Concerns over airport viability after service axed

Concerns have been raised about the viability of Cornwall's airport after the sudden cancellation of its daily service to London.

Skybus cancelled its ongoing Newquay to Gatwick service on Wednesday due to the rising price of fuel. Its Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract had been scheduled to end on 31 May.

The president of the county's Chamber of Commerce, Toby Parkins, said: "The income into the airport is going to be considerably down... [The] majority of their revenue was actually coming from that daily flight."

Cornwall Airport Newquay said the decision was outside of its control and it remains "confident in the airport's future".

Ryanair's year-round service to London Stansted will continue, and in June EasyJet is launching a new summer service to Gatwick.

Parkins said: "Replacing a daily route with two flights a week to Gatwick is not a like-for-like change."

He said the daily Skybus route had been contributing about £2,000 per landing, in comparison to low-cost airlines, which land for about £600 "far less frequently".

Parkins also raised concerns over the impact it could have on Cornwall's tourism.

"I think if we look at the long term, if the airport is not viable and it has become less viable without the PSO, then actually there are going to be big questions long term for people coming to Cornwall," he said.

"But also Cornish residents that currently enjoy relatively cheap flights to other countries for their holidays. I think that could be put at risk now."

In a statement Cornwall Airport Newquay said the change to schedules "naturally has an impact" but "no single service defines our long-term financial stability".

It said it had a "diverse" set of routes and airline partners, and would prioritise "maintaining accessible pricing and choice".

"We remain confident in the airport's future and are actively exploring opportunities to strengthen connectivity, support the local economy, and provide reliable, value-for-money travel options for the region," the airport added.

Dennis Lucan is an investment portfolio manager at the Cornwall Angel Network, part of Falmouth University, which finds anonymous investors for Cornish projects.

Lucan said the network looks to invite people and organisations from capital cities to Cornwall to see a selection of "highly investable companies, hoping to create jobs" in the county.

"But if you think about it, how are these people going to get here," he said.

"These are the type of individuals and organisations that need to be able to come to Cornwall in the morning and leave at the end of the day."

He said scrapping the PSO was taking a step backwards, isolating Cornwall further from the rest of the UK.

Alistair Handyside from the South West Tourism Alliance said: "It's another connection that's gone."

He said the south west was "feeling a little bit bruised" by the reduction of investment.

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