Update from Vulcan to the Sky Trust – February 2024

This month, the City of Doncaster Council (CDC) made an important step forward in their “number one priority”; to reopen the airport.

On 9 February, Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones reported that, “Over the last few months considerable progress has been made on our plan to save and reopen our airport.

“Lease negotiations continue to progress positively with the airport landowners. I am confident that we are able to agree a deal, but we are not over the line yet. I do hope to be able to share some good news soon.

“Doncaster Council have entered the next stage of the procurement process, which is progressing as planned, with the aim of appointing an operator in the Spring.

“A number of condition surveys of the site have been completed I am pleased to say that the site is in very good condition considering it has been closed for over a year. Estimated costs to reinstate airport operations have been included within the Outline Businesses Case (OBC).

“Last week I updated our Doncaster MPs on the current progress, and I am pleased to report that they are fully behind our efforts to reopen our airport.

“Next week sees the next stage of our plan to save and reopen our airport, as our OBC will be decided at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) Board.

“I will continue to provide updates when I can, we are at a critical point, and we must ensure commercial confidentiality.”

On 13 February, the SYMCA Board voted unanimously to approve progression of the plans to a full business case, which would see the release of £138m of funds towards the reopening of the airport.

We continue to remain hopeful that a resolution will be reached that sees the airport reopen to the public and XH558 remain as a key attraction in Doncaster. As the situation at the airport (ex RAF Finningley) develops, we will continue to keep you updated with the news and what that means for Vulcan XH558.