The project is now in doubt amid an ongoing stalemate over a £57million loan from Doncaster City Council to support the reopening efforts, after Reform UK councillors raised concerns about whether taxpayers will see a return on investment.

The airport project was championed by Labour mayor Ros Jones, who is thought to have been re-elected by a slim margin largely due to her determination to get the potentially transformational works completed, amid a Reform surge.

While Nigel Farage‘s party initially supported the airport project and says they still support the reopening in principle, they have since threatened to rescind their approval as they seek further information about how the money will be spent and benefit residents.

In the latest sign of tensions behind the scenes, an important meeting by the council’s audit committee that would have addressed said governance issues was cancelled on Thursday after not enough councillors turned up, Doncaster Free Press reports.

But despite South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard warning that a vote set to take place in an upcoming emergency meeting could “kill” the reopening, work on preparing the site for commercial plane travel continues.

In an update this week, Christian Foster, Director of the council-owned operator FlyDoncaster, said: “Over recent months we’ve been building the right team to take on this task. That has included individuals with experience at major airports such as Manchester, Gatwick and East Midlands, taking up roles like Head of Security, Head of Airfield Operations and Head of Health & Fire Safety.

“We’re also going through a critical Airspace Change Process, a regulatory hurdle that means we’ll have our own area of airspace around the airport to manage. This is critical to our plans.

“We’re due to hear the result of stages one and two imminently, and we’ll be asking the public for their views in the summer, with a view to being re-certified in Spring 2027.”

He says they’ve also been preparing the site for reopening and welcoming back passengers, which has included purchasing “vital equipment such as a new radar and fire appliances, completely refurbishing the fire station and control tower, and making plans for renovating the terminal building”.

The terminal building is also getting a “full makeover, giving passengers somewhere that feels really special at the start of their holidays”, along with changes to the site’s infrastructure “to make this one of the most accessible airports in the UK for those with a disability”.

Additionally, they’re in discussions with airlines and partner organisations. Mr Foster says the airport is already primed to carry hundreds of thousands of tonnes of freight, and is also speaking with businesses working in the future of aviation, like sky taxis, vertiports, and new fuel types, about how they could be integrated into the site.

“We are already seeing planes land for scheduled maintenance, and could be welcoming private planes later this year, with scheduled services by winter 2027/28,” he added.

“There’s a huge amount of support for this project from local people and it’s great to be getting the project off the ground.”

A Reform UK spokesperson said the party “fully supports the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport in principle, but we are firm that the deal has to be right for the taxpayer”.

“The £57 million commitment taken by the council in November 2025 was not, as members were asked to vote without being given the full information,” they claimed.

“Reform councillors are now calling for a review into this decision to return the matter to formal scrutiny. We want to reopen DSA, but not at any cost, and definitely not if the deal could spell financial disaster for local residents.”

Plan to Reopen UK Airport Closed for 3.5 Years Set for Roadblock After Council Change

Plans to reopen a major UK airport after more than three years of closure have faced renewed political uncertainty following a dramatic change in the balance of power at the local council.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which closed in 2022 after its former operator concluded that the site was no longer financially viable, has been at the centre of an ambitious regional regeneration programme. Local authorities have committed substantial public funding to bring commercial aviation back to South Yorkshire.

But the project has also become a political dividing line, particularly after Reform UK won control of Doncaster Council in the 2025 local elections.

The resulting dispute over a proposed £57 million council borrowing package briefly threatened to interrupt the reopening programme. Reform councillors questioned aspects of the financial and lease arrangements, while supporters of the project warned that delays could undermine one of the region’s major economic-development opportunities.

The dispute eventually moved in a different direction. In May 2026, Reform councillors agreed to support the borrowing arrangement subject to greater scrutiny of the lease, allowing the airport programme to recommence.

Yet the airport’s reopening remains a complicated, multi-stage project, with the latest planning indicating that passenger operations are not expected to return until 2028.

Why Doncaster Sheffield Airport matters

The airport has long been regarded by local authorities as an important strategic asset for Doncaster and the wider South Yorkshire economy.

Before its closure, the airport provided international connections and supported employment across the region. Its closure in 2022 left South Yorkshire without a major commercial airport serving the area directly.

The reopening programme is therefore about more than restoring flights.

Local authorities have presented the project as a way to support employment, attract investment and improve connectivity for businesses and residents.

In September 2025, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority approved a funding package worth approximately £160 million for the reopening project. The authority said the decision would pave the way for commercial flights to return to the region.

The wider financial package has subsequently been described by Doncaster Council as worth approximately £193 million, including funding from South Yorkshire and council resources.

That scale of investment explains why the airport has become such a significant political issue.

The original reopening timetable

The timetable has changed several times.

In February 2025, Doncaster Council said its objective was to reopen the airport in spring 2026. At that stage, officials were continuing mobilisation work and preparing the site for a potential return to aviation.

Following the September 2025 funding decision, the timetable became more cautious.

The council said it aimed for freight flights to resume during summer 2026, with passenger flights potentially becoming available for booking during autumn or winter 2026 for flights towards the end of the following year.

In other words, the target moved away from an immediate full reopening and towards a phased process.

The revised timetable reflected the practical complexity of restoring an airport that had been closed for several years.

The Reform challenge

The political situation changed significantly after Reform UK won control of Doncaster Council in the 2025 local elections.

The new political balance created a direct test for the airport project because Reform councillors questioned the terms of the proposed borrowing arrangement.

In April 2026, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he wanted the airport to reopen but argued that the financial arrangement then under consideration could expose local taxpayers to unacceptable risks.

Reform councillors sought an extraordinary council meeting to reconsider the previously approved £57 million loan.

Farage’s position was that the council should not accept an arrangement under which it did not obtain the freehold of the airport site. He described the existing proposal as potentially damaging for Doncaster taxpayers.

The disagreement consequently became a debate about both aviation policy and public finances.

Supporters of the project argued that delaying the investment would jeopardise economic opportunities. Reform representatives argued that reopening the airport should not mean accepting what they regarded as excessive financial risk.

A potential roadblock emerges

The dispute became serious enough to raise questions about whether the reopening programme could continue.

In the House of Commons on 29 April 2026, Labour MP Lee Pitcher raised the issue directly with the prime minister, saying Reform councillors were considering reversing their support for the investment.

Keir Starmer responded that the airport was an important project for Doncaster and South Yorkshire and expressed concern that decisions by Reform councillors could put the reopening at risk. He argued that the project could create jobs and economic opportunities for the region.

The exchange illustrated how a local infrastructure project had become part of the national political argument between Labour and Reform.

But the situation changed again within days.

Reform agrees to support the loan

At an extraordinary meeting of Doncaster Council on 11 May, Reform councillors agreed to support the £57 million loan, subject to being able to inspect the new lease.

ITV reported that Reform councillors had said they had originally supported the arrangement without having had sufficient opportunity to scrutinise key clauses of the lease.

The council subsequently announced that the decision meant the airport programme could recommence.

It also said discussions with the landowner would restart and that work would continue with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and other stakeholders, subject to risk management and funding agreements.

The development removed the immediate political obstacle surrounding the loan.

However, it did not mean that the airport could simply reopen immediately.

The reopening date has moved again

The latest timetable is considerably later than the original 2026 ambition.

Records from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority indicate that planning is continuing towards a spring 2028 reopening. At a July 2026 meeting, the authority said negotiations over the airport lease were continuing, with most lease variations agreed in principle but at least one significant issue still under discussion.

That means the project has moved from an originally proposed 2026 reopening towards a target in 2028.

The change illustrates how complicated major infrastructure projects can become when property arrangements, financing, aviation regulation and operational requirements all have to be resolved simultaneously.

It also provides the political opposition with an opportunity to question the promises originally made about the project.

Airspace is another crucial hurdle

Reopening the terminal and runway is only one part of the process.

The airport also requires appropriate airspace arrangements and aviation approvals.

In July 2026, the Civil Aviation Authority gave the go-ahead for a public consultation on an Airspace Change Proposal concerning Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The consultation is designed to gather views on reinstating controlled airspace and introducing arrival and departure routes associated with the airport.

Doncaster Council subsequently announced that the consultation would run until 4 October 2026.

The process is a significant regulatory milestone, but it does not itself constitute permission for passenger flights to begin.

The airport still has to complete the wider reopening programme, including the necessary operational, financial, property and regulatory arrangements.

Why the council change matters

The change in political control at Doncaster Council matters because local government is playing a central role in financing and delivering the reopening project.

The council is not acting alone. South Yorkshire’s mayoral authority and other public bodies are also involved, meaning that no single political group can determine every aspect of the project independently.

Nevertheless, council decisions over borrowing and local financial commitments can materially affect the timetable.

The Reform episode demonstrated that political disagreements can create uncertainty even when the broader objective of reopening the airport is shared.

Reform councillors have said they support reopening the airport while questioning the financial terms under which it should happen. Labour representatives have emphasised the economic benefits and argued that delaying the programme risks losing those opportunities.

Those positions are not necessarily incompatible in principle.

The central disagreement concerns the acceptable financial and contractual conditions for achieving the same broad objective.

The economic argument

Supporters of reopening point to potential employment, investment and connectivity.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has described the airport as an important regional asset and said its reopening could support jobs and economic growth.

The economic case, however, depends on the airport becoming commercially sustainable.

Its previous operator closed the airport in 2022 after concluding that it was not financially viable. That history means that reopening the site is not simply a matter of rebuilding infrastructure and waiting for passengers to arrive.

The airport will need airlines, routes, passengers and revenue.

Public investment can help establish the infrastructure and create the conditions for operations, but long-term sustainability will ultimately depend on demand and commercial performance.

A political battle over public money

The airport dispute also illustrates a wider political difference between Reform and Labour.

Labour politicians have generally presented the reopening as an investment in regional growth.

Reform has placed greater emphasis on scrutiny of public spending and the financial exposure of local taxpayers.

Neither position eliminates the practical challenges.

An airport can generate wider economic benefits while still requiring careful financial safeguards. Conversely, concerns about taxpayer exposure do not necessarily mean that an infrastructure project should be abandoned.

The details of the lease, borrowing arrangements, ownership structure and future operating model therefore matter considerably.

What happens next?

For now, the immediate roadblock over the £57 million loan has been removed.

The council has confirmed that the airport programme can continue, and discussions with the landowner have restarted.

At the same time, the project remains some distance from a full reopening.

Airspace consultation is under way, lease negotiations continue and the latest planning points towards spring 2028 rather than the earlier 2026 target.

That means the political controversy is unlikely to disappear.

Every delay will invite questions about the original timetable and the cost of the project, while every milestone will provide supporters with evidence that the reopening remains achievable.

The story of Doncaster Sheffield Airport is therefore no longer simply about whether an airport can reopen after three-and-a-half years of closure.

It is also about how local authorities balance economic ambition against financial risk, how political changes affect major infrastructure projects and how long it takes to restore an aviation facility that has been out of operation since 2022.

For Doncaster and South Yorkshire, the ultimate test will be whether the project can move from plans and public investment to a functioning, financially sustainable airport.

For now, the programme is moving forward — but with a new political landscape, a revised timetable and several significant regulatory and contractual steps still to complete.

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