Robin Hood Airport – United Kingdom
Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport has started commercial flights. The first departed last Thursday, 28 April, with Thomsonfly.
The aircraft took off at 0915 local time, carrying 149 passengers bound for Palma. The inauguration of commercial services marks the culmination of over five years work by airport developers Peel Airports.
Robin Hood Airport is the first full service, purpose built airport to be constructed and licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority in more than 50 years. It is built on the site of the former RAF Finningley airbase. RAF Finningley opened in 1936 and is best known as the front line Bomber Command base during World War II and the Cold War. The base also provided an air crew training centre for pilots and navigators.
The airport runway is just under 2 miles (2891 metres) long and was resurfaced in 1989 before the Ministry of Defence declared the site surplus to requirement in March 1995. The station flag was finally lowered in April 1996 and many feared that this would be the end of this famous airbase. However, in June 1999 Peel Holdings purchased the site with the view to turning it into a commercial airport serving 2.3m passengers and 62,000 tonnes of freight.
Because of the excellent quality of the infrastructure already in place – the airport has one of the longest runways in the north of England – Robin Hood Airport has the capacity to handle charter, scheduled, long-haul, freight, general and business aviation internationally.
Essentials:
Doncaster Sheffield EGCN Lat: 532829N Long: 0010016W 3 nm SE of Doncaster Elevation: 55 ft Tel: 01302 801010 Operational hours; winter 0600-2200, summer 0500-2100 (and by arrangement) Customs and immigration: available as required Fuel: AVTUR Jet-A1, AVGAS 100LL Facilities: Restaurant & bar, taxis, car hire, buses and shuttle to Doncaster Railway station
Runways: 02/20 2891 x 60 metres, asphalt Frequencies: Doncaster Approach 126.225, Doncaster Tower 128.775, Doncaster Radar 126.225 and 129.050, ATIS Doncaster Information 134.950 Booking out by telephone to ATC. High viz vests mandatory airside. No overhead joins. Join circuit as instructed by ATC. Visual circuits R20 LH, R02RH at 1,000 ft unless instructed otherwise by ATC.
See the AIP for noise abatement procedures and other info.
Airfield Postcode: DN9 3RHAirfield Website: www.robinhoodairport.com
