Further updates in the new year on the planned reopening of Doncaster Sheffield airport can be expected in early 2025.
The pledge came from local mayor Ros Jones as an aircraft landed at the airport for the first time since the site was closed two years ago.
Aviation and aerospace company 2Excel was given special permission by Doncaster Council to bring one of its aircraft back to the site as part of a winter maintenance programme.
The Piper Panther PA31 Navajo twin-engined utility aircraft used as a search and rescue spotter aircraft landed on Friday in a managed process known as an unlicensed flight; one which is not carrying passengers or cargo.
The airport is set to reopen in 2026 after the council agreed to lease the land from owners Peel Group which shut it in November 2022, saying it was unviable after Wizz Air withdrew operations.
An operator will be contracted to run the aviation business after an unnamed successful bidder was identified last month.
Jones said: “We know how important the airport is to local people and businesses so it is great to see an already established aviation business in our city being able to use the site again.
“2Excel is a great supporter of the airport and a strong advocate for the aviation industry in Doncaster and them returning their aircraft to the site as part of their winter planning is really a positive step. Their presence sends a signal to others about the importance of the site as a strategic base.
“I have made reopening our beloved airport my number one priority. We are still working steadfastly to reopen the airport by spring 2026 and there will be further news forthcoming in early 2025.
“Progress is going well and further updates will be given in the new year.”
Andy Offer, director and co-founder of 2Excel said: “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.
“City of Doncaster Council have never lost sight of the goal to reopen the airport and we’ve remained in constant contact.
“We look forward to continuing to work with both the council and the new operator to return Doncaster airport to its rightful place as a major employer in the South Yorkshire region.
“The airport can regain its status as a hub for creating economic prosperity and employment for well-paid and highly skilled people – including our employees who create nationally strategic technologies and delver critical services to the British public and government.”