The Prime Minister, Chancellor and Transport Secretary have reacted to Oliver Coppard’s plans to buy the land on which Doncaster Sheffield Airport sits.
Published 20th Oct 2026, 13:49 BST
The Chancellor has backed South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard’s plan to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s land for an undisclosed fee.
This removes significant barriers to the airport reopening, although a timeline for commercial airlines could be delayed.
Mr Healey, the Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP, said: “This is concrete proof of the benefits of shifting power out of Whitehall and into the hands of the people who best know their local economies: our mayors and local leaders.”
“Local and regional jobs, innovation, opportunities and hope for communities and families across South Yorkshire, including in Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, will all flow from the hard work, determination and partnership which has delivered this outcome.”
“This is precisely the good growth in every postcode that the Government has made its central mission.
Speaking ahead of the formal announcement, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told The Yorkshire Post: “We've always been really supportive of getting Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopened and we have worked closely with Oliver Coppard, the mayor of South Yorkshire, with Ros Jones, the mayor of Doncaster and MPs like Sally Jameson.
"I think we do need to think creatively about ways in which we can get the airport reopened.
“I don't wanna get ahead of any live commercial negotiations, but this government does believe in a really thriving regional airport sector and we are aware of the benefits that a reopened Doncaster Sheffield Airport could bring for the region."
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman added: “This is a huge opportunity for Doncaster and Yorkshire.
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“The mayor and his team are leading the way to give the airport a fresh start and get planes flying again.
“That means the potential for thousands of good jobs, more money in people’s pockets and billions for the UK’s economy.”
Mr Coppard’s deal would replace the 125-year lease agreement that City of Doncaster Council had signed with Peel, which had secret clauses that would have cost the taxpayer at least £60m.
The South Yorkshire Mayor had agreed to release £160m of devolution funding towards the project - but only on the basis that a series of changes were made to the lease.
Following more than a year of negotiations with Peel on the lease, on Monday an alternative new plan was announced for the purchase of the site.
No figures for the cost of the potential purchase or how it will be structured have yet been made public, however SYMCA board papers revealed it may need to borrow additional money to fund the plan.
They said: “Overall, this report notes that whilst the significant inherent commercial risk in this project remains, the proposal to purchase the freeholds and bring the airport site and Gateway East development land into public control represents a significantly better means of delivering the project than the current lease arrangements.”
The documents also warned of a potential “multi-year delay” on passenger flights.