New Vision Plan for Doncaster Sheffield Aiport
Wednesday 21 December 2016
Our Christmas message comes to you hot on the back on the news that Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) as part of its new Vision plan to be published in full next year has put forward a proposal for how the airport and wider 1600 acre site, known as Aero Centre Yorkshire, can deliver a quicker, more affordable and sustainable solution for the North to meet future UK aviation capacity demand for passengers and cargo, complementing investment in South East airports.
The central proposal is a realignment of the East Coast Mainline (ECML) into the airport along with the creation of a new station. The current line is less than a mile away from the airport boundary. The delivery of this initiative will bring the airport within 1 ½ hours rail travel time of London Kings Cross station and in many places quicker than travelling from London to Heathrow or Gatwick.
DSA is one of few regional airport sites in the UK which offers unconstrained physical and airspace capacity with the existing runway able to accommodate a throughput of 25 million passengers per annum. The proposal would also support boosting international trade, deliver economic growth and improved connectivity to the Northern Powerhouse area.
The airport is seeking recognition of the scheme’s potential as part of the ongoing national debate on aviation capacity.
Steve Gill, chief executive, Doncaster Sheffield Airport said
“The proposal is a symbol of the North’s ambition and determination to deliver economic growth. In order to unlock this potential we are calling for the support of policy makers and government to make this idea a reality. This particular project will deliver growth not only in the Northern Powerhouse but up and down the country.”
This would be great news for the Sheffield City Region and we all look forward to hearing more from the Vision Plan in the New Year.
We’ve held a number of events this year that have brought people together to discuss topics including skills and education in logistics. Here we heard from Mike Hughes, CEO of Verdion, who has developed an inland port in Doncaster. He told the group why he chose to locate in the Sheffield City Region: “This region had the availability, it had the infrastructure and importantly it had the ambition.”
