It is only 17 months since the opening of the Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and in that time Directions has continued to offer a comprehensive service both to individuals seeking to work at the airport and businesses seeking to base themselves there or do business there. In this time Directions has dealt with over 45,000 telephone calls, received over 7500 visitors, arranged training for over 2500 people, and helped over 500 local people get jobs at the airport.
Our next phase of development is the creation of what will probably be the UK’s largest airport and aviation training academy which will be housed in a completely refurbished hangar at the airport. This 55,000 sq ft hangar together with our HQ at Meteor House will allow us to develop a state of the art training facility which will also house up to 30 offices for new and start up businesses. Aircraft, airframes and other aviation related equipment has already been purchased and the facility will be operational in early 2007.
The finance to support this development has come in the main from Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency, with additional funds coming from the European Commission through Objective 1 funding. Our primary aim is to create a facility that will ensure the growth of the airport, with whom we work in strong partnership, delivers economic and social benefits to our local communities while at the same time creating a truly national centre of excellence.
To manage this facility we have established Directions Finningley as a Community Interest Company – a new form of company organisation that will allow Directions to act as a business while at the same ensuring that the vision it has created is maintained and that the assets created are always used for that purpose.
The airport continues to be a great success and we at Directions will continue to work in partnership with the airport management to ensure the benefits to be secured from the growth UK’s first new international airport for over 40 years are realised.

Don Stewart
Chairman of Directions Finningley
A Community Interest Company