Why can't we have a proper airport in Sheffield?

[SportsTrophy 10]

When you look at the board of directors at Peel you wouldn't expect anything else but cloaks and mirrors. FSB has backed the airport as viable with investors ready to jump in. With Rolls Royce (aero engines) and Boeing ready to invest in the site across the road there is the potential for things to open up once they are established.

 

Someone needs to look at where the baggage handling equipment went from the Sheffield airport including xray scanners.

Edited July 31, 2013 by SportsTrophy

[CooLDAD 10]

Who's going to pay for it? They aren't cheap,where will this "proper airport" go?

We don't need one anyway,Leeds/Bradford,Manchester,East Mids all only an hour away anyway.

Why can't Sheffield have a nuclear power station,that's the sort of question your asking.

[SportsTrophy 10]

Who's going to pay for it? They aren't cheap,where will this "proper airport" go?

We don't need one anyway,Leeds/Bradford,Manchester,East Mids all only an hour away anyway.

Why can't Sheffield have a nuclear power station,that's the sort of question your asking.

 

I'm not saying YOU ARE BLINKERED to aviation but there is a lot more to it than package holidays.

[dutch 68]

I'm not saying YOU ARE BLINKERED to aviation but there is a lot more to it than package holidays.

 

Yes there is a lot more to it.

 

One of the things to it is that many people are jealous and their ego is hurt and insulted for the fact that their city does not have an airport.

 

They get angry and upset that they have one but we don't have one.

 

The amount of people traveling once or twice a year wanting an airport in Sheffield because they are angry and jealous while going somewhere else to get their flight are enormous.

 

These people can only see their own feelings and want to solve it by getting their own airport to fight back so they donot have to drive a little or take a train.

When you get an airport to solve these ugly feelings you need therapy, more than an airport.

[Lennuk 10]

WE HAD A SMALL AIRPORT. It was built in the era where the money was flowing and frequent business travel with the bottomless expense account was the norm. Guess what? It died on its arse.

 

 

Yes we HAD a small airport and the reason it 'died on its arse' is because it was in the wrong hands!

 

Peel owns three other airports, Liverpool, Durham-Tees Valley and oh look Doncaster-'Sheffield'. All these airports lost 15% of their passenger numbers in 2012!

 

Its clear that the only way it would be sucsessfull is that was in local hands just like Newcastle, Leeds-Bradford, Birmingham and even london city!

[alchresearch 214]

Wasn't it because it was built before the advent of cheap low-cost airlines and their use of cheap, second hand Boeing 737s?

 

As for the passenger numbers going down at Sheffield and Liverpool, that's because the number of flights went down also.

 

http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?page_id=4226

[SteelCityAle 10]

we had an airport, but the runway was too short so it couldn't be used by the likes or Ryanair and Wizzair, which is where the money is. Being able to fly on a full-fat airline (i.e. KLM) and have to change in Schipol is not gonna get people flying from it to get to Europe.

 

DSA airport could be a lot more useful to Sheffield if transport links were improved - there's been talks of direct buses, but they've never materialised. There's been talks of an airport station on nearby railway, but it hasn't materialised (despite planning permission being granted 5 years ago!). Having to get a bus into Donny for a train onward isn't gonna make for an attractive option (especially on a Sunday when the buses are hourly, a lot of flights land around 2100-2130, the last train off Donny is 2220, after that it's a £40+ taxi or a night in the airport)

Edited July 31, 2013 by SteelCityAle

[Lennuk 10]

The regional airline business is booming right now and Sheffield could benefit from it!

[BSMan 10]

Being able to fly on a full-fat airline (i.e. KLM) and have to change in Schipol is not gonna get people flying from it to get to Europe.

 

Are you for real? KLM and Schipol handle millions of intra-Europe passengers.

 

we had an airport, but the runway was too short so it couldn't be used by the likes or Ryanair and Wizzair, which is where the money is.

 

Judging by Doncaster's accounts, it clearly isn't where the money is, unless of course the airport is handling many millions of passengers per year. This has proven unsustainable at Doncaster. Sheffield City was a much smaller operation, and could therefore easily survive with no scheduled passenger traffic whatsoever. However, the 'money' certainly isn't in attracting airlines like Ryanair and Wizzair who in most cases demand sustained subsidies. Unless they get millions of passengers through the door, then these subsidies are guaranteed loss leaders for an airport.

 

DSA airport could be a lot more useful to Sheffield if transport links were improved - there's been talks of direct buses, but they've never materialised.

 

There's clearly absolutely no demand for getting to DSA from Sheffield, so who's going to waste the money subsidising it?

Edited July 31, 2013 by BSMan

[SteelCityAle 10]

Are you for real? KLM and Schipol handle millions of intra-Europe passengers.

 

bet they're all on expenses! who's gonna hand over hundreds of quid to have to change when you can get a direct flight for a fraction of the price. Long-haul yes, on the basis you're gonna have to change somewhere, but within europe it just isn't attractive. KLM tried flights from Liverpool, they were very quickly scaled back and then discontinued, but Ryanair, Easyjet and Wizz continue to offer a wide range of destinations at generally good prices...

 

 

Judging by Doncaster's accounts, it clearly isn't where the money is, unless of course the airport is handling many millions of passengers per year. This has proven unsustainable at Doncaster. Sheffield City was a much smaller operation, and could therefore easily survive with no scheduled passenger traffic whatsoever. However, the 'money' certainly isn't in attracting airlines like Ryanair and Wizzair who in most cases demand sustained subsidies. Unless they get millions of passengers through the door, then these subsidies are guaranteed loss leaders for an airport.

 

Doncaster hasn't attracted the budget airlines (apart from Wizz), and I have no doubt that's partly because it's not very accessible - unless you live in the direct catchment area, it's a lot easier to get to Manchester or East Mids. Subsidies? Really? I seem to recall Ryanair WAS claiming subsidies at Charleroi, ad this was quickly stopped by the EU under competition rules. So I doubt anyone is getting subsidies from the airports!

 

 

 

There's clearly absolutely no demand for getting to DSA from Sheffield, so who's going to waste the money subsidising it?

 

There's demand, but at the moment people have a choice of a not very convenient public transport solution, or an extortionate taxi (the latter is probably not too bad if there's 4 or 5 of you, but if you're travelling alone the taxi is likely to cost more than your flight!)

[Olive 10]

we had an airport, but the runway was too short so it couldn't be used by the likes or Ryanair and Wizzair, which is where the money is. Being able to fly on a full-fat airline (i.e. KLM) and have to change in Schipol is not gonna get people flying from it to get to Europe.

 

 

That's exactly what me, my colleagues and our clients DID do - changing at Schipol was a dream compared to driving over to Manchester. Fare-wise I don't think there was much difference between the cost of a flight from Manchester -Zurich and a flight from Sheffield - Amsterdam - Zurich. When you weigh up the cost of taxis to Manchester or hire-car and parking, plus the time and hassle, it worked out better. We are talking business travel here, not a once a year holiday.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Olive

[SteelCityAle 10]

That's exactly what me, my colleagues and our clients DID do - changing at Schipol was a dream compared to driving over to Manchester.

 

colleagues and clients... that suggests expenses to me, per my later post!

 

Personally, I'd rather travel an hour to an airport for a direct flight than spend an hour or two changing flights - especially in this day and age where you have to go through the whole 'shoe police' rigmarole - who wants to do all that twice!