South Yorkshire Mayor to purchase Doncaster Sheffield Airport from Peel in shock move – The Star
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is close to agreeing to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport from the Peel Group, according to sources cited in the article. The reported purchase would shift the plan to reopen the airport after a year of talks focused on renegotiating its lease, and would put the site in local public ownership.
Most of the deal is said to have been agreed, but its price and funding arrangements have not been disclosed. The authority has held back £160 million for reopening the airport since September 2025, pending conditions including changes to the lease. Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed in 2022 after Peel judged it commercially unviable; the authority and Doncaster Council say negotiations are continuing.
- South Yorkshire’s authority is close to buying the airport from Peel.
- A £160 million reopening fund is subject to conditions.
- The airport closed in 2022 after being deemed commercially unviable.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Public ownership could give the mayor and local councils greater control over the airport’s future and let them pursue reopening for its potential benefits to jobs, connectivity and regional growth, even if those returns are not immediately commercially attractive. With £160 million already set aside and lease talks unresolved, buying the site might also offer a clearer route to securing the changes needed to reopen it.
The case against
Buying the airport would expose public funds to substantial costs and financial risks, particularly since the price and funding arrangements have not been disclosed and the previous owner judged it commercially unviable. Critics could argue that public money should not be committed before there is convincing evidence of sustainable demand and a credible plan for operating the airport, especially when it could be used for other local priorities.