00:00When did you first have reason to believe there'd be no passenger flights from Doncaster Sheffield Airport in Springfield?
00:05It would have been early August, summertime, when we was actually working through all the work that was given South Yorkshire MCA
00:14for the assurance work that we thought it's going to be later because of all the assurance work.
00:21However, you know, there could have been passenger flights come June, July time 26th if we was prepared to underwrite the costs.
00:35But as we've not got the air corridors, as we've not got the airport actually got all the health and safety checks,
00:44we couldn't take that risk because these are two things outside of our control.
00:48Can I just confirm that? Is that the first time you had any reason to believe it wouldn't happen in Springfield 26th or that's when you knew?
00:55This is when we knew. You're waiting to see. So it was early August and as I say, it's us doing and helping with the assurance work.
01:03We thought we're not going to get there. As I said, it could have been our summer 26th if we'd been prepared to underwrite the airlines.
01:14But they're outside our control, the air corridors.
01:17Would it be fair to say that there was reason to believe it wouldn't be possible earlier than that?
01:21I think I'm always hopeful that we opened it yesterday, as you know, and therefore we just needed to get that assurance.
01:31And we haven't got that as yet. We're still working behind the scenes with the CAA to get the air corridors.
01:37Also working with the airlines. So we've not stopped working, but that was summer, really.
01:44I just want to ask you this then, because at the end of 2024, which is roughly when the Gainshare decision was supposed to be,
01:52the line that yourself and your office and the Labour Party were promising people was that they would have passenger flights in spring 2024.
01:59That was the direct quote. Before the election in May, that was changed to open airport by spring 2024.
02:05There's a clear change there, which is, for most people, not obvious.
02:09But it's obvious enough to suggest that you guys knew something was different, something had changed.
02:14I think that would just be the number of words that we're having to put on literature.
02:19They were both in Facebook posts, just pictures in Facebook posts.
02:22Yeah, it's words that we actually used. We're actually looking, and as I said, we wanted it open as soon as possible.
02:29And it came to be summer, August time, when we knew when we were doing the assurance work,
02:35because, of course, we've still got to get the funding at that time.
02:39Do you accept it was misleading to continue to allow people?
02:41I don't accept it, because at the time it was printed, that was the information we'd got at that date.
02:47That was correct at that date.
02:48I think it's also fair to argue that for most people in Doncaster,
02:52the phrase an open airport would refer to something that they can catch a flight from to go on holiday.
02:56The airport has been open, as you know, with 2XL flying from there.
03:00And we also know, when you look, that we should have a great flight from there in summer 26,
03:07and people able to hopefully put their holidays towards the end of 26 to fly at the end of 27.
03:17But there's so many interdependencies, and they're outside of our control.
03:23And just on that topic of freight flights in summer 26,
03:27because this is something that I think is going to confuse voters as well,
03:30because it confuses me too.
03:31That's different to what Oliver Coppard says.
03:35Oliver Coppard says that freight flights will be in spring 2027.
03:38He just says in 2027, sorry.
03:41You've suggested summer 2026.
03:42Same as passenger flights.
03:43You've suggested end of 2027 slash now the winter of 27, 28.
03:48He says 2028, exactly.
03:50This is the advice, as our officers are continuing to talk to airlines,
03:54continuing to talk to freight.
03:56But again, there are interdependencies,
03:59and that is getting the air corridors,
04:01and also getting the certification of the aerodrome.
04:05And they're outside.
04:06But we are already recruiting people now to actually pick up the work,
04:11to get our runways certified, get the airports certified.
04:15So I believe, subject to those interdependencies, we can do it then.
04:23I think Mayor Coppard is being rather cautious,
04:27but I will keep pushing our officers as quickly as possible,
04:32because these are the jobs and growth that Doncaster and South Yorkshire
04:37and Widerfield need.
04:39But why can the people of Doncaster and South Yorkshire now,
04:43because Simca are involved, how can they trust yourself and Mayor Coppard
04:48to get this over the line when you can't agree on when it's going to happen?
04:52We can't agree on when it's going to happen on the basis
04:55that I'm being optimistic of getting through the CAA more quickly than that
05:01and also getting this certification of the aerodrome.
05:04Mayor Coppard is being a little bit more careful,
05:07and therefore, if you listen to what he said,
05:10is he thinks it will be 28, but hopefully it may be earlier.
05:15And I believe, hopefully, it will be earlier.
05:18But he also said it was unlikely to be before 2028.
05:21So the signs he says, his officers are telling him 2028 is the most likely option,
05:26but you just said your officers are telling you otherwise.
05:28Ah, Doncaster is now leading on this, isn't it?
05:31Doncaster is the one that's doing the negotiation with the CAA.
05:34Of course, we're passing the information on.
05:37Doncaster assisted in the assurance work,
05:40and it's actually come out just the same,
05:43and therefore, overall, the extra assurance work,
05:49I understand, for good governance.
05:50However, if it have taken the work that was there and done at that time,
05:55and the information changes over time, as you can appreciate,
05:59and information will keep changing,
06:00but we will keep coming back and letting people know
06:03because as soon as we get the air corridor certification,
06:08we'll let people know.
06:10As soon as we get the airport certification,
06:11we'll let people know.
06:13Life moves on, and these interdependencies will affect.
06:17And, of course, our discussions with the airlines,
06:21and they will depend.
06:23And as I said earlier, if we'd have underwritten,
06:26they could have been flying from there in 26,
06:28again, subject to the CAA giving us the air corridors and that.
06:33But we couldn't risk that amount of monies to underwrite
06:36because it's outside of our control.
06:39And my last kind of prepared question for you was before I asked you the classic,
06:43do you have anything else to say thing to finish?
06:46With the benefit of hindsight,
06:48going back to this spring 2026 for passenger flights projection,
06:51with the benefit of hindsight,
06:53do you think it would have been better to tell people explicitly earlier on
06:58that it would not have happened in spring 2026?
07:00I think we can always benefit with hindsight.
07:05I haven't got a crystal ball,
07:06and I'm not in charge of two interdependencies and airlines.
07:11We are negotiating.
07:12So we told them when we knew, which was coming summer.
07:17Sorry.
07:18As was assisting the MCA with doing their assurance works.
07:23That's when we actually said it.
07:26And anything else, Mara?
07:27I think people want to see that airport open.
07:31So do I, as soon as possible.
07:33We will work like Trojans in order to get it open.
07:37And I'll be delighted to be on the first flight,
07:40if I can afford to go on it,
07:43when it actually leaves our runways.
07:46Awesome. Thank you, Mara.
07:47You are welcome.
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