The decision over the future of Doncaster Sheffield airport has been delayed until the middle of next month by its owner.
Peel Group, which runs the UK airport, is undertaking a strategic review into its future after suggesting Doncaster Sheffield “may no longer be commercially viable”, following the withdrawal of Wizz Air from the airport earlier this summer.
The original six-week consultation process had been due to end in the next few days, but Peel Group has now extended it until 16 September.
Local politicians in the English region have been calling for more time to consider the airport’s future and have appealed to the Peel Group to extend the deadline for a final decision until the end of the year.
“From the beginning of the review process, we have advised stakeholders that we would be willing to extend the timetable of the strategic review if there were tangible proposals to consider that address the underlying lack of viability of the aviation operations,” said the airport’s owner in a statement.
“To continue the uncertainty by prolonging the strategic review until the end of 2022, as requested, without any tangible proposals to consider would be unsustainable for colleagues employed at the airport and untenable for our business partners, airlines and passengers.”
Peel Group added that it has now agreed to extend the consultation to 16 September to “allow more time for key stakeholders to conclude their discussions”, even though there had been a “lack of any tangible proposals from public or private sector partners”.