can be in, out and home in 15-20 minutes, it's a complete game changer, isn't it?"
Rebuilding the workforce is among the most pressing tasks ahead — at its peak, the site supported roughly 2,700 jobs, and filling those roles again will be essential before the first flights depart.
