Newquay to London flights to end as Council withdraws support
Skybus have said all flights from Cornwall Airport to London must cease by 31 May
Flights from Newquay to London are to end in May after Cornwall Council voted to withdraw its support for the service.
The decision was confirmed at a Cornwall Council cabinet meeting today (February 13th) where members voted to remove support for the Public Service Obligation (PSO) air service.
It was also confirmed that funding for the route has been removed from the council's budget.
This led to Skybus, the current operator, to confirm that its service between Cornwall Airport, Newquay and London Gatwick would end by 31 May 2026.
The company said it will contact passengers holding bookings from that date to offer full refunds.
Skybus took over the operation on 23rd November 2025 following the collapse of the previous operator.
Jonathan Hinkles, Skybus' Managing Director, said:
"It is bitterly ironic - on Friday 13th of all days, and in the week where passenger loads have been at their highest since the PSO resumed under Skybus operation - that the Council has voted to close the route.
"We stepped in at short notice to maintain services with high hopes for Cornwall, for the airport and for the travelling public that a long-term solution to connect the county to the capital could be maintained."
Skybus had submitted a bid with four options to continue the Public Service Obligation (PSO) route after 1st June 2026.
A spokesperson for Skybus said: "We were the only airline to table proposals: the Council has confirmed to Skybus that no other airlines were interested. The Council has, for technical reasons, elected neither to consider our bid nor enter into any dialogue over a single disputed element of Cornwall Airport Newquay's fees and charges.
They added: "We have grave concerns about the impact of this decision on Cornwall's essential connectivity, on continued employment in Cornwall's aviation sector and most specifically for the viability of Cornwall Airport Newquay. The PSO - 50% funded by the UK Department for Transport, funding which will now be lost - made a huge contribution towards the airport's finances, where other commercial air routes operate on the basis of significant discounts to its rack-rate fees and charges. Even if a limited replacement London service now appears, the loss of income to the airport based on huge discounts it has to offer will render its financial position wholly unsustainable."
"All we can now do is to express our thanks to all those who have supported Skybus, including our passengers and team members who've worked so hard to deliver this at short notice. It is hugely sad that their efforts and commitment could not be reciprocated with fulsome support of the Council, which has clearly had its own agenda that will prove incredibly damaging to aviation in Cornwall for years to come."
Skybus has pledged to continue serving Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, where it has successfully operated for more than four decades.