Aircraft returns to Doncaster Sheffield Airport two years after closure

An aircraft has touched down at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, marking the first landing since its closure two years prior. Doncaster Council granted permission to the aviation and aerospace firm 2Excel to bring one of its planes back to the site as part of a winter maintenance program. The twin-engine 1977 Piper Panther PA31 Navajo utility aircraft, which is utilized for search and rescue operations, landed on Friday. The airport ceased operations in November 2022, following a statement from its owners, Peel Group, that it was no longer financially viable. For over a decade, 2Excel has maintained a leased hangar at the airport. While some operations continued on-site, the company relocated its fleet when the airport stopped functioning. The Piper Panther was flown in prior to the remainder of the fleet, which is scheduled to be accommodated at the former RAF Finningley base during the winter season. The delivery of the aircraft will occur through a controlled procedure termed an “unlicensed flight,” given that they transport neither passengers nor cargo. The airport is slated for reopening in 2026, subsequent to the council’s agreement to lease the land from Peel. An operator will be engaged to manage the aviation enterprise, and a successful candidate was identified last month. Additionally, the council asked the Civil Aviation Authority to postpone its decision regarding the suspension of controlled airspace surrounding the location. Mayor Ros Jones, present to observe the 2Excel aircraft’s landing, expressed her delight at its return. She stated: “It’s an investment for the whole of South Yorkshire and beyond.” She added: “Medium to long term, it will be the economic stimulus that the whole of the north needs but South Yorkshire and Doncaster as well.” Andy Offer, a director at 2Excel, commented: “It’s a testament to all at 2Excel that we absorbed the pain caused by the unexpected closure of Doncaster to aviation in November 2022. “It’s a place we’ve been proud to call our home for more than a decade, but it’s important to recognise that we never left. Throughout the past two years, 150 people have continued to work in our hangar.”