How the use of Doncaster Sheffield Airport can benefit business growth. Chamber member explains

26th July 2016

Sheffield City Region is renowned for exporting manufactured products but we are also exporting expertise around the world.

Quality Context delivers expert quality solutions and analysis to pharmaceutical and healthcare businesses. We were founded in 2009 and have now delivered client services to companies in over 50 countries. How we get to our clients and how much it costs matters a great deal. Ensuring our team arrive safely and well rested ensures they can support our clients from the moment they get off the plane. Until recently most journeys started off with disappointment. A slow train to Manchester Airport or the long trek to London was the default position. This year all that changed. The opening up of the new link road to Doncaster Sheffield Airport has cut drastically the time it takes us to get to an airport from our office in the heart of Sheffield. 40 minutes door to door was the initial reason why we gave our local airport a try when I had to travel to Boston for a series of meetings. The trip could not have been better. Flying with Aer Lingus via Dublin was a breeze. The whole experience was by far and away the most comfortable journey I've enjoyed during my 20 plus trips to the U.S over recent years. The experience starts with a short drive up the M18 from Sheffield. The new FARRRS link road makes it a quicker and easier to get to the airport. Upon arrival, you can literally pull up outside the terminal building and you're checking in within the blink of an eye. The short hop to Dublin was quick and convenient. The connection through Dublin was smooth and efficient. If you've had to endure a connection through Heathrow you will particularly appreciate the cheery wave from the Irish ground staff at security. If that was not enough the highlight was clearing U.S. immigration before you get on your transatlantic flight. If you've ever travelled to the U.S. you'll know the arrival and getting through customs can be the biggest headache. Travelling from Doncaster Sheffield Airport via Dublin makes all that disappear. Last but not least the cost of a Business Class Fare was easily half that usually paid if you're flying out from London. Short haul trips are equally convenient. Two weeks after returning from Boston came the need to spend a day in Paris. Our client needed to meet with us but diaries meant it was impossible to travel out the day before or stay overnight in France. The FlyBe connection from Doncaster Sheffield to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris was the answer. The outbound flight at 6.50am meant that the alarm could be set for a reasonable rather than unreasonably early start. The return flight was equally convenient, leaving Paris around 8pm after a busy day of meetings. With the one hour time difference I was home by 9.30pm. A long day but not too long a day. Most importantly, this air link to Paris makes it viable for us to support a client with a major project for the next 2 years. Journey times are kept to a minimum and the cost is incredibly competitive. Without FlyBe's connection to Paris it would not be viable to support the client when they will need us in their office at least a couple of times a month. What does this all mean? Firstly our travel agent now looks at Doncaster Sheffield Airport for all of our travel requirements. We are going to try and wave goodbye to Manchester and London's airports. It also means that we can continue to grow our business knowing that Sheffield City Region is truly connected to the rest of the world. Alexis Krachai is a Director of Quality Context and also Counter Context; both companies were founded and based in Sheffield. For more information on flights from Doncaster Sheffield Airport click here.