It has been reported that new recruits at the currently closed Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) are learning safe coordination of in-flight aircraft movement from the ground using realistic simulation technology. This comes as part of the airport’s preparations for a grand reopening in less than two years.
New Recruits
Air traffic controllers and several trainees appointed at Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) are undergoing induction training for the role with computer simulators ahead of the airport’s planned reopening in April 2028.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), which was formerly named and commonly referred to as Robin Hood Airport, was an international airport in Finningley, located near Doncaster in South Yorkshire. The airport was in operation for almost two decades after it was opened in 2005. When operations ceased in 2022, the airport’s owners at the time, Peel Group, justified the closure by describing the site as “financially unviable”.
However, the City of Doncaster Council aspires to fully reopen the site in less than two years after forming an arms-length company to manage the task, called Fly Doncaster. So far, 20 people have been recruited to the air traffic department, in air traffic control and air traffic service roles ahead of the airport’s reopening. This includes 9 trainees, who have been learning the ropes via simulation exercises.
DSA’s head of air traffic services, Andy Hudson, said the simulator allows for the recreation of realistic day-to-day work conditions and situations, saying instructors “can choose where the aircraft are and what they’re doing – that’s why you can create exercises looking like the live environment”. The trainees have been taking part in both practical and theoretical assignments while working towards their tower and radar qualifications, with the simulations providing typical on the job scenarios to give the trainees a feel for the daily reality of the role, as well as challenge their ability to think on their feet.
Preparations for Reopening
In order to help the student controllers utilise the simulator, a team of air traffic services assistants act as virtual pilots. These assistants sit in a room next door to the students, controlling virtual “planes” that the trainee controllers must handle safely and efficiently.
According to Christian Foster, Fly Doncaster director, recruiting air traffic controllers has been a constant challenge for DSA in its journey towards reopening. Foster cited a lack of available staff as the reason, highlighting that there are not enough trained air traffic controllers to work in all the airports across the UK, meaning that all airports are “constantly advertising” jobs for air traffic controller roles. While Foster acknowledged the competition in the field given this shortage of skilled air traffic controllers, he emphasised that he believed there were many good reasons to work at DSA specifically, saying:
“It’s rare for them to be at the beginning of a journey, helping re-open the airport. Doncaster is extremely well connected, in the heart of the UK.”
DSA is planning to reopen fully by mid 2028. The airport’s operator, Fly Doncaster, states that passenger flights are expected to resume during Easter in 2028, with freight flights currently expected to return sooner.
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