Sheffield Airport To Close - 22nd April 08
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Very sad news, and will put the City of Sheffield back at the top of the list as the largest European City without an airport.I guess the City fathers dont care anymore because whilst this was an embarrassement thirty/twenty years ago, maybe it doesn't matter anymore?
Do Doncaster allow/encourage/tolerate business and private aircraft?
Otherwise where is there near to Sheffield GA-wise? Netherthorpe has short runways, and Coal Aston has a low weekly movements limit.
Anyone fancy trying for some development money and opening a GA facility in the area....?
Nah! where's my medication, doctor!
EGCA
Do Doncaster allow/encourage/tolerate business and private aircraft?
Otherwise where is there near to Sheffield GA-wise? Netherthorpe has short runways, and Coal Aston has a low weekly movements limit.
Anyone fancy trying for some development money and opening a GA facility in the area....?
Nah! where's my medication, doctor!
EGCA
Better red than ...
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Beyond speculation
1. All staff at the airport have been given notice of being at risk of redundency (wed 22 Jan).
2. Nothing has been said to any operators as yet.
3. There may be a meeting with operators in about 2 weeks (who are also tenants and hence have rights in law) to provide details of ????
Speculation
1. Peel have cut a deal for a major industrial unit or equiv and hence are cashing in their £1 purchase of the site to make a windfall profit now.
2. This may include demol of the terminal and hangar area (which is in greenbelt land).
3. Previous airport manager (one of..) stated that "there would always be aviation at Sheffield" as the E end is greenbelt and hence cannot be developed.
1. All staff at the airport have been given notice of being at risk of redundency (wed 22 Jan).
2. Nothing has been said to any operators as yet.
3. There may be a meeting with operators in about 2 weeks (who are also tenants and hence have rights in law) to provide details of ????
Speculation
1. Peel have cut a deal for a major industrial unit or equiv and hence are cashing in their £1 purchase of the site to make a windfall profit now.
2. This may include demol of the terminal and hangar area (which is in greenbelt land).
3. Previous airport manager (one of..) stated that "there would always be aviation at Sheffield" as the E end is greenbelt and hence cannot be developed.
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Firstly, yes I agree that it is a very sad and worrying time for staff at EGSY, and having been at threat of redundancy last year, followed by the actual event it is not a nice feeling at all and our thoughts should go to a great bunch of people who do a good joband make you feel welcome on arrival at the terminal. Indeed my own point of view is about the weekend jolly, but the wider picture is very sad and I wish every single one of them good luck in finding work.
As for the other fields around, if you are local to the area then yes, Sandtoft, Gamston, Netherthorpe (perhaps) and to a lesser extent Wickenby are all great fields to fly from. Gamston is a particular favourite haunt of mine as you can do the bacon butty run from Sheffield to Gamston for less than an hour in the air, great on a tight budget! But I am already travelling from the other side of the Penines and it takes me over an hour in each direction to get to Sheffield. Going any further takes the shine off it and increases the expense of flying. I like Sheffield for its warm welcome, easy access from where I live, tarmac runway and is about as far as I want to travel from home. For me I am left with little optiion other than travelling further.
Corporate Britain is yet again ripping off the stakeholders and getting away with it whilst the government look on smiling. Perhaps Peel should be hit with a tax bill for the (alledgedly) disgustingly immoral amount of profit they are about to make at the expense of a good little airport staffed by some great people.
Shame on you Peel (Not that you are at all bothered)
As for the other fields around, if you are local to the area then yes, Sandtoft, Gamston, Netherthorpe (perhaps) and to a lesser extent Wickenby are all great fields to fly from. Gamston is a particular favourite haunt of mine as you can do the bacon butty run from Sheffield to Gamston for less than an hour in the air, great on a tight budget! But I am already travelling from the other side of the Penines and it takes me over an hour in each direction to get to Sheffield. Going any further takes the shine off it and increases the expense of flying. I like Sheffield for its warm welcome, easy access from where I live, tarmac runway and is about as far as I want to travel from home. For me I am left with little optiion other than travelling further.
Corporate Britain is yet again ripping off the stakeholders and getting away with it whilst the government look on smiling. Perhaps Peel should be hit with a tax bill for the (alledgedly) disgustingly immoral amount of profit they are about to make at the expense of a good little airport staffed by some great people.
Shame on you Peel (Not that you are at all bothered)
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that is a shame yes. I have heard nothing to suggest that SY99, our force helicopter is moving home. In fact our OPs support is based there so I doubt that will move. Mind it has its own landing pad etc anyway.
Liam
Liam
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The second Yorkshire Air Ambulance, G-CEMS, is also based at EGSY, and there is nothing shown on the air ambulance website about a move away.
Surely it is not beyond the realms of possibility for Sheffield to salvage a decent heliport out of this situation? A heliport that allows for general aviation rotary wing operation as well as the police and emergency services?
Come on City Fathers, get real!
EGCA
Surely it is not beyond the realms of possibility for Sheffield to salvage a decent heliport out of this situation? A heliport that allows for general aviation rotary wing operation as well as the police and emergency services?
Come on City Fathers, get real!
EGCA
Avoid imitations
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Yes, a very good idea. I think it's ideally placed in the country for a helicopter refuel stop / bolthole.
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Police and amulance are staying. Police will be moving into different hangerage next to TAMS where the ambulance is at present... What happens to TAMS who knows? The tower is going so i suppose it'll become a private heliport/helipad
niknak
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Heli red eye and Cumulogranite:
Your speculation is just that and nothing more, you clearly haven't a clue what it costs to run a place like Sheffiled.
Peel took the place on when no one else would and it was on the verge of closure.
They have spent a lot of money keeping it running and are no different from any other speculator in being perfectly entitled to take the profit when, as has been proven, Sheffield City Airport has no commercial future.
Past and current operations do not pay the operating costs, clearly it couldn't be subsidised by by the local taxpayers and it has no future as an airport.
As I've said before the site as an industrial estate, will contribute more to the local economy than the airport ever did, in that respect, Peel owe you or anyone else nothing and should be applauded, not criticised by a bunch of Little Englanders with a village mentality.
Your speculation is just that and nothing more, you clearly haven't a clue what it costs to run a place like Sheffiled.
Peel took the place on when no one else would and it was on the verge of closure.
They have spent a lot of money keeping it running and are no different from any other speculator in being perfectly entitled to take the profit when, as has been proven, Sheffield City Airport has no commercial future.
Past and current operations do not pay the operating costs, clearly it couldn't be subsidised by by the local taxpayers and it has no future as an airport.
As I've said before the site as an industrial estate, will contribute more to the local economy than the airport ever did, in that respect, Peel owe you or anyone else nothing and should be applauded, not criticised by a bunch of Little Englanders with a village mentality.
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I heard that the Air ambulance mob signed on for a 2 year contract in October 2007, Can you really see the place staying open as a heliport with only 2 explorers and a couple of robbos? I doubt it very much, still the runway will make a lovely high street.
Better red than ...
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you clearly haven't a clue what it costs to run a place like Sheffiled.
That aside, I am a customer, and I expect to hear about major changes from my supplier from them rather than the rumour mill. I am also a tenant, and hence have rights in law. I also have a contract and these cannot be unilaterally changed.
I am not a
market trader
A strange combination of The Peoples Republic and the Capitalist Hordes - one is reminded of the final paragraph of Animal Farm. I think I understand now why Blunket set his dog on me on New Years Day.
I also recall the whole saga of the SDC and the amount of business that was turned away from the region in the name of ego. I guess a few people missed out on this time and want a second go now.
Have a nice day.
Last edited by helicopter-redeye; 28th Jan 2008 at 10:42. Reason: Thank you ShyTorque
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niknak also knows sod all about the real economics behind the airport. Here's something that I posted elsewhere:
2005 accounts for the activities at Sheffield City Airport:
Sheffield Business Parks Ltd
who made a profit of £3,968,832 and declared a dividend of £6,000,000. Tangible fixed assets of the company stood at £24,388,438. They also got a grant of £6,719,455 from the European Regional Development Fund of which 67,195 has been repaid. Tax charge for 2005 £126,478
They, along with Peel Airports Ltd are joint venture partners in:
Sheffield Airport Properties Ltd
Profit of £130,573 on a turnover of £297,938.
They have one property asset (the airport) that they lease for £297,938 pa to:
Sheffield City Airport Ltd
The airport operator who even while paying that enormous rent actually made a gross profit of £127,022 but after 'administrative expenses' it became a loss of £406,177.
Sheffield City Council sold the airport for the princely sum of £1 because 'it wasn't viable.
£3.7m profit in 2005 doesn't sound unviable to me.
2005 accounts for the activities at Sheffield City Airport:
Sheffield Business Parks Ltd
who made a profit of £3,968,832 and declared a dividend of £6,000,000. Tangible fixed assets of the company stood at £24,388,438. They also got a grant of £6,719,455 from the European Regional Development Fund of which 67,195 has been repaid. Tax charge for 2005 £126,478
They, along with Peel Airports Ltd are joint venture partners in:
Sheffield Airport Properties Ltd
Profit of £130,573 on a turnover of £297,938.
They have one property asset (the airport) that they lease for £297,938 pa to:
Sheffield City Airport Ltd
The airport operator who even while paying that enormous rent actually made a gross profit of £127,022 but after 'administrative expenses' it became a loss of £406,177.
Sheffield City Council sold the airport for the princely sum of £1 because 'it wasn't viable.
£3.7m profit in 2005 doesn't sound unviable to me.
Thread Starter
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Sheffield City Airport has no commercial future.
Shortening the runway wasn't exactly good business sense, I am sure they knew what they are donig from the start.
Eltonioni posts shows the real figures and blows Niknak out of the water. They got it for a song and are making massive amounts of money off the back of it.
Avoid imitations
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Capitalist Hoards
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It does take the biscuit when some people say that EGSY was not a commercial proposition.
It certainly was, and the only reason it is more attractive as a lucrative development opportunity for Peel is the amazing deal they agreed with the council which meant little or no incentive for them to make a success of the place.
It's a complete red herring to say that is is better as a business park. If it was just an undeveloped piece of land where it is, it would stay undeveloped. There are even several large buildings in the business park next to the airport that remain empty so talk of jobs being created by EGSY closing is misguided.
It certainly was, and the only reason it is more attractive as a lucrative development opportunity for Peel is the amazing deal they agreed with the council which meant little or no incentive for them to make a success of the place.
It's a complete red herring to say that is is better as a business park. If it was just an undeveloped piece of land where it is, it would stay undeveloped. There are even several large buildings in the business park next to the airport that remain empty so talk of jobs being created by EGSY closing is misguided.
