Chamber patronage takes off for Airport

5th February 2014

Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield has become a patron of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce for 2014.

The airport is the main provider of international travel services from the Sheffield City Region, offering flights to global destinations for both passengers and cargo. Access to more than 30 destinations around the world are available, including Spain, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, Poland, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Egypt and Lithuania. Doncaster Sheffield Airport is also working with businesses in a bid to develop new routes to key cities during 2014 and to reach the long-term potential of the airport. In addition, freight services are increasing year-on-year with the airport moving in excess of 400 tonnes of cargo per annum, while plans are being developed to establish a business focused link to an international hub. The partnership with Sheffield Chamber also coincides with work getting underway to develop the new Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS) link road from Junction 3 of the M18. The new road will see journey times for passengers and cargo operators from Sheffield City Centre to the airport reduced to just 25 minutes. It is expected that the development could lead to the creation of more than 20,000 jobs and investment of £1.5bn in the area. Steve Gill, Managing Director for Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: -We are pleased to develop a partnership with Sheffield Chamber of Commerce. The new FARRRS link road will make accessing the airport even easier from Sheffield and with a growing list of destinations we are becoming the main airport of choice for many residents and businesses in the city region. -We look forward to working closer with Sheffield Chamber in the coming year through events, networking and pushing the profile of the city region to a national and international audience and also delivering new routes for the business community. Amanda Pilgrim, head of business development at Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, added: -As a Chamber we support transformational projects which will have a significant impact on the city region economy. The FARRRS development is such as a project. We are therefore delighted to develop this partnership with Doncaster Sheffield Airport and to work with them on helping to deliver their strategic goals of growing passenger and freight traffic. -The airport has become an important strategic asset for the city region to improve international trade opportunities for businesses. Its 3,000m runway makes it one of only a handful of regional airports in the UK capable of hosting long haul passenger and freight services to destinations around the world. Doncaster Sheffield Airport is already patrons of Doncaster Chamber, and members of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber and Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber.