September Update from Vulcan to the Sky Trust

On 20 September 2023, the City of Doncaster Council (CDC) held an extraordinary Cabinet meeting to discuss the report that assesses whether Doncaster Sheffield Airport is a viable proposition. The outcome of the Cabinet meeting was that Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones, and her Cabinet gave their unanimous support to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

They also noted that they would be “Making arrangements to source an operator to run and develop the site. This process would take several months to complete and aims to be concluded by Spring 2024.”

In a statement on 12 September, CDC announced that “detailed assessments of the financial, business and investment calibre of what is now known as South Yorkshire Airport City – the programme which aims to reopen the airport – show that:

• The airport has the potential to be successfully reopened and could be profitable within five years of reopening
• It could attract up to two million passengers a year within a decade, which is considerably higher than the annual passenger numbers achieved prior to its closure
• It could bring almost 5,000 direct jobs as well as creating up to 11,500 jobs in the wider economy
• The net economic benefits of reopening the airport could be up to £1.5 billion within the first three decades of operating
• Reopening the airport offers the most favourable balance between economic cost and benefit and is the preferred option”

What does this mean for Vulcan XH558?

We have been in ongoing discussions with Peel L&P since March to explore opportunities to remain in Doncaster for the longer term, with the obvious benefit of keeping XH558 intact. A move to another location would mean that we need to sympathetically dismantle XH558, move her by road, and rebuild her at her new home.

Our discussions with Peel L&P were productive and our lease was extended so we could continue to explore our options. Alongside our conversations, CDC have been in deep negotiations with Peel on a potential lease.

The City of Doncaster Council are resolute in their charge to re-open the airport and we look forward to holding further conversations with them and with the new airport operator when they are in place. We are confident that our stay at Doncaster would be welcomed. In a recent post on Facebook Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones said “Work continues to secure the future of Doncaster Sheffield Airport and I would hope to see Vulcan XH558 remain in Doncaster for years to come if we are successful in our efforts to #saveDSA SAVE Doncaster Sheffield Airport.”

As promised, we will continue to keep you updated with information that we are able to share.