Regional airline Eastern Airways has increased its flights between London Gatwick and Cornwall Airport Newquay amid rising summer demand.
The carrier currently offers a twice-daily service, but has added a third rotation on Monday, Thursday and Friday.
Eastern Airways said the introduction of mid-day flights would allow for extra travel options for people using the service for business, leisure or onward travel.
Roger Hage, general manager of Humberside Airport-based Eastern Airways, said: “As we hit the peak summer school period, increasing connectivity for those using this already popular service is key for Eastern Airways. The introduction of the mid-day service now provides a greater range of options for individuals, couples and families that are relying on this time-efficient service.”
The journey from London Gatwick to Cornwall Airport Newquay takes 75 minutes on the carrier's ATR72-600 aircraft. According to a recent study by the airline, the Cornwall Airport Newquay to London Gatwick route is used by almost 60% of passengers for leisure or visiting friends and family purposes.
Eastern Airways also has several other domestic routes over the summer including: Southampton – Belfast; Southampton – Dublin; Manchester – Southampton; Humberside – Aberdeen; Aberdeen – Wick John O’Groats; Humberside – Cornwall Airport Newquay; and Jersey direct from both Humberside and Teesside.
The news comes amid summer disruption at many UK airports, including Gatwick, as the aviation sector struggles with staff shortages. On Monday (July 4) the chief operating officer (COO) of budget airline easyJet quit.
The aviation industry was forced to axe thousands of jobs during the pandemic as flights were grounded - and many airports and airlines have since struggled to hire enough new staff to deal with the resurgent demand of air travel.
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