DSA reopening will not ‘run out of money’, despite one of three funding conditions being met
It comes after councillors were told in a June 2026 private briefing that the project could “run out of money” in September 2026, if £160million of funding was not released.
The project to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport will not run out of money this month, City of Doncaster Council sources have said.
It comes after councillors were told in a June 2026 private briefing that the project could “run out of money” in September 2026, if £160million of funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) was not released.
The funding was approved in September 2025, subject to a series of conditions. However, only one of three conditions have been met, a year after they were agreed.
According to agenda papers for a SYMCA Board meeting on September 15, 2026, the renegotiation of the lease between the City of Doncaster Council and the landowners, the Peel Group, is yet to be completed and are “still live”.
A separate condition relating to the appointment of an “experienced Project Management Officer” by Fly Doncaster Ltd, also remains outstanding.
The document reads: “Release of additional funding for the project remains dependent upon the conditions precedent agreed by the Board in September 2025 being satisfied.”
A condition relating to the “earmarking of retained business rates from the Gateway East Investment Zone Opportunity Site has been agreed”, the report says.
A spokesperson for Doncaster Council said: “The report notes the good progress made to date on the project and the work that is ongoing, including negotiations with the landowner, which continue to progress positively.”
In the last year, the SYMCA said multiple appointments have been made to the leadership team of Fly Doncaster Ltd, the Doncaster Council-owned company which will operate the reopened airport.
The authority also highlighted there had been “good progress” on the airspace change process currently being progressed with the Civil Aviation Authority.