Flight route will still run despite airline's collapse

Blue Islands was meant to provide a plane for Skybus' Newquay to London Gatwick route

A vital flight route between Cornwall and London will return as planned, despite the company providing the aircraft suspending trading, Skybus has said.

The plane for the resumed route was originally going to be sourced from Blue Islands, but the Jersey-based company suspended trading on Friday.

The Newquay to London Gatwick route was suspended last month after the previous operator, regional airline Eastern Airways, announced it was on the brink of entering administration.

Jonathan Hinkles, Skybus managing director, said he was aware of the Blue Islands situation and reassured customers that plans for the service would go ahead as scheduled on 23 November.

He added: "Clearly, the news means that we'll be using a different aircraft to deliver our services on the short-term basis in which we were going to be flying with Blue Islands.

"We're in the final stages of working through several available options to secure that capacity."

Skybus' leaders said they would provide "further updates as they are available".

The company 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.

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

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

Central 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.