The incredible rise and fall of Sheffield City Airport: closure date 22 April 08

[AlquarUK 10]

You have it completely the wrong way round. It isn't that it needs council funding, which it certainly doesn't, the issue is that millions of pounds worth of land are about to go to a private developer for £1. Lots of public money was spent originally, years ago, and now that is being thrown away.

 

I would rather the private developer not get that land for a pennies, BUT I still don't want the airport either, or to have to help fund/suppport it in any way.

 

Lots of public money is wasted all the time, its not right, but why spend more on the same losing project!?

 

If the council had half a brain it wouldn't have signed such a ridiculous contract in the first place!

 

.........but keep those nasty fumes away from Sheffield.

[AlquarUK 10]

I believe they should turn it in to a drag strip like Elvington in York or Poddington (aka Santa Pod) at weekends and start it actually make some money. A Set of lights and timing gear and a few seats wouldn't cost that much money.

 

I was last at Santa Pod on weekend in February for a Subaru Shoot out and there was over 250 cars paying £15 each plus about another 500 paying £5 to watch.

 

 

that would be WAY COOL! I'ff off to the Pod this weekend! and would save me travelling so far next year to race/rwyb!

[d71146 10]

Why have neither of the Tory Councillors signed this petition?

 

Perhaps they take the view that Sheffield City Airport is yet another lost cause.

[Emma29 10]

I think they should knock down the airport and build a joint super stadium for United and Wednesday to share, with parking facilities (just like at the ground Reading). The Airport has good motorway/ road links in and out etc. Because at the moment United and Wednesdays ground are in bad location for parking etc.

 

If AC Milan and Inter Milan can share a ground why can't United and Wednesday?

 

xxxxx

[KenH 10]

Lots of public money is wasted all the time, its not right, but why spend more on the same losing project!?

 

If the council had half a brain it wouldn't have signed such a ridiculous contract in the first place!

.

 

Firstly, the council didn't sign the silly contract. This contract was signed by a long dead qango and the city council inherited the deal when the development corporation was wound up. The airport does not currently waste (or get) any public money and would not do so if it continued. To save the aiport the council merely have to fight the contract on the basis that the airport can be a profitable concern. Having done so they would still not be obliged to pay anything.

[TESTPASS 10]

Why have neither of the Tory Councillors signed this petition?

 

Because like all people in politics they want to see what side of the fence to sit on first, they get a debate going then come back when theres some support and say yes thats where we stan and it was our idea.

 

there is probably a counter torry to shefftory under the "we should close the airport banner"

 

they will be waiting on public concensus before they stand anywhere on the subject.

[Bago 10]

Testpass: Wallies or not. I saw the title with 'Sheffield Airport' and I just want to add my piece because others are talking about it ! So there.

 

Sheffield airport is one of those discussed topics for locals in the pubs, or with families, but nobody that I really know had ever used it. It's great to have an airport, but will the local really use it for their leisure ? Only if it's reasonably priced.

 

Gingablade: It's one of those things that people are interested in, but not really sure what they want to see happen to it. Since we're not the people with the money. What can a citizen do ? Who would spend the money to turn it around and see it as a proper airport ? Well, show me where the petition is then.

 

Kipper: Unless the airport promote aviation as a leisure pursuit with the locals. Else nobody will ever know about it ! Sheffield isn't one of those big cities with the spending power on such leisure pursuits.

 

I was just watching that Grumpy Holiday tv prog just last night. Michael Winner on there mentioned that to fly on a private jet from UK to Nice cost around 18-20k ! Hoooow can an executive of ANY company justify such costs ? Do CEo even uses such things ? Even if it does not cost that much to fly within the UK. I suspect that it costs around a few k at the very least ! CEO will prob fly business class. A friend went into the aviation business, but he did say that it was very cheap to fly himself to Europe as opposed to flying by other airlines. Then again, he can fly the darn thing ! lol... I know what you're saying, it's tapping into the locals' leisure spendings. Prob need a fancy advertising campaign to get it sold.

 

KenH: Is it 737 that flies out for most cheap airlines ? The ones that I've ever flown with had shorter seatings anyway. (Not that I know my airplanes anyway.) I say this because I don't know how KLM used to operate with their destination being Amsterdam. Surely the runway must have been long enough for the type of planes that are flown for short-haul to Europe ?

 

Did we really spend public money on it ? Well, then claim it back ! Gotta think laterally. I mean, if the Sheffield NHS Trusts are in debt, and need to claw back some dosh, then why not utilise the airport and fly patients onto the continent to get their treatments whereby it may cost even less cos the pound is strong ?? Huh ? Good idea or not ?

 

I'm sure as a patient, the fact that they're going abroad would just lighten their outlook, and stay positive, and therefore increases the chance of potential recoveries after operations. Et vio-la. (I hear the French national health is prrrrretty good.)

 

I really do like to see the airport stay open, possibly extend and catch onto this cheapo airline business. What if they fly to destinations that are not easy to reach ? i.e. Iceland. Since we're further up North anyway. That will definitely draw in the crowd since there are not many routes in the UK that flies to Iceland. It's also pretty pricy too. Doncaster already tapped into the sunny Spain family type holidays. East Midland flies to a few European capitals. Manchester does the International flights. Stansted flies to the European cities, and Scandinavian countries. It would be nice to see a Northern City airport tapping into either the Northern Europe area OR the Eastern Europe area. I hear that Dubrovnic is the next Prague. Why spend so much money here when the pound goes so much more abroad ? Southern Europe and Western Europe are already taken by other cheapo airlines flying from other small city airports in the UK.

 

If such routes are won for Sheffield airport, I've no doubt that it will increase the train routes usage to/fro Sheffield. What would really be ground-breaking is if we can get Londoners to go abroad FROM Sheffield. People say that London is expensive, and going out for a night drinking can cost up to 60-80 quid in the city. This can buy u a cheap train ticket, and fly abroad somewhere from Sheffield. I have friends who often find it odd that it is SO cheap here.

[nanrobbo 12]

I haven't read all the postings, so this may be covered, but a Sheffield Airport would be of considerable interest to people coming to Sheffield for holidays from abroad. When we came home for a holiday from Oz a few years ago we had to get transport up from London ( a friend) and then catch a coach at 3.a.m. to get back down to London to get back to Oz. Not much fun.

This was after Manchester Airport was bombed.

So count me as a signature.

[alchresearch 214]

This was after Manchester Airport was bombed.

So count me as a signature.

 

Eh? When was this?

 

Perhaps one of the reason's for the airport's failure was the rise of low cost airlines and their use of cheap second hand 737's. When the airport was first concieved I don't think there were many cheap airlines like there are today.

[KenH 10]

Bago,

 

I have replies to a number of your points not just those that were addressed to me.

 

Sheffield certainly does have enough people who are interested in aviation as a leisure pursuit in order to pay for an airport. Until recently there were four busy training organisations at Sheffield teaching people to fly all day long every day. At Netherthorpe there are two busy training organisations with several aircraft between them. We are limited in Sheffield at least partly by terrain in that the south and east of the UK has far more ex-WW2 airfields that have been used for training. However, this means that we have several large towns and cities where there are no airfields that can be used for training so there is a far greater possible market. If you are unsure about the numbers of people involved in aviation for leisure then take a look at how many aircraft are parked at the airport.

 

Although it may seem that the little aircraft are used for leisure and the large ones for business, this isn't really the case. A considerable proportion of flights in light aircraft are for business with the pilot flying himself and sometimes one or two colleagues. The example of someone flying to the south of France for £18,000 is not a very good example of a normal flight at all. If you hire a small jet or turboprop for a trip to the continent then you pay for the flying hours (not while it is sat on the ground) and any landing fees. The cost of an 8 seater turboprop would be about £1000 an hour, a small jet about £1200-£1500 and then larger jets as much as £3000 an hour. The south of France is about 2 hours each way so the cost of a trip in an 8 seater should be no more than about £4- £6000. This seems very expensive because it isn't a typical example of the main use of such aircraft. They become cost effective when you want to visit a smaller airport in northern Europe, then another, and then get back the same day. A small group of people could be picked up near their homes at a time that is convenient to them and then be flown direct to the nearest meeting, then perhaps another meeting elsewhere, then maybe back home the same day. Trying to do this by commercial flight is difficult, expensive, usually means hotel stays.

 

Examples like the one above are not the typical case, although it is typical for wealthy businessmen to build head offices where they can fly in such a way to other factories. More typical is for small businessmen to fly themselves to appointments in either a single engined aircraft or a light twin. A good example would be someone who had an appointment in somewhere like Cardiff. Cardiff is a 3 hour round trip in a light aircraft with perhaps another half hour for getting to the meeting to be on the safe side. Getting to a 10am meeting would mean leaving Sheffield airport around 8am. If the meeting lasted 2 hours then you could be back home at 3pm or could go to another meeting mid afternoon and arive back late. Many people own a share in an aircraft in order to do this and the cost of this is rather different from the £18K suggested above. A 20% share in a good light aircraft should cost about £10,000 and then there would be a monthly contribution to parking and insurance of about £100. After those costs have been met there are only the fuel costs and the landing fees. The example trip would costs about £150-200 return which would be split between those who attend (there might be 4 seats). This is more than a car journey would cost but faster, allows more work to be done, and avoids paying for hotels. Above all else it means that busy people can see many more customers and still be home for tea with their children.

 

The last point is about economics of the cheapo airlines. Sheffield was planned on the London City model whereby smaller commuter aircraft can either fly to nearby cities or can drop people off at major hubs for connecting flights. After it was built the cheapo airlines such as RyanAir and EasyJet started to use 737 sized aircraft to all kinds of destination, some a long way off. Their business model is based on using a particular size of aircraft and flying, mostly, to subsidised european airports. In countrie such as France they do not pass on the costs of running the airport to the airlines as they see having an airport as an important asset. Sheffield can't handle 737 aircraft and so was only any use for smaller aircraft to fly to cities such as London or Amsterdam for transfer to larger aircraft. The problem is that most of us would rather nip down the motorway to East Mids and get on a direct flight than change aircraft and pay a higher price.

[ShefTory 10]

Because like all people in politics they want to see what side of the fence to sit on first, they get a debate going then come back when theres some support and say yes thats where we stan and it was our idea.

 

there is probably a counter torry to shefftory under the "we should close the airport banner"

 

they will be waiting on public concensus before they stand anywhere on the subject.

 

Sorry to dissapoint TestPass. Our position is made quite clear (and has been since before this petition was launched) and can be seen on the Sheffield Conservatives' website.

 

Cllrs. Anne Smith & Mike Waters have both signed the petition. It has been through the work of Anne and Mike that this issue has been raised following consultations which they have independently conducted with concerned parties.

 

As KenH has outlined there allegedly is a lack of clarity regarding the way in which parties controlling decisions on the airport have been managing the matter. Clearly many of these said allegations are very sensitive so can not be best discussed either on this forum or through a political party's website. We can only make a case to outline why it should remain as aviable concern and asset for this city.

[KenH 10]

I have just been looking at the petition and notice that the first two signatures mention what a terrible job Labour is doing on this subject. I would have thought that there will be many Sheffield councillors who would like to stop a valuable resource being sold for £1 and they should be brought on board. It is hard to believe that the Labour party wouldn't want to do something about this issue and I don't much like the idea of it being used as a way of getting at them. What needs to happen is for many politicians to get together and hold a proper investigation.