Airline agrees temporary deal for London route

Skybus currently flies to the Isles of Scilly and has acquired a larger plane for the London route

A deal to restore a vital flight route between Cornwall and London has been agreed.

Cornwall Council said airline Skybus would take on providing the Newquay to London Gatwick route from 23 November on a "short-term contract".

The route was suspended last month after the previous operators, Eastern Airways, announced it was on the brink of entering administration.

The authority added the process to find a long term replacement was under way.

Flights from Newquay to London Gatwick are currently suspended - but will resume later this month

Skybus currently runs services to the Isles of Scilly, with flights from Newquay, Land's End and Exeter, and is owned by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (ISSC) which also runs boat services to the islands.

ISSC said it would operate the route using a 70-seat ATR72 aircraft "marking a significant step-up from the much-loved smaller aircraft Skybus flies on the Isles of Scilly's lifeline air routes".

It will initially operate daily flights, aiming to increase to twice-daily services on weekdays from 14 February 2026.

Leigh Frost said it was a relief to have secured a temporary deal to restore the route

The route to London is provided under a Passenger Service Obligation (PSO) contract which lasts four years.

The Government and Cornwall Council subsidise the cost of running it all year round, despite it being less profitable during winter, as it is seen as a vital economic link.

The council said Eastern Airways' contract had been due to expire shortly - but the company's financial woes saw flights stop suddenly and services cancelled.

Before Eastern, the route was previously run by FlyBe until the company went into administration in March 2020.

The route was temporarily taken on by British Airways in the summer of 2020.

Eastern Airways took over from December 2021.

Skybus has acquired an aircraft from Jersey-based Blue Islands

Cornwall Council owns the airport site and oversees the process of finding a new operator for the PSO route.

Councillor Leigh Frost, the leader of Cornwall Council, said he was relieved to have secured a temporary solution.

"We're pleased Skybus has worked with us so closely to get this over the line as quickly as possible to ensure that lack of service wasn't prolonged," he said.

He added the contact was for the next few months while the tendering process was underway to find a longer-term solution.

"It's all airports in London and all providers - we want it to be as flexible as possible so we can get a range of bids in so we can actually choose which is the best for Cornwall.

"The point of a PSO is to secure that route for economic growth. It's absolutely critical for business.

"We know the train line into Cornwall is not great and other routes of transport are really difficult so we need that secure route so Cornwall can access the rest of the world."

'Reliability and service'

Jonathan Hinkles, managing director of Skybus, said: "None of us underestimate the challenge ahead to build the Newquay-Gatwick route to be a thriving cornerstone of the local economy once more.

"We're wholly confident that we can achieve this through Skybus' record for reliability and service."

The aircraft is to be sourced from Jersey-based Blue Islands to resume flights on 23 November.

The company then hopes a permanent Skybus-liveried ATR72 aircraft will enter service in mid-2026.

It will be operated by Skybus Newquay-based pilots, cabin crew and engineers under an arrangement with Aurigny Air Services of Guernsey, the company added.

John Brown, chief executive of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, said its members did not want to lose any form of connectivity.

"It's fantastic and it should be applauded that we've managed to mitigate that huge risk quite quickly and that we're going to welcome back a service, a daily service from late November," he said

"We don't want to be isolated, we can't afford to be more isolated. If the trains aren't working, or the A30 or the A303 or the M5 is backed up, we need other options to be able to get out of Cornwall and do business and for others to come in and spend their cash here," he said.

Mr Brown said the air route was used regularly and passenger numbers were likely to go up.

"I'm encouraging business leaders to make sure that they consider it as part and parcel with their transport solutions," he said.