Agenda item

Minutes of the meeting of the Doncaster Sheffield Airport Consultative Committee held on 19th October, 2017

The Transportation Advisory Board received a presentation from Mr. John Huddleston, the Communications and Corporate Affairs Manager of the Doncaster Sheffield Airport concerning the following issues affecting the Airport:-

: the Airport site is very large, being some 1,600 acres (compared to the 800 acres of the Liverpool Airport); the runway is three kilometres in length, capable of accommodating the largest of modern aircraft;

: 2017 was a record year, with 1.25 million passengers using the Airport (50% passenger growth over the last three years); the Airport is open every day of the year; 6.1 million people within an hour’s drive of the Airport and there are improved road links including the completion of the Great Yorkshire Way;

: the Airport site has significant capacity which could see it cater for in the region of 25 million passengers per year (similar to Manchester Airport passenger numbers); the capacity of the site is not limited to 25 million and could potentially be up to 40 million passengers with the appropriate infrastructure investment (comparable to the size of Gatwick Airport);

: during the last financial year, the Doncaster Sheffield Airport was fastest growing airport in the United Kingdom; there has been significant growth in cargo operations;

: named the best airport in the United Kingdom by the Which? magazine;

: there planned enhancements to the surface access to the Airport and also to the terminal buildings;  the Airport has a role to play in the stimulation of the local economy, being a key strategic asset for the Sheffield City Region;

: new tenants have been secured on the Aero Yorkshire site, within the Airport campus (Aero Centre Yorkshire is recognised by Central Government); there are links to the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley;

: recent flights added are to Antalya (Turkey), Belfast, Hurghada (Egypt) and to Naples;  longer distance destinations are able to be accessed via Amsterdam, Dublin or Paris;

: scope for further on-site development, eg: residential properties, a cinema and restaurants;  there is already an Ambulance base on site;

: new contract recently obtained for scheduled freight services;

: the current consideration of improved railway links to the Airport, via Doncaster and the East Coast main line;  also, local rail links from Leeds, Lincoln and Sheffield;

: Airport Masterplan to be published for consultation during March, 2018, showing the detailed growth plan to 2037 (as required by the Department for Transport).

Members asked various questions about the pattern of travel from the airport : long-haul destinations; the cost of air travel fares; the growth in the number of passengers using the airport (eg: from the Sheffield area); the links to the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley; competition amongst the various airlines; measures taken to minimise the impact of noise from aircraft; arrangements for animal welfare when travelling by air

Members also requested details of the consultation process about the Airport Masterplan.

Consideration was also given to the minutes of the meeting of the Doncaster Sheffield Airport Consultative Committee, held on 19th October, 2017. The contents of these minutes were noted.

Agreed:- That Mr. Huddleston be thanked for his informative presentation about the Doncaster Sheffield Airport.