COUNCIL bosses have scrapped the publicly subsidised air route between Newquay and London.

Cornwall Council’s cabinet voted at its meeting today (Friday) to drop the daily Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights.

Councillors decided to withdraw support for the air service from the council's budget after being told the government's part of the subsidy had been cut from 66.7 per cent to 50 per cent — this would equate to a taxpayer subsidy of between £14-million and £16-million over the next four years if the service was to continue.

The move has come after the council failed to attract tenders during two PSO procurement bids over the past nine months. There is now a push for it to be replaced by a commercial operation, which would be unlikely to run as regularly as the daily PSO flight.

John Brown, CEO Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, had called on the council to “absorb the loss” as the decision to the axe the PSO carries “risks that far outweigh the savings.”

He argued reducing London connectivity would be an “act of self-harm.”

Skybus, which stepped in to operate the PSO service from November 2025 following the collapse of the previous operator, Eastern Airways, says the services from Cornwall Airport Newquay to London Gatwick must cease by May 31, 2026 following the cabinet’s decision.

Jonathan Hinkles, Skybus' managing director, said: "It is bitterly ironic that on Friday 13 of all days, and in the week where passenger loads have been at their highest since the PSO resumed under Skybus operation that the council has voted to close the route.

“We stepped in at short notice to maintain services with high hopes for Cornwall, for the airport and for the travelling public that a long-term solution to connect the county to the capital could be maintained.”

Skybus had submitted a full bid with four options to the council to continue the PSO from June 1, 2026.

Mr Hinkles said: “We were the only airline to table proposals.

“The council has confirmed to Skybus that no other airlines were interested.

“The council has, for technical reasons, elected neither to consider our bid nor enter into any dialogue over a single disputed element of Cornwall Airport Newquay's fees and charges.

"We have grave concerns about the impact of this decision on Cornwall's essential connectivity, on continued employment in Cornwall's aviation sector and most specifically for the viability of Cornwall Airport Newquay.

“The PSO, 50 per cent funded by the UK Department for Transport, funding which will now be lost, made a huge contribution towards the airport's finances, where other commercial air routes operate on the basis of significant discounts to its rack-rate fees and charges.

“Even if a limited replacement London service now appears, the loss of income to the airport based on huge discounts it has to offer will render its financial position wholly unsustainable.

"All we can now do is to express our thanks to all those who have supported Skybus, including our passengers and team members who've worked so hard to deliver this at short notice.

“It is hugely sad that their efforts and commitment could not be reciprocated with fulsome support of the council, which has clearly had its own agenda that will prove incredibly damaging to aviation in Cornwall for years to come."