I think a couple of relevant points to this thread have been lost in time. Taken from evidence put in the public domain during the Finningley Public Inquiry -
1. Peel were approached to purchase SZD only after other parties had declined it, including MAG.
2. When any business is losing money it can be sold for a small amount as the purchaser is buying the obligation to fund losses. SZD was a loss making business prior to Peel's involvement
3. The deal was signed in August 2011, one month later 9.11 happened and 2 of the 3 operators left, BA and Aer Arann, simply because it was already poor performing and the 9.11 impact decimated their loads
4. Evidence at the Inquiry, not disputed at the time, showed that Sabena left because of poor performance and said they would not return. KLM left when they upgraded their fleet and the runway became too short for them.
5. Despite being last to be invited to take it on, Peel committed to try to win in new business, which given that the likes of Ryanair, easyJet, TUI etc all have no aircraft small enough, meant that Flybe were one of the few left who :-
a) could land their (with their aircraft being small enough) and
b) hadn't loved and lost like Sabena and Aer Arann.
Flybe and any other left, were approached with a no airport charges deal plus marketing incentives but firmly said no.
6. No business person came in from the region to say they were going to start a commercial airline
And for those who criticise Peel as a property developer, remember it was they who delivered something like 800% growth at Liverpool at a time when no others would buy it. So SZD could have happened, but most probably needed a much longer runway.
Looking ahead Sheffield leaders ought to go the 20-25 mins to DSA and stick a flag in the ground; rename it Sheffield Doncaster Airport if you like (it's as close to Sheffield as many leading European airports are to their cities); capitalise on the fact that the Sheffield City Region already includes this 3000m runway and lobby for fast road connections;
Had the region pulled itself together, perhaps the HS2 would be having Sheffield Doncaster Airport as a stop and with fast road links that would probably helped the job market there.
Last edited by aboveusonlysky; 29th Jan 2013 at 15:43.