Flights from Cornwall to Heathrow will start next year

A new direct flight from Newquay Cornwall Airport to Heathrow is being hailed as a major boost for tourism. The announcement was made by the Transport Minister Chris Grayling in the House of Commons this morning.

Cornwall Council says it will open up the county to new international visitors, and create better transport links for people who live and work in the region.

The new direct flights between Newquay and Heathrow will begin from April 2019. The existing Cornwall to London service will move from Gatwick to Heathrow.

In addition, the number of return flights will increase from three to four a day, seven days a week, making it easier to travel between the capital and South West. The new route and frequency of flights has been secured for four years under the new Public Service Obligation agreement.

The service to Heathrow, the world’s second busiest airport for international travel, will help businesses in Cornwall to compete nationally and internationally, attracting inward investment and boosting tourism.

It will also provide much-improved access to Central London via the sixteen minute Heathrow Express service to Paddington, Piccadilly Line and eventually the new Crossrail service.

It was two years ago that Prime Minister Theresa May flew into Newquay hailing the expansion of Heathrow as good news for Cornwall.

The flights will be operated by Flybe, which has struggled financially in recent months - blaming a fall in demand. The Exeter-based airline says however, that demand on the existing London route has almost doubled over the past four years.

The Chief Executive of Flybe, Christine Ourmieres-Widener, says that despite the proposed sale of the airline that nothing has changed and the business is continuing to deploy its strategy.