Cornwall Newquay Airport has announced that budget airline Flybe, will launch direct daily flights to Heathrow Airport from 31 March 2019.
This is good news for the airport as it has been seeking for a non-stop connection to Heathrow for more than 20 years.
Cornwall Newquay is currently relying on Gatwick airport to connect to the capital and the new arrangement means a loss for Gatwick airport.
Flybe will use the 78-seat Q400s for the route and will fly four times a day between the two airports. The airline will operate into terminal 2 -Heathrow’s newest terminal.
Al Titterington, managing director of Cornwall Airport Newquay said, “This is fantastic news for the airport, region and the greater South West of the UK. We have been working for many years to make sure that we have direct access to Europe’s busiest hub, and with this new service it opens not just a connection to the UK’s leading gateway, but also the world.
“By having direct flights to Heathrow, it grows the strength of Newquay and Cornwall’s brand abroad, which is great for the local business community and those wanting to visit our beautiful county.”
He added, “During the first eight months of 2018, over 119,000 passengers flew between Cornwall Newquay and Gatwick, a 12.8% increase over the same period of 2017.
“While the Gatwick service will switch to Heathrow, the increased demand shows that CAN needs more services to the capital, and with Flybe offering up to four daily flights to Heathrow, up from three at the moment to Gatwick, we will be giving passengers an extra nine weekly departures to choose from.”
Heathrow CEO, John Holland Kaye, said: “We are delighted to secure a more regular service to Newquay, connecting exporters from Cornwall to global markets through Heathrow and making it easier for inward investors, tourists and students from all over the world to get there.
“Following the successful launch in 2016 of an Inverness service, the UK’s two furthest mainland airports will now be connected to the UK’s biggest port.”
By Airport Pickups London
