Newquay flight route to London to be restored later this month

An 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 underway.

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.

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.”

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.