Scottish regional airline Loganair has today announced new services for summer 2020, operating from Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY). Four new services will begin next spring, two of which are seasonal and two permanent. This will significantly increase connectivity between Cornwall and the rest of the UK.
New services linking Cornwall
Cornish passengers rejoice because there are now more places to fly from Newquay! Regional airline Loganair has announced new services connecting the Cornish airport with four destinations around the UK.
Managing director of Cornwall Airport Newquay, Al Titterington, said of the new services,
“We welcome Loganair as our newest airline partner at Cornwall Airport Newquay, expanding choice for residents and businesses within our catchment and further enhancing options to fulfil the ever-growing inbound tourism demand. Offering more airline choice and more year-round destinations is key to our strategy and we are delighted that this latest announcement offers both of these.”
Although Loganair has not yet specified the aircraft type for the new routes, it is likely they will be eyeing service with their fleet of Embraer ERJ-145s. The airline has 13 in service, as well as four of the smaller ERJ-135s. The airline is also expecting around 20 ATR 42s to join the fleet in the near future, replacing older Saab 2000 and Saab 340s for regional hops.
All of Loganair’s fares include a free checked bag, allocated seating and complimentary inflight refreshments. The managing director of the airline, Jonathan Hinkles, said in a press release,
“We’re excited to be working with Cornwall Airport Newquay and have been working for some time to develop these routes at just the right level. With more and more people holidaying in the UK, avoiding expensive Euro exchange rates or enjoying a staycation with friends and family we’re confident that the routes will do well.
“The growing economic links between Cornwall, the east coast of England and Scotland also mean that we’re confident that business demand will sustain the year-round services.”
Details of the routes
In all, four new routes will be launched in time for summer 2020. While two are permanent fixtures
- Newquay to Newcastle: Launching on April 1st 2020, this route will operate four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. From May to September, Saturday rotations will also be added, and during the peak season of July and August, the route will go seven days a week. Fares on this route will start from £69.99 one way.
- Newquay to Aberdeen: Also beginning April 1st, 2020, Loganair will connect Cornwall with the east Scottish city of Aberdeen. Flying daily, some of the routes will have a stop in Newcastle, but on Saturdays, there will be nonstop services linking the two cities. Extra flights will be added between July and September. This service is priced from £74.99 one way.
- Newquay to Glasgow: In addition to the two year-round services, the 22nd May will see the launch of one of two seasonal services by Loganair from Newquay. Linking Cornwall with the city of Glasgow, the service will operate weekly on Fridays and Saturdays, adding extra services on Tuesdays during the school holiday period. This service is priced from £69.99.
- Newquay to Norwich: Also a summer service, the Norwich connection begins on April 3rd and is priced at £59.99 each way. The summer will see the route operated on Monday and Friday, with additional Wednesday flights during July and August.
While all of these additions are a welcome sight to both the Cornish and to those looking to pop down to the Westcountry for a summer staycation, there are a few notable points of interest here.
The route between Newquay and Aberdeen, when it doesn’t stop in Newcastle, will be the longest domestic route in the UK. The services to Norwich will be the first time East Anglia has been connected to Cornwall by air since 2013. And, in regards to the Newcastle route, Loganair is clearly once again stepping into the breach where Flybe has let its customers down.
Since being taken over by Connect Airways earlier this year, Flybe has been undertaking a raft of cost-cutting measures that have seen numerous routes dropped or scaled back. Most recently, Loganair stepped into the Isle of Man to replace ceased Flybe services.
Cornwall Newquay Airport is among one of the fastest-growing in the UK, with a number of new services launched this year. These include Flybe’s routes to Heathrow and London Southend, SAS’s new services to Copenhagen and Blue Islands adding a weekly routing to Guernsey and Jersey.