XH558 Vulcan: Iconic Cold War aircraft to remain at Doncaster Sheffield Airport for six extra months as Peel agree to extend lease

The Cold War-era plane was left homeless last year when Peel announced they were closing Doncaster Sheffield Airport, where the Vulcan had been kept since 2011. It last flew in 2015.

The lease with Peel is due to expire in June, but charity Vulcan To The Sky Trust have now confirmed that the agreement has been extended until the end of 2023 and there is even a possibility that the aircraft could remain indefinitely.

In a statement to supporters on the charity’s mailing list, they said: “We promised to update you as soon as we had news to share about the aircraft’s future. As you know we have been looking into various options for potential new locations for Vulcan XH558.

"We can now confirm that the Vulcan to the Sky Trust and Peel L&P have been having positive discussions over the past few months exploring the future for the Vulcan including whether there can be any opportunities for the iconic aircraft to remain in Doncaster for a longer period. Whilst these discussions are ongoing, we are pleased to confirm that Peel L&P has agreed to extend our existing lease until the end of the year.”

The Trust had previously been negotiating with aviation museums over a potential home for the Avro plane, part of an RAF fleet which served in the Falklands War and were based at RAF Finningley, which later became the airport.

The airport closed to all aviation traffic in October last year and its future remains uncertain.