Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Encyclopedia
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is an international airport
located at the former RAF Finningley
airbase at Finningley
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
within South Yorkshire
, England
. The airport lies 3 NM southeast of Doncaster
and 18 mi (29 km) east of Sheffield
.
The airport is operated by Peel Airports, a division of Peel Holdings majority owned by Vancouver Airport Services
. Peel Airports also owns and manages Liverpool John Lennon Airport
, Durham Tees Valley Airport
, City Airport Manchester and the former Sheffield City Airport (which closed in April 2008). Handling around 875,000 passengers in 2010, the airport is Yorkshire's second largest airport, after Leeds Bradford Airport, although Doncaster and Leeds/Bradford are the only large commercial airports in Yorkshire.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P876) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
During the First World War
, it was used as a base by the Royal Flying Corps
as they intercepted German Zeppelins targeting the industrial cities of the North
. In the Second World War
the airfield was used primarily for training purposes, serving as a finishing school for new crews of the larger aircraft in Bomber Command
; only a few combat missions took off from Finningley. The Cold War
saw the airfield's importance rise when it was used for nuclear-armed Vulcan bombers. Training once again became the priority in the 1970s and 1980s before the airport was decommissioned in 1995.
It was reopened as Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield in April 2005 after low-cost flights and rising passenger demand made a new commercial airport feasible. The identity of the airport was controversial with 11,000 people signing a petition to oppose it.
The airport's first commercial flight flew to Palma de Mallorca in Majorca, departing at 0915 on 28 April 2005. The airport was projected to serve at least a million passengers during 2006. The actual figure for its first year was 899,000, making the airport the 23rd largest in the UK. By August 2007 the new airport had handled 2.28 million passengers.
Long haul flights to North America
began in summer 2007, with Flyglobespan
operating to Hamilton, Ontario (for Toronto)
, and Thomsonfly
to Orlando
, Cancún
and Puerto Plata
. All these routes have since been discontinued.
Aer Lingus then launched services to Dublin in 2010, using ATR72 aircraft which were operated by Aer Arann. However load factors made the route no longer viable and it was cancelled in October 2010 just months after its launch.
In December 2009, EasyJet
announced that from April 2010 it would operate flights from Doncaster to Amsterdam
, Barcelona
, Faro
, Palma de Mallorca and Prague
. These flights were expected to carry 300,000 passengers in the first year of operation. However, EasyJet withdrew all flights from the airport with effect from 4 January 2011.
In May 2010 Thomson Airways
announced that it would replace one of its Boeing 737-300's based at the airport with a Boeing 737-800 creating 15,000 additional seats annually. However in May 2011 Thomson Airways announced that it would slash aircraft based at Doncaster by a third, down to two for summer 2012.
Wizz Air
announced a new route for summer 2011 to Vilnius, in addition to its services to Gdansk, Katowice, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw. This route is expected to create around 30,000 extra seats. Peel, the airports owners said that "these extra routes would replace the loss of the EasyJet
flights". Doncaster is Wizz Air
's second largest hub in the United Kingdom
after Luton.
In late 2010, Ryanair
announced flights to Tenerife South
and Faro
airports.
As of 2011, The airport will be the base of the last remaining airworthy Avro Vulcan
aircraft.
In May 2011, it was announced that new airline HiAir will begin trial flights to Amsterdam on 5 September 2011, however these are yet to start.
. This stems from the airport's history as a former long-range nuclear bomber base (see RAF Finningley
), and makes the airport suitable for wide-bodied, long-haul or cargo-carrying aircraft. There is significant room at the airport for further passenger and cargo capacity expansion in the future. As it stands Terminal capacity is around 2.5 million passengers annually.
Inside the passenger terminal are 24 check in desks, 6 departure gates and 3 baggage carousels. Alpha airport shopping, WH Smith, J D Wetherspoons & Costa Coffee
all have retail areas within the terminal as well as gaming facilities.
Part of the airport site is being developed into a business and technology park which will link with the M18 motorway at Junction 3.
A Ramada
Encore chain hotel opened on 10 November 2008, with a 102 bed capacity. Work is also progressing on a new 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) business park across from the terminal, which will link to the access road into the airport.
Defence company BAE Systems
operates its Aircraft Maintenance Academy from No. 3 Hangar at the airport. Other companies that operate within the hangars include Bespoke Training Systems Limited, Kinch Aviation Services - a facility for the maintenance of the Cessna Citation
, which also includes an aircraft spray facility. Anglo European Express(Doncaster)ltd - Onsite regulated agents for airfreight and cargo operations
freight flights, using aircraft
such as the A300
, DC10, MD11, Boeing 747
and Antonov 124. In February 2010, the airport was host to the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov 225.
The airport also notably handled the aircraft which rescued lions from Romania.
There is space and infrastructure in place from RAF Finningley
for further development of cargo services.
and M1 motorway
. There is also a connection from Junction 34 of the A1(M) motorway. The airport has over 2,500 car parking spaces.
is around 40 minutes. Several direct bus services link Doncaster station with the airport.
In addition, the airport lies alongside the Doncaster to Lincoln
railway line, and plans for a station at Finningley
to replace that closed in 1961 have been submitted for local planning permission. Doncaster Council are now considering this with a target opening date of 2011.
, Barnsley
, Retford
, Worksop
and other surrounding areas. At one time there was a shuttle service between Doncaster railway station
/Doncaster Town Centre & Bus station
and the airport, running non-stop. It was numbered 707 and through tickets were sold from the GNER/National Express
/East Coast
website from stations on the ECML direct to the airport, including travel on this bus service. Soon after operations started the 707 route was adjusted to call at local stops along the route, resulting in longer journey times. As of August 2010 the route has been scrapped altogether, with First's 91 service being the 'official' airport bus, with dedicated buses with larger luggage racks being on the route. Despite the 707 airport bus service being withdrawn, as of September the through tickets on the East Coast
website to the airport, including travel on this bus service, are still shown when requested and available to purchase. The only direct 'public transport' route remaining now, from the Town Centre and Railway station to the Airport, is by taxi or minicab.
documentary Should I Really Give Up Flying?, with Doncaster actor Brian Blessed
fronting local opinions on the issue.
Robin Hood Airport has also been a filming location for popular television series such as ITV
's Emmerdale
and BBC
drama Hustle
.
Robin Hood Airport was also the joint sponsor, along with Thomsonfly
, of ITV News
Regional Weather in South Yorkshire.
Come Fly With Me
. Matt Lucas
and David Walliams
spent two weeks at the airport filming. The programme aired from Christmas 2010 through January 2011.
The airport name has caused media controversy as Robin Hood was not, during the 20th century, regularly associated with Doncaster, despite the Barnsdale legends and the references to Robin Hood
in pub names such as the aforementioned Robin Hood and Little John. Many citizens of Nottingham feel that Robin Hood should be the icon of their city alone (despite the fact that it was the Sheriff
that came from Nottingham).
Names that were then suggested by people of the borough and surrounding areas included:
Visitors may refer to the airport as 'Robin Hood' or Doncaster/Sheffield Airport; longstanding local residents may refer to the airport as 'Finningley' or 'Finno'; otherwise the airport is referred to as Doncaster Airport.
In terms of aviation communication, the airport is known as Doncaster (Doncaster Radar, Doncaster Tower etc.)
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located at the former RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....
airbase at Finningley
Finningley
Finningley is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of Nottinghamshire, Finningley lies along the A614 road, about six miles from the centre of Doncaster, at , and at an elevation of around seven metres above sea...
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....
within South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The airport lies 3 NM southeast of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and 18 mi (29 km) east of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
The airport is operated by Peel Airports, a division of Peel Holdings majority owned by Vancouver Airport Services
Vancouver Airport Services
Vancouver Airport Services is an airport management company with 19 airports worldwide. It is a subsidiary of the Vancouver Airport Authority which manages Vancouver International Airport....
. Peel Airports also owns and manages Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England. Formerly known as Speke Airport, RAF Speke, and Liverpool Airport the airport is located within the City of Liverpool adjacent to the estuary of the River Mersey some southeast...
, Durham Tees Valley Airport
Durham Tees Valley Airport
Durham Tees Valley Airport is an international airport in north east England, located southeast of Darlington, about southwest of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. The airport serves County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire, and is in Middleton St George in the borough of Darlington...
, City Airport Manchester and the former Sheffield City Airport (which closed in April 2008). Handling around 875,000 passengers in 2010, the airport is Yorkshire's second largest airport, after Leeds Bradford Airport, although Doncaster and Leeds/Bradford are the only large commercial airports in Yorkshire.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P876) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
History
The airport owes its origins to military aviation, having been founded as Finningley Airfield in 1915.During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it was used as a base by the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
as they intercepted German Zeppelins targeting the industrial cities of the North
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
. In the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the airfield was used primarily for training purposes, serving as a finishing school for new crews of the larger aircraft in Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
; only a few combat missions took off from Finningley. The Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
saw the airfield's importance rise when it was used for nuclear-armed Vulcan bombers. Training once again became the priority in the 1970s and 1980s before the airport was decommissioned in 1995.
It was reopened as Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield in April 2005 after low-cost flights and rising passenger demand made a new commercial airport feasible. The identity of the airport was controversial with 11,000 people signing a petition to oppose it.
The airport's first commercial flight flew to Palma de Mallorca in Majorca, departing at 0915 on 28 April 2005. The airport was projected to serve at least a million passengers during 2006. The actual figure for its first year was 899,000, making the airport the 23rd largest in the UK. By August 2007 the new airport had handled 2.28 million passengers.
Long haul flights to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
began in summer 2007, with Flyglobespan
Flyglobespan
Flyglobespan was a British low-cost airline based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It formerly operated scheduled services from 5 airports across the UK and Ireland to destinations in Europe, North America, North Africa and South Africa. Its main bases were Glasgow International Airport, Edinburgh Airport...
operating to Hamilton, Ontario (for Toronto)
Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport or Hamilton International, , is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is named for John C...
, and Thomsonfly
Thomsonfly
Thomsonfly was a British airline, previously known as Britannia and a business within TUI UK prior to September 2007. Following TUI UK merging with First Choice Holidays in September 2007 it became part of TUI Travel PLC...
to Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
and Puerto Plata
San Felipe de Puerto Plata
San Felipe de Puerto Plata, often referred to as simply Puerto Plata, is the capital of the Dominican province Puerto Plata.The city is famous for resorts such as Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada, located east of San Felipe de Puerto Plata. There are a total of 100,000 hotel beds in the city.The only...
. All these routes have since been discontinued.
Aer Lingus then launched services to Dublin in 2010, using ATR72 aircraft which were operated by Aer Arann. However load factors made the route no longer viable and it was cancelled in October 2010 just months after its launch.
In December 2009, EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
announced that from April 2010 it would operate flights from Doncaster to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Faro
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
, Palma de Mallorca and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. These flights were expected to carry 300,000 passengers in the first year of operation. However, EasyJet withdrew all flights from the airport with effect from 4 January 2011.
In May 2010 Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways is the world's largest charter airline, offering scheduled and charter flights from the UK to destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The company commenced operations on 1 November 2008, following the merger and subsequent re-branding of Thomsonfly and First...
announced that it would replace one of its Boeing 737-300's based at the airport with a Boeing 737-800 creating 15,000 additional seats annually. However in May 2011 Thomson Airways announced that it would slash aircraft based at Doncaster by a third, down to two for summer 2012.
Wizz Air
Wizz Air
Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Kft. is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in the Airport Business Park C2 in Vecsés, close to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, Hungary. The airline typically uses secondary airports serving many cities across Europe.- History :The airline was...
announced a new route for summer 2011 to Vilnius, in addition to its services to Gdansk, Katowice, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw. This route is expected to create around 30,000 extra seats. Peel, the airports owners said that "these extra routes would replace the loss of the EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
flights". Doncaster is Wizz Air
Wizz Air
Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Kft. is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in the Airport Business Park C2 in Vecsés, close to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, Hungary. The airline typically uses secondary airports serving many cities across Europe.- History :The airline was...
's second largest hub in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after Luton.
In late 2010, Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
announced flights to Tenerife South
Tenerife South Airport
Tenerife South Airport , previously known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport, is one of two international airports located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands . Between its opening and the end of 2006, a total of 173,912,207 passengers passed through the airport...
and Faro
Faro Airport
-Incidents and accidents:*On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 skidded off the runway in bad weather at Faro Airport killing 54 passengers and two crew out of a total of 340 people on board....
airports.
As of 2011, The airport will be the base of the last remaining airworthy Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
aircraft.
In May 2011, it was announced that new airline HiAir will begin trial flights to Amsterdam on 5 September 2011, however these are yet to start.
Facilities
The airport currently has a single runway designated 02/20, with a length of 2893 by, making it longer and wider than those at many other airports in Northern EnglandNorthern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
. This stems from the airport's history as a former long-range nuclear bomber base (see RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....
), and makes the airport suitable for wide-bodied, long-haul or cargo-carrying aircraft. There is significant room at the airport for further passenger and cargo capacity expansion in the future. As it stands Terminal capacity is around 2.5 million passengers annually.
Inside the passenger terminal are 24 check in desks, 6 departure gates and 3 baggage carousels. Alpha airport shopping, WH Smith, J D Wetherspoons & Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse company founded in 1971 by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa, as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. Since 1995 it has been a subsidiary of Whitbread, since when the company has grown to over...
all have retail areas within the terminal as well as gaming facilities.
Part of the airport site is being developed into a business and technology park which will link with the M18 motorway at Junction 3.
A Ramada
Ramada
Ramada is a hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Worldwide.- History :The lodging chain was founded in 1953 by longtime Chicago restaurateur Marion W...
Encore chain hotel opened on 10 November 2008, with a 102 bed capacity. Work is also progressing on a new 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) business park across from the terminal, which will link to the access road into the airport.
Defence company BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
operates its Aircraft Maintenance Academy from No. 3 Hangar at the airport. Other companies that operate within the hangars include Bespoke Training Systems Limited, Kinch Aviation Services - a facility for the maintenance of the Cessna Citation
Cessna Citation
The Cessna Citation is a marketing name used by Cessna for its line of business jets. Rather than one particular model of aircraft, the name applies to several "families" of turbofan-powered aircraft that have been produced over the years...
, which also includes an aircraft spray facility. Anglo European Express(Doncaster)ltd - Onsite regulated agents for airfreight and cargo operations
Airlines and destinations
Cargo flights
The airport currently handles occasional one-off ad hocAd hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
freight flights, using aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
such as the A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
, DC10, MD11, Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
and Antonov 124. In February 2010, the airport was host to the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov 225.
The airport also notably handled the aircraft which rescued lions from Romania.
There is space and infrastructure in place from RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....
for further development of cargo services.
Flight training
The airport is home to Doncaster Sheffield Flying School which is the only flying school in Doncaster, offering introductory flying lessons, pilot training and aircraft hire.Statistics
In 2007 over one million passengers used the airport, however this had decreased to around 875,000 by 2010.| Number of Movements | Passengers Change YoY | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 600,907 | 6,914 | - | |
| 2006 | 948,017 | 10,642 | 57.8% | |
| 2007 | 1,078,374 | 12,667 | 13.8% | |
| 2008 | 968,481 | 13,066 | 10.2% | |
| 2009 | 835,768 | 10,584 | 13.7% | |
| 2010 | 876,153 | 11,030 | 4.8% | |
| Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority The Civil Aviation Authority is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA head office is located in the CAA House on Kingsway in Holborn, London Borough of Camden... |
||||
| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % Change 2009 / 10 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Spain - Palma de MallorcaPalma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport... |
73,777 | 63.5 | |
| 2 | Spain - Alicante Alicante Airport Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty... |
68,215 | 32.8 | |
| 3 |  Poland - KatowiceKatowice International Airport Katowice International Airport is an international airport, located in Pyrzowice, north of center of Katowice, Poland. The airport has third biggest passenger flow in Poland.... |
55,632 | 10.6 | |
| 4 | Poland - Gdansk |
46,458 | 3.0 | |
| 5 |  Portugal - FaroFaro Airport -Incidents and accidents:*On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 skidded off the runway in bad weather at Faro Airport killing 54 passengers and two crew out of a total of 340 people on board.... |
45,381 | 36.7 | |
| 6 |  Turkey - DalamanDalaman Airport - Traffic Statistics :Source: DHMI.gov.tr... |
43,667 | 75.5 | |
| 7 | Poland - Poznań |
41,245 | 2.3 | |
| 8 |  Netherlands - Amsterdam |
40,692 | - | |
| 9 | Poland - Warsaw Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport Warsaw Chopin Airport is an international airport located in the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland. Poland's busiest airport, Warsaw Chopin handles just under 50% of the country's air passenger traffic.... |
35,989 | 12.5 | |
| 10 |  Sharm el-SheikhSharm el-Sheikh International Airport Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport , formerly known as Ophira International Airport, is an international airport located in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt... |
34,610 | 65.5 | |
| Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority The Civil Aviation Authority is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA head office is located in the CAA House on Kingsway in Holborn, London Borough of Camden... http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=80&pagetype=88&pageid=3&sglid=3 |
||||
Road
The airport is located close to the M18 motorway, but currently has no direct link road. In April 2011 funding (from the Regional Growth Fund) was announced for a direct motorway road link from Junction 3 of the M18 to the airport, construction may start in 2012. Also nearby are the A1(M) Motorway, M62 motorwayM62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
and M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
. There is also a connection from Junction 34 of the A1(M) motorway. The airport has over 2,500 car parking spaces.
Rail
Doncaster station is 7 mi (11.3 km) from the airport. Doncaster is 1 hour 35 minutes from London Kings Cross or 40 minutes from Leeds City going north. The journey to Sheffield stationSheffield Midland station
Sheffield station, formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland, is a railway station in Sheffield, England and is the busiest station in South Yorkshire...
is around 40 minutes. Several direct bus services link Doncaster station with the airport.
In addition, the airport lies alongside the Doncaster to Lincoln
Doncaster to Lincoln Line
The Doncaster to Lincoln line is a railway line in England. It runs from Doncaster south east to Lincoln.Services on the line are provided by East Midlands Trains and Northern Rail, with a few continuing through Lincoln to the Peterborough to Lincoln Line.The towns and villages served by the route...
railway line, and plans for a station at Finningley
Finningley railway station
Finningley railway station was a railway station built to serve the villages of Finningley and Blaxton, South Yorkshire, England.- History :...
to replace that closed in 1961 have been submitted for local planning permission. Doncaster Council are now considering this with a target opening date of 2011.
Bus
There are regular bus services linking the airport with DoncasterDoncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Retford
Retford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, and 23 miles west of Lincoln, in the district of Bassetlaw. The town is situated in a valley with the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal running through the centre of the...
, Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
and other surrounding areas. At one time there was a shuttle service between Doncaster railway station
Doncaster railway station
Doncaster railway station serves the town of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross, and is about five minutes walk from Doncaster town centre. The station is managed by East Coast...
/Doncaster Town Centre & Bus station
Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange
Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange is a transport interchange located in the Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange is home to 30 bus bays, and also connects the shopping centre with the town's railway station....
and the airport, running non-stop. It was numbered 707 and through tickets were sold from the GNER/National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
/East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
website from stations on the ECML direct to the airport, including travel on this bus service. Soon after operations started the 707 route was adjusted to call at local stops along the route, resulting in longer journey times. As of August 2010 the route has been scrapped altogether, with First's 91 service being the 'official' airport bus, with dedicated buses with larger luggage racks being on the route. Despite the 707 airport bus service being withdrawn, as of September the through tickets on the East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
website to the airport, including travel on this bus service, are still shown when requested and available to purchase. The only direct 'public transport' route remaining now, from the Town Centre and Railway station to the Airport, is by taxi or minicab.
Security incidents
- On 6 January 2010, Paul Chambers, who was intending to travel from Doncaster Sheffield, posted a message to TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
threatening to bomb the airport. He was later arrested. (Main article: Twitter Joke Trial)
Airport in the media
During its first few years of operation, Robin Hood Airport has featured in the media, in particular numerous articles on its status as the UK's newest international airport have seen it become part of the debate into air tourism and environmental issues. On 24 January 2007, the airport featured in the BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
documentary Should I Really Give Up Flying?, with Doncaster actor Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
fronting local opinions on the issue.
Robin Hood Airport has also been a filming location for popular television series such as ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama Hustle
Hustle (TV series)
Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
.
Robin Hood Airport was also the joint sponsor, along with Thomsonfly
Thomsonfly
Thomsonfly was a British airline, previously known as Britannia and a business within TUI UK prior to September 2007. Following TUI UK merging with First Choice Holidays in September 2007 it became part of TUI Travel PLC...
, of ITV News
ITV News
ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the...
Regional Weather in South Yorkshire.
Come Fly with Me
Doncaster Airport was also used as one of the settings for the BBC mockumentaryMockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
Come Fly With Me
Come Fly with Me (2010 TV series)
Come Fly with Me is a British mockumentary television comedy series created by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Narrated by Lindsay Duncan, the series launched on 25 December 2010 on BBC One and BBC One HD...
. Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
and David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
spent two weeks at the airport filming. The programme aired from Christmas 2010 through January 2011.
Airport name
The name is now often simply referred to on travel websites and on other literature as Doncaster/Sheffield Airport or Doncaster Airport, even though the official name is Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield. It was renamed 'Robin Hood' based on the following local information:- The original Robin Hood legends are set in Barnsdale Forest, the area of South Yorkshire which surrounded Doncaster and Pontefract. This legend is reinforced by the fact that the now closed village pub in nearby Hatfield Woodhouse is known as the Robin Hood and Little JohnLittle JohnLittle John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...
. - The airport has a historical connection to Nottinghamshire (as the parish of Finningley was, until 1974 and the Local Government Act 1972Local Government Act 1972The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, administered as part of Nottinghamshire) and still resides in the boundary of the Diocese of Nottingham. - The runway extension (completed in 1957) to accommodate Vulcan bombersAvro VulcanThe Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
, extended the airfield into the county of NottinghamshireNottinghamshireNottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. - Some later Robin Hood legends - and the popular 20th century books, films and TV programmes are set in Sherwood ForestSherwood ForestSherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
. - The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is closer to what is left of Sherwood Forest than the city of NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
is. - The forests of Sherwood and Barnsdale merged in this area of Yorkshire.
- The name would provide an identity which would raise a lot of attention (if a little controversy) for the airport and create a marketing opportunity.
The airport name has caused media controversy as Robin Hood was not, during the 20th century, regularly associated with Doncaster, despite the Barnsdale legends and the references to Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
in pub names such as the aforementioned Robin Hood and Little John. Many citizens of Nottingham feel that Robin Hood should be the icon of their city alone (despite the fact that it was the Sheriff
Sheriff of Nottingham
The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is...
that came from Nottingham).
Names that were then suggested by people of the borough and surrounding areas included:
- Doncaster International Airport
- South Yorkshire International Airport
- Finningley International Airport
Visitors may refer to the airport as 'Robin Hood' or Doncaster/Sheffield Airport; longstanding local residents may refer to the airport as 'Finningley' or 'Finno'; otherwise the airport is referred to as Doncaster Airport.
In terms of aviation communication, the airport is known as Doncaster (Doncaster Radar, Doncaster Tower etc.)