Cornwall Airport Newquay

A former RAF station, Cornwall Airport Newquay at St Mawgan is the gateway to the South West for growing numbers of people.

How does Cornwall Airport Newquay benefit the area?

Cornwall Airport Newquay is a vital part of the county’s transport and economic infrastructure, providing national and international connectivity to and from Cornwall and the South West.

The airport is also one of the county’s largest employers, with over 600 people employed in varied roles such as aircraft engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers, flight training instructors, security personnel and fire fighters.

The project

To make Cornwall Airport Newquay a growing, sustainable and vital transport link to and from the South West. Given Cornwall’s geographic isolation, the airport provides a fast and cheap alternative for longer distance travel, providing speed and choice for business, residents and visitors. Combined with strong road and rail networks, the airport supports a growing, resilient and modern transport system for Cornwall.

How we did it

Securing £2.8m of public sector obligations funding from the government – the first for any English airport - safeguarded the critical Newquay to Gatwick link up to at least 2018 and demonstrated the growing importance of the airport. With this providing a solid base to build on, more airlines were courted, and current operators saw the increased security as a reason to extend their routes and flight frequencies.

In October 2018, the public service obligation was renewed for a further four years. This secured the primary link into London, also allowing for a move to London Heathrow as of 31 March 19.

Since 2018, the airport has announced:

• A twice weekly summer service to Copenhagen with SAS
• A year round service to Southend with Flybe
• A summer service to Jersey and Guernsey with Flybe