Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (IATA: DSA, ICAO: EGCN) is a new International Airport located at the former RAF Finningley base in Finningley, South Yorkshire. The airport lies six miles from Doncaster and eighteen miles from Sheffield. The Airport principally serves the Metropolitan conurbations of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire moreover due to its key location, a population of several million citizens can access the Airport within a 60 minute drive.

The opening was marked by the first commercial flight from the airport, destined for Palma in Majorca, which departed exactly on time at 0915 on April 28, 2005. The Captain of the first flight from Robin Hood Airport was Paul Rafferty of Thomsonfly1.By November 2005 half a million passengers had used the airport.

The majority of flights from the airport are operated by Thomsonfly, with a few flights operated by Thomas Cook, Pegasus, BH Air and Ryanair. From December 2005, easyjet will operate a daily service in and out of the airport to Geneva. Ryanair are rumored to be making the airport a base and Continental Airlines are rumoured to be starting a service to New York next year.

Until recently the only cargo flights from the airport are to Dubai (twice weekly) operated by Jetset Cargo. British Airways landed a Boeing 747 cargo plane in November 2005 with the first of the Beaujolais Nouveau wine.

Although the airport lies alongside a railway line, a station is not planned as part of the initial development. Instead, public transport is by bus from Doncaster town centre. A motorway road link from the nearby M18 at junction 3 to the airport is planned and is expected to open by 2012. At present the airport is served by a various airport bus links from all major local bus companies. With the exception of the X19 service from Barnsley, and the 707 service from Doncaster railway station, all buses leave from the Doncaster Transport Interchange (previously the south bus station).

Many people were mystified and some were angry about the choice of 'Robin Hood' for the name of the airport. But when you realise that for hundreds of years the Parish and Village of Finningley was located in Nottinghamshire. It was not until Government Administrative Boundary changes were made in 1974 that Finningley became part of Yorkshire.

The Airport name was based on the following facts:-

1) The Airport has a historical reference to Nottinghamshire (see above) and still resides in the boundary of the Diocese of Nottingham.
2) Doncaster is closer to Sherwood Forest than Nottingham.
3) The forest of Sherwood in its original form extended north into this area which is now Yorkshire.
4) The name would provide an identity which would raise a lot of attention (if a little controversy) for the Airport and create a marketing opportunity.

The Airport name has caused media controvesy as Robin Hood has not normally or previously been associated with Doncaster. The citizens of Nottingham feel that Robin Hood should be the icon of their City alone. Perhaps their anger will be tempered by the knowledge that East Midlands Airport was re-branded as Nottingham East Midlands Airport during 2004 to address uncertainties revealed amongst travellers based abroad as to where the East Midlands were.

Many local people still call it Finningley Airport and many in the media refer to the airport as simply Doncaster airport.