Newquay Cornwall Airport courts more destinations at World Travel Market

Tuesday 11th November, 2008

Summer 2008 offered more air services to and from Newquay Cornwall Airport than ever before, with a total of 22 routes and 185 weekly departing flights. It is expected that 30 – 40% more passengers will travel through the airport this year on a route network, which has doubled since the beginning of 2007.

However, the airport is eager to add to its wish list of destinations with direct flights to European hubs such as Paris and Amsterdam in high demand as well as expansion of the domestic route network. World Travel Market at London’s ExCel Centre is a useful venue to meet tourism representatives to explore potential new links. Newquay Cornwall Airport will be participating at WTM on the Cornwall Stand No UK15350.

During July more than 59,000 passengers were handled at the airport, representing a 36% increase over the same period in 2007. According to the latest CAA statistics, during July 2008 Newquay Cornwall Airport had the largest passenger growth of any airport in the country.

Newquay Cornwall Airport is operating 13 routes throughout the winter months, its largest ever winter network, bucking the usual seasonality trends. For ski enthusiasts Air Southwest is adding Grenoble, situated at the foot of the French Alps, to its Newquay portfolio, in time to attract winter-sports enthusiasts for the 08/09 ski season. This weekly service starts on 20 December and operates until the end of March ’09.

Also during the winter Skybus will continue to operate flights to the Isles of Scilly and Ryanair will retain its sunshine routes to Alicante and Barcelona (Girona).

The airport has developed a charter package with Newmarket Holidays offering sunshine breaks in Malta, Sorrento and Sicily with flights in the spring and autumn. Fred Olsen cruises are continuing to offer Cornish residents the chance to jet to Barbados and cruise the Caribbean twice this winter as part of a fly/cruise charter package.

In May next year Newquay Airport will welcome Jet2.com, the expanding Yorkshire-based low fare airline with the launch of twice weekly flights from Newquay Cornwall Airport to Leeds Bradford and Belfast International, effective 27th and 24th May 2009, respectively. Flights, by 148-seat Boeing 737-300s, will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the summer, with lead in fares from just £24.99 including taxes.

Cornwall voted Britain’s No1 UK holiday destination

Cornwall has so much to offer – stunning coastline, fine beaches, surfing, golf and popular, award-winning cuisine – no wonder it was named Britain's favourite destination. According to a poll carried out by online travel company TripAdvisor, Cornwall was also voted best for families when 500 British travellers were questioned.

Mike Coombes, deputy chief executive for low fare regional airline Air Southwest, which operates more flights to and from Cornwall than any other airline, said: "This survey bears out what our own customers tell us – Cornwall remains the jewel in the crown for people opting to holiday in Britain.” He added that Air Southwest was seeing more and more people electing for a ‘staycation’ in the UK, rather than travelling abroad.

The year 2009 will be an important one for Newquay, its first as a civilian airport. The RAF is due to cease control of airfield operations at Newquay, formerly RAF St Mawgan, on 1 December 2008. Cornwall Airport Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cornwall County Council, which assumed operational management of Newquay Cornwall Airport on 1 April 07, will take over airfield and air traffic operations from the RAF on that date.

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Newquay Cornwall Airport will be exhibiting as part of the Cornwall stand (UK15350) at World Travel Market at London’s ExCel from 10-13 November.