Following the announcement of a substantial fund, Doncaster Sheffield Airport has seen the first aircraft in two years return to its base as reopening pends.
The aircraft, a 1977 Piper Panther PA31 Navajo twin-engine utility aircraft, belongs to 2Excel, an aviation and aerospace company, and is used as a search and rescue spotter plane. 2Excel has occupied a hangar at the airport for over ten years, and while it had continued technical delivery operations on the site, the company had relocated its fleet at the closing of the facility.
Now, with the arrival of this first aeroplane and the rest of the fleet expected over the coming months, 2Excel will use the hangar to house aircraft over the winter period as part of its maintenance programme, having been granted permission by Doncaster Council.
“We know how important the airport is to local people and businesses, so it is great to see an already established aviation business in our city being able to use the site again,” said Mayor Ros Jones. “2Excel is a great supporter of the airport and a strong advocate for the aviation industry in Doncaster and them returning their aircraft to the site as part of their winter planning is really a positive step. Their presence sends a signal to others about the importance of the site as a strategic base.”
Jones continued: “I have made reopening our beloved airport my number one priority. We are still working steadfastly to reopen the airport by Spring 2026 and there will be further news forthcoming in early 2025. Progress is going well, and further updates will be given in the New Year.”
“It’s a testament to all at 2Excel that we absorbed the pain caused by the unexpected closure of Doncaster to aviation in November 2022,” commented Andy Offer, Director and Co-founder at 2Excel. “It’s a place we’ve been proud to call our home for more than a decade. But it’s important to recognise that we never left! Throughout the past two years, some 150 people have continued to work in Hangar 3, day in, day out.”
He added: “City of Doncaster Council have never lost sight of the goal to reopen the airport, and we’ve remained in constant contact. We look forward to continuing to work with both the Council and the new operator to return Doncaster airport to its rightful place as a major employer in the South Yorkshire region. The airport can regain its status as a hub for creating economic prosperity and employment for well-paid and highly skilled people – including our employees who create nationally strategic technologies and delver critical services to the British public and Government.”
Photo: City of Doncaster Council
