Number of new routes announced at Cornwall Airport Newquay

The much anticipated link into an international hub, London Heathrow was scheduled to start in March this year, while StobartAir added London Southend to its portfolio of routes and Scandinavian flag carrier SAS introducing a new link to Copenhagen.

There was also an increase in passenger numbers in the winter months with Ryanair extending its popular Alicante service to a year-round operation as well as technological advances in both the passenger check-in process and onsite car parks.

Managing Director Al Titterington said: “We’ve had some fantastic new routes announced over the last year. The Copenhagen route has already proved popular with the Danish market, with flight dates being extended before the first flight has even landed.”

“With our German routes already bringing new visitors into Cornwall, it is hoped that we see this replicated with Scandinavian customers and will continue to grow the international passengers keen to see more of our beautiful county.

With our new connection to London Heathrow starting in March this year, we hope that we will see far more tourists from further afield, such as the USA and Asia, who can now easily connect to Cornwall via Heathrow.”

The year ended on a high with passenger numbers up 20 per cent year-on-year in November and 7.3 per cent in December compared with 2017. 450,000 passengers used the airport with projections for overall passenger growth by the end of the financial year meaning a fifth consecutive year of growth.

Last year saw the airport make some exciting announcements for both new and existing customers. New charter holiday provider Superbreak announced short breaks to Iceland (Q1 2019) which was enthusiastically received by customers. This continued with Ryanair’s extension of the Alicante summer route becoming year-round, offering a much demanded winter sun destination from Newquay.

Eurowings added to the airport’s strong German portfolio with new routes, improving the connections for European tourists, an added bonus for many local businesses. This growth within the Eurowings offering gave Scandinavian airline SAS the confidence to announce a new Copenhagen route, bringing the opportunity for further inbound tourism into Cornwall from the Danish and wider Scandinavian market.

The announcement in November of the new Heathrow route came after many years of hard work by the airport team.

The Heathrow route running four times daily has been welcomed by business users travelling to London, who can now be in the city centre in just 15 minutes from Heathrow’s terminal 2, or hop straight on the underground network. The connection will also prove invaluable for local passengers wishing to connect to international destinations.

“Mr Titterington added: “Whilst 2019 may bring some challenges to the aviation industry, we are looking forward to continuing to grow and improve our airport in the interests of the people of Cornwall.”