Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield Doncaster Sheffield Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited/Peel Airports | ||||||||||
| Serves | South Yorkshire | ||||||||||
| Location | Finningley | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 55 ft / 17 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 53°28′29″N 001°00′16″W / 53.47472°N 1.00444°W | ||||||||||
| Website | www.robinhoodairport.com | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2007) | |||||||||||
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Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (IATA: DSA, ICAO: EGCN) is an international airport located at the former RAF Finningley airbase in Finningley, South Yorkshire, England. The airport lies 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi)[1] southeast of Doncaster and 18 mi (29 km) east of Sheffield.
The airport is operated by Peel Holdings, which also own Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Durham Tees Valley Airport, City Airport Manchester and the former Sheffield City Airport (which closed in April 2008). Handling just under 1.1 million passengers annually, the airport is Yorkshire's second largest airport, after Leeds Bradford Airport.
History
The Robin Hood Airport, somewhat unsurprisingly, owes its origins to military aviation, having been founded as Finningley Air Field at the start of the 20th century.
During the First World War, it was used as a base by the Royal Flying Military Corps from which to intercept German Zeppelins attacking the industrial cities of the north. During the 1939-45 conflict, however, the airport was used primarily for training purposes, serving as a finishing school for new crews of the larger planes in Bomber Command, with only a few combat missions leaving from Doncaster.
The Cold War saw the airport's importance rise as it was used as a base for nuclear-armed Vulcan bombers, though training once again became the priority in the 70s and 80s before it was decommissioned in 1995.
The low-cost flights revolution gave the airport a new lease of life and, spotting high passenger demand within the region, it was reopened with a new name in April 2005.[3][4]
The airport's opening was marked by the first commercial flight, destined for Palma de Mallorca in Majorca, which departed at 0915 on 28 April 2005.[5] The airport expected to see at least one million passengers during 2006. Three months after opening the airport had handled 300,000 passengers, by December 2005 the figure had risen to 500,000 and within 60 weeks of opening the airport had cumulatively handled over 1 million passengers. The figure for calendar year 2006 was over 899,000, making the airport the 23rd largest in the UK. As of August 2007 the airport had handled 2.28 million passengers since opening.
Long haul flights to North America commenced in summer 2007, first by flyglobespan to Toronto, then followed by Thomsonfly to Orlando, Cancun (Mexico) and Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic). However, these routes have been discontinued.
Today
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P876) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
The majority of flights from the airport are operated by Thomsonfly, flights are also oprated daily by Wizz Air, Ryanair and Flybe. Weekly/fortnightly flights are oprated by Pegasus Airlines, Air Europa, BH Air and Onur Air.
The first scheduled long-haul flights from the airport began in summer 2007, in the form of a Flyglobespan service to Hamilton (Toronto), Canada, though this route has since been discontinued.
New routes for 2008 include a Flybe service to Jersey, to commence from 30 March 2008 following the announcement from Thomsonfly that they would discontinue the route on 29 March 2008 due to the incompatibility of the Jersey runway with their new fleet. Wizz Air also announced further expansion at the airport with a three-times weekly service to Warsaw beginning on 1 April 2008.
Statistics
In 2007 over 1 million passengers used the airport, an increase of nearly 14% on the 2006 total of 948,017. The latest statistics show that over 62,000 passengers used the airport in January 2008, a 5.7% increase compared with January 2007.[6]
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Facilities
The Airport currently has a single runway designated 02/20, with a length of 2,893 m (9,491 ft) and a width of 60 m (197 ft), making it longer and wider than those at many other airports in northern England. This stems from the airport's history as a former long-range nuclear bomber base (see RAF Finningley), and makes the airport suitable for wide-bodied, long-haul or cargo-carrying aircraft. There is significant room at the airport for further passenger and cargo capacity expansion in the future.
Part of the Airport site is being developed into a Business and Technology Park which could potentially be linked with the M18 motorway via a link road at Junction 3 [citation needed].
A Ramada Encore chain hotel opened on 10 November 2008, with a 102 bed capacity.[10] Work is also progressing on a new 62-acre (250,000 m2) business park across from the terminal, which will link to the access road into the airport.
Transportation
Road and motorway links
The Airport is located close to the M18 Motorway, but currently has no direct link road. A direct motorway road link from Junction 3 of the M18 to the airport is planned and is expected to open by 2010.[11] Also nearby are the A1(M) Motorway, M62 motorway and M1 motorway. There is also a connection from Junction 34 of the A1(M) motorway. The Airport has over 2,500 car parking spaces.[12]
Rail links
Doncaster station is 7 mi (11 km) from the airport and is served by Northern Rail, NXEC, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express, East Midlands Trains and Hull Trains. Doncaster is 1 hour 35 minutes from London Kings Cross or 20 minutes from Sheffield station (using direct services). Several direct bus services link Doncaster station with the Airport.
In addition, the airport lies alongside the Doncaster to Lincoln railway line, and plans for a station at Finningley to replace that closed in 1961 have been submitted for local planning permission. Doncaster Council are now considering this with a target opening date of 2011.[13]
Bus links
There are regular bus services linking the airport with Doncaster, Barnsley, Retford, Worksop and other surrounding areas.
Airlines and destinations
Scheduled services
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Flybe | Belfast-City, Jersey (Seasonal) |
| Ryanair | Alicante, Dubin, Girona |
| Thomson Airways | Alicante, Faro (Seasonal), Geneva (Seasonal), Ibiza (Seasonal), Malaga, Palma (Seasonal) |
| Wizz Air | Gdansk, Katowice, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw (Seasonal) |
Charter services
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Europa | Las Palmas (Seasonal) |
| BH Air | Bourgas (Seasonal) |
| Karthago Airlines | Monastir (Seasonal) |
| Onur Air | Bodrum, Dalaman (Seasonal) |
| Pegasus Airlines | Dalaman (Seasonal) |
| Thomas Cook Airlines | Dalaman |
| Thomson Airways | Alicante, Arrecife, Bodrum, Bourgas, Corfu, Dalaman, Faro,Geneva (Seasonal) Gran Canaria, Heraklion, Ibiza, Kos, Lanzarote, Larnaca, Las Palmas, Malaga, Menorca, Palma Mallorca, Paphos, Plovdiv (Seasonal), Reus, Rhodes, Salzburg, Sharm El Sheikh, Tenerife-South, Turin (Seasonal), Zante |
Business jets
There are a number of private business jets based at the airport. Owners include golfers Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke who share a jet and the owners of Meadowhall. Currently Sovereign Air are the sole business jet on-demand operator based at the airport.
Cargo flights
The airport currently handles occasional one off ad hoc freight flights, using aircraft such as the A300, DC10, MD11, Boeing 747 and Antonov 124.
There is space and infrastructure in place from RAF Finningley for further development of cargo services, however as of 2008 the airport does not have a dedicated freight forwarder on site.
Flight training
The Airport is home to Sheffield City Flying School and Alpha Helicopters which both moved to Doncaster Sheffield Airport following the closure of the runway at Sheffield City Airport (now Sheffield City Airport & Heliport). Various training courses are available that enable students to study and attain Private Pilots Licence and National Pilots Licence from this location!
The airport in the media
During its first few years of operation, Robin Hood Airport has featured in the media, in particular numerous articles on its status as the UK's newest international airport have seen it become part of the debate into air tourism and environmental issues. On 24 January 2007, the airport featured in the BBC Two documentary Should I Really Give Up Flying?, with Doncaster celebrity Brian Blessed fronting local opinions on the issue.
Robin Hood Airport has also been a filming location for popular television series' such as ITV's Emmerdale.[14]
Robin Hood Airport is also the joint sponsor, along with Thomsonfly, for ITV News Regional Weather in South Yorkshire.
The airport name
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The name is now often simply referred to on travel websites and on other literature as Doncaster/Sheffield Airport or Doncaster Airport, even though the official name is Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield.
The Airport was named 'Robin Hood' based on the following local information:-
- The original Robin Hood legends are set in Barnsdale Forest, the area of South Yorkshire which surrounded Doncaster and Pontefract.
- This legend is reinforced by the fact that the village pub in nearby Hatfield Woodhouse has always been known as the Robin Hood and Little John
- The Airport has a historical reference to Nottinghamshire (as the parish of Finningley was, until 1974 and the Local Government Act 1972, administered as part of Nottinghamshire) and still resides in the boundary of the Diocese of Nottingham.[15]
- The Runway extension (completed in 1957) to accommodate Vulcan bombers, extended the airfield into the county of Nottinghamshire.
- Some later Robin Hood legends - and the popular 20th century books, fims and TV programmes are set in Sherwood Forest.[16]
- The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is closer to what is left of Sherwood Forest than the City of Nottingham is.[17]
- The forests of Sherwood and Barnsdale merged in this area of Yorkshire.[18]
- The name would provide an identity which would raise a lot of attention (if a little controversy) for the Airport and create a marketing opportunity.[19]
- The Airport name has caused media controversy as Robin Hood has not during the 20th century been regularly associated with Doncaster; despite the Barnsdale legends, and the references to Robin Hood in pubnames such as the aforementioned Robin Hood and Little John. Many citizens of Nottingham feel that Robin Hood should be the icon of their City alone (despite the fact that it was the Sheriff that came from Nottingham).
Names that were then suggested by people of the borough and surrounding areas included:
- Doncaster International Airport
- South Yorkshire International Airport
- Finningley International Airport
Visitors may refer to the airport as 'Robin Hood', Doncaster or Sheffield Airport; longstanding local residents may refer to the airport as'Finningley'; otherwise the Airport is referred to as Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
In terms of aviation communication, the airport is known as Doncaster (Doncaster Radar, Doncaster Tower etc.)
References
- Reference to Barnsdale Forest with map also showing Merger of Forests in this area
- Nottinghamshire County Council Map showing distance between City of Nottingham Boundary, Sherwood Forest and Doncaster Boundary. It is 18.8 miles (30.3 km) from Sherwood Forest to Nottingham and 18.5 miles (29.8 km) from Sherwood Forest to Bawtry, Doncaster 10.
- Evidence of Controversy caused by Airport Name and Marketing opportunity
- Finningley previously Nottinghamshire - Parish was attached to Retford Rectory also Nottinghamshire
- Nottingham Evening Post - Groups head for "intense" action against airport expansion
- ^ a b Doncaster Sheffield - EGCN
- ^ UK Airport Statistics: 2007 - annual
- ^ History of Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
- ^ Other suggested names include Doncaster Finningley Airport and more than 11,000 people signed a petition opposing the current name. See: '"Airport's new name misses target"' 12 November 2004 BBC News.
- ^ News stories relating to the opening of the airport include the online BBC News article: 'Take-off at new Yorkshire Airport' and Martin Wainwright '"Bevy of Maid Marians laid on to cheer lift-off of DSA1 at Doncaster's Robin Hood airport"' The Guardian (April 29, 2005)
- ^ Passenger numbers up 5.7% at Airport
- ^ Number of Passengers including both domestic and international.
- ^ Number of Movements represents total air transport takeoffs and landings during that year.
- ^ UK Airport Statistics
- ^ Ramada Encore Hotel Lands At Airport Business Park
- ^ '"Road to link airport to motorway"' 2 December 2004 BBC News
- ^ Robin Hood Airport Car Parking
- ^ Doncaster Council draft Access Strategy report, 13 December 2006
- ^ Robin Hood Airport Press Office
- ^ Table of parishes and other places in Nottinghamshire, up to 1842
- ^ Robin Hood in popular culture
- ^ Sherwood Forest County Park map
- ^ - Reference to Barnsdale Forest with Map also showing Merger of Forests in this area
- ^ - Evidence of Controversy caused by Airport Name and Marketing opportunity