UK airline suspends flights amid busy summer season in blow to travellers | UK | News
Skybus has suspended flights between Newquay and the Isles of Scilly for the summer due to a shortage of aircraft and qualified pilots. The carrier has announced that its routes between Cornwall Airport Newquay and St Mary’s Airport have been suspended until 31 August.
In a letter to affected passengers, Skybus described the route’s suspension as a “difficult decision”, citing “a number of operational challenges”. The company acknowledged that the news would be a source of both disappointment and frustration for customers and apologized for any disruption or inconvenience that might be caused.
Skybus has reassured customers that no immediate action is required as its team will contact affected passengers with the date to offer alternative flight time options from Land’s End and St Mary’s.
To support those affected by the change, the airline confirmed it would offer free parking at Land’s End Airport for affected passengers and refund the difference in fares between the original and revised flights.
It will also provide a complimentary voucher to be used at the Land’s End Airport Café and will continue to offer dedicated customer support to travelers with special needs or concerns.
Skybus, which operates as part of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said: “Following a number of operational difficulties, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend Skybus flights from Newquay.
“We believe it is important to clearly explain what has led to this situation. In recent months, we have faced shortages of both aircraft and qualified pilots, which has significantly reduced our operational resilience.
“We have explored all available options to maintain the Newquay service, but due to limited fleet and crew availability we will not be able to operate the route reliably for the remainder of the summer.
“Our priority is to provide certainty to our passengers. We would like to reassure passengers who book to travel between Newquay and St Mary’s that you will be transferred to Skybus flights departing from Land’s End Airport on the same date.
“We recognize that this change will have an impact on visitors, residents, businesses and the wider community.
“Connectivity is vital to the islands, especially during the summer months, and we do not underestimate the importance of maintaining reliable transport links. This decision has been taken to ensure we can provide a reliable and sustainable service to our passengers.
“By concentrating the majority of our existing aircraft and crew on services from Land’s End, we can deliver greater reliability and reduce the risk of further disruption during peak travel. For the avoidance of doubt, our existing Exeter schedule will be retained.
“We are working hard to strengthen our operation, increase resilience and return to a position where we can deliver the level of service our passengers and the community rightly expect.”
