Robin Hood Doncaster Airport was first opened in 1915 as the RAF Finningley Airfield, and was primarily used by the Royal Flying Corps for training purposes during World War 1. After an impressive eighty years – during which time it served sa a long-range nuclear bomber base and a Space Shuttle emergency landing site – it was finally decommissioned in 1995.
Ten years later, it was reopened as a commercial airport and named after the famous fictional character Robin Hood. It was only financially viable at this time because of lower flight costs, and higher demand from passengers for national and international flights. It also happens to have a runway which is longer and wider than most others in the North of England, thanks to its wartime history. It is the smaller of the two main commercial airports in Yorkshire, coming after Leeds Bradford Airport.
Today the site of the Robin Hood Airport terminal lies three nautical miles southeast of Doncaster city. The airport is relatively small with few amenities, but it does have free wifi throughout the terminal, and offers flights throughout Eastern and Central Europe as well as the United States, Jamaica, Egypt and Finland.
It’s possible to access the airport via bus services running from Doncaster, Barnsley and other locations, including the official airport 91 bus, the X19 and the X30. As of yet there is no direct link road from the M18 motorway which is nearby, but signs are readily available at Junction 3 of the M18, Junction 1 heading east on the M180 and from the A614 heading to Bawtry.
Finding the airport by sat nav is easiest by inputting “Hurst Lane, Doncaster” rather than Doncaster Sheffield Airport.