Last ditch bid to save Sheffield City Airport (Read 5,882 times)

[dougie]

Dec 22, 2012 19:23:35 GMT elvis said:

Sour grapes & chip on shoulder come to mind; Donneyboy!

The words "grown up response" and "thanks" come to mind...

As for Sheffield Airport - no chance of it coming back - some people might want to use it as a reason to get into the papers but there's no realistic role for such an airport nowadays. People will keep trying though...

[lysander]

I am sure that 's your considered opinion, Dougie,but is it based on current trends...bearing in mind that a much larger range of aircraft...carrying bigger payloads ...can now operate with adequate fuel reserves etc. from a 1200 metre runway? Rest assured, getting in the papers is not what is uppermost in the minds of the FSB ...so your remarks are rather fatuous!

[CS]

dougie, should aircraft that only need 3000ft of asphalt have to use airports that are increasingly congested, where landing fees are prohibitably expensive?

Bad form. This may not actually lead to a reopened airport but the thought of the people behind the scandal actually being held accountable must be tempting?

[duncan]

As a person who has little interest in this long running saga I have to say that the existence of 2 airports in such close proximity seems wasteful. Given the choice Finningley is the obvious one as it can accommodate virtually any size of aircraft whilst Sheffield can / could only accommodate much smaller aircraft.
If the area does need an airport (and I personally have doubts about that) the obvious choice must be Finningley.
I believe it also has much more potential as a diversion destination during times of bad weather.
On the very few occasions I have flown it has been from Manchester and Heathrow. On both occasions I went by car and I have to say that Manchester was a dream, only a 40 minute drive and loads of cheap(ish) parking on site. Heathrow only a 2 1/2 hour drive, so no great hardship there either.
With Leeds Bradford, East Midlands and Manchester so close do we need our own aerodrome? I think not.
If the proximity of a parking slot for a Lear jet is a vital factor in attracting new businesses here, how much commitment are they showing to the area by wanting to get in and out as quick as possible?

[lysander]

Manchester has two airports, so has Belfast and Liverpool is not a million miles from Ringway...and I agree this is a very long running saga.

Sadly, your perception of the conditions inward investment requires is very wide of the mark. Evidence already exists of business( and jobs) being lost to our sub-region by the simple virtue of it not having a conveniently placed airport. Several of the City's major employers have signed the petition as they can see that the airport's closure was a serious mistake. The argument about DSA and the possible effect of FARRRS (which despite all the "spinning" will still not link the airport directly with a dual carriage road) is a separate issue.

If private investors are prepared to run an airport close to the City centre so much the better and don't forget an independent enquiry is what is being called for ,as well as a moratorium on development. But I doubt anyone's opinion on this forum will have any influence on the outcome!

[duncan]

Dec 23, 2012 8:32:33 GMT lysander said:

Manchester has two airports, so has Belfast and Liverpool is not a million miles from Ringway...and I agree this is a very long running saga.

Evidence already exists of business( and jobs) being lost to our sub-region by the simple virtue of it not having a conveniently placed airport.

My question is this though, how long term would that investment be if a deciding factor in it not coming is the non proximity of an airport? I feel that it would have been of the opportunist type and would be withdrawn when the next area started to offer incentives for new startups. There are plenty companies who are quite good at spotting development opportunities and will take them for the short term and them move on when the incentives run out. I would prefer to see aid for local businesses to expand sustainably offering long term benefits to the area.

Dec 23, 2012 8:32:33 GMT lysander said:

The argument about DSA and the possible effect of FARRRS (which despite all the "spinning" will still not link the airport directly with a dual carriage road) is a separate issue.

Sorry, what is FARRRS?

[lysander]

I agree with you about "opportunistic" developers....both DSA and SCA are in the hands of the same developers who have promised 000's of jobs! Inward investment and job creation is the name of the game and Sheffield/Rotherham are at a disadvantage...especially with Far Eastern investors who expect a modern transport infrastructure....and that includes an airport that isn't at the extremities of a City Region with no rail link nor direct access to the motorway network.

I find it difficult to understand how any regular contributor to this forum doesn't know what the " Finningley and Rossington,Regeneration Route Scheme" is all about. I suggest you Google and find out where your £18 million is going!

[duncan]

Dec 23, 2012 12:13:54 GMT lysander said:

I agree with you about "opportunistic" developers....both DSA and SCA are in the hands of the same developers who have promised 000's of jobs! Inward investment and job creation is the name of the game and Sheffield/Rotherham are at a disadvantage...especially with Far Eastern investors who expect a modern transport infrastructure....and that includes an airport that isn't at the extremities of a City Region with no rail link nor direct access to the motorway network.

I find it difficult to understand how any regular contributor to this forum doesn't know what the " Finningley and Rossington,Regeneration Route Scheme" is all about. I suggest you Google and find out where your £18 million is going!

The answer is simple, there are so many abbreviations used in the aircraft section that others have no comprehension of I just don't bother. At a guess I would reckon SCA relates to the failed Sheffield airport. After that i get bored / lost.

[lysander]

Duncan...It is a road scheme and absolutely naff all to do with aviation....even buses will use it. Stay bored and have a Merry Christmas and don't get too lost ,New Year's Day is coming up!

[craig79]

Regardless of how this plays out, I think it's good that the business community are vocal about how unhappy they are about DSA and how badly it's serving SY. I still find it extraordinary that they cannot secure a route to one of the main European cities for onward connections. It can only be a) that Peel aren't interested or b) there simply isn't demand. If the latter, where is the future?

In relation to comparisons to London City, whilst I agree that some of the comparisons are unhelpful, there is one key point that would apply to Sheffield City. Aside from location, the primary reason for London City's success is that it offers a 20 minute check in time. It's fast and quick and that appeals to many business people. Small airports can do that and it differentiates themselves from larger airports. If you applied the same to Sheffield City, a faster check in time widens the catchment area significantly, so people living from say Wakefield right down to Derby would be no worse off than going from Leeds Bradford or East Midlands.

So yes, of course Sheffield City would never attract the same level of routes as London City, but it wouldn't need to. Convincing airlines with small aircraft like FlyBe and Eastern, plus the regional element of KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus etc would be sufficient.

[lysander]

Sheffield City was built on exactly the same lines as, London City Airport. The Business Park was built with the sole intention of financially supporting the nascent airport through its early years....and the European grants confirmed this ( as did the agreement and lease!)

These are facts, not opinions and the later deliberate obfuscation of matters surrounding the airport will be revealed at an enquiry!

[60406]

Where has this Richard Branson thing come from?

As for the airport, can't people just let go. We have Manchester, Leeds/Bradford and East Midlands all less than a hours drive away and now Donny airport on our doorsteps. Does Sheffield really need its own airport. It was open once and failed so was shut down. Surely we should just move on rather than digging up the past and trying to reopen the failed airport?

I think we will see pigs fly before Sheffield City becomes an operational airport again.

[sweb]

Jan 1, 2013 14:43:40 GMT 60406 said:

Where has this Richard Branson thing come from?

As for the airport, can't people just let go. We have Manchester, Leeds/Bradford and East Midlands all less than a hours drive away and now Donny airport on our doorsteps. Does Sheffield really need its own airport. It was open once and failed so was shut down. Surely we should just move on rather than digging up the past and trying to reopen the failed airport?

I think we will see pigs fly before Sheffield City becomes an operational airport again.

Whilst the chances are slim if somebody has a genuine interest in making the airport operational again perhaps its worth seeing how it pans out? After all whats the worse that can happen compared to whats planned now?

[lysander]

The major obstacle to Sheffield/Rotherham having its own small airport will be the unlikelihood of the present owners, who were given the land, being interested in selling...but the latest news is that there have been some discussions.

Sheffield has become a third rate City largely because of the unwillingness of its present leadership to have any vision....unlike those in charge in 1988 who planned the airport!

[lysander]

From TV reports it would seem private investors are wanting to re-open the airport. I suppose it's now up to the owners and the Labour Group to agree that we do need a small airport!