By Police planes leave Doncaster airport
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) will move its aeroplanes to Leeds following the closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
Four of its planes have been based at DSA since 2019, but will be temporarily located at Leeds Bradford Airport.
The final NPAS flight left Doncaster on Tuesday to help South Yorkshire Police and Lincolnshire Police.
The move to Leeds would give time to find a more suitable permanent base, officials said, as six tactical flight officers and four pilots are employed at DSA.
All would relocate to the temporary Leeds base, with plans to recruit additional pilots in the future, a spokesperson said.
In a statement, NPAS said the move would have no impact on its helicopter fleet, which “would continue to provide air support from 14 bases across England and Wales”.
NPAS Chief Operating Officer Chief Supt Vicki White said: “Termination of our lease at Doncaster Sheffield Airport was very much against our wishes.
“We are doing all we can to minimise disruption as we move operations temporarily to Leeds Bradford Airport.”
The fight to keep the airport open is still ongoing as MPs, Unions and locals urge airport owners Peel to come to an greement with potential buyers.
Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher has spoken publicly on the issue on multiple occasions, sharing that a ‘substantial offer’ has now been made to Peel by potential buyer.
However, Mr Fletcher added that Peel has ‘played no part’ in securing potential buyers and that they ‘continue to put in place barriers to our efforts.’
Speaking on BBC Radio Humberside, Sarah Barnes from the GMB Union said the airport is still live and that negotiations are still ongoing for potential offers.
Ms Barnes added that she did not know the asking price for the airport but that it had been valuated at roughly £250 million and that an above value offer had been made to Peel.
She went on to say: “I think the communication from Peel has been poor and not giving people hope. Our thought is that they just want to get rid of the airport and sell the land and it’s assests for the £800 million that it’s worth.
“I do think the campaign has been a success in terms of putting the pressure on Peel. We’ve been working with all the political parties and the mayor of South Yorkshire to persuade Peel to do the right thing and we now know the new transport secretary is now involved to encourage Peel to accept the deal.”
