Major expansion of Skybus routes from Newquay

Skybus, Cornwall’s longest serving airline, has today announced the launch of two new routes from Newquay Cornwall Airport. Skybus will be flying to Cardiff from March 10, 2008 and to St Brieuc in Brittany from March 17, 2008.

Tickets for the new services are now available from the brand new Skybus website, developed specifically for the new routes and launched on December 10, 2007. The website: Skybus.co.uk is being developed to include French and Welsh translations which will make it even easier for all passengers to book online.

The new services will run regularly, with flights to Cardiff departing Newquay five times a week, Monday through to Friday. Flights to St Brieuc will run four times a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Tickets are available at an introductory promotional price of £35 one way for Cardiff and £55 one way for St Brieuc if booked before January 31, 2008.

Jeff Marston, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company which operates the Skybus air service from Newquay said: “We have been looking at expanding our service and entering new markets for some time. Cardiff and St Brieuc offer the perfect solution, being only a short distance away and ideal tourism destinations we are confident that the routes will be a success.

“There is also great opportunity to develop inbound traffic to Cornwall for both leisure and business purposes.”

Councillor Andrew Mitchell, Economy Portfolio Holder at Cornwall County Council, said: “The expansion of the Skybus service enables Newquay Cornwall Airport to reach an even wider audience. Cornwall has so much to offer, both in terms of leisure and for business and the new routes offered by Skybus will help us to maximise the economic benefits of this.

“The growth of Skybus services is a great sign for the airport development. Skybus has been based at the airport for more that 10 years serving the Isles of Scilly, it’s fantastic to see them growing to now offer routes into Wales and Brittany.”

Teresa Timms, PR Manager at VisitCornwall, said: “We know that the Cardiff route was popular with people visiting Cornwall on short breaks and for weekend escapes. I am sure that with Skybus now taking on the route we will see more and more visitors from Wales making the trip to Cornwall throughout the year.

“I hope that the service to Brittany will also mean that we receive more visitors from France. This new route also provides a great link to the expat market who have relocated to Brittany.”

Graeme Gamble, Director of Operations at Cardiff International Airport said: “We welcome the return of the Cardiff – Cornwall connection which has proved very popular in the past. The Skybus service offers travellers a real alternative to the long journeys by rail and road and saves them a tremendous amount of time, with the flight lasting no more than 40 minutes.

“The re introduction of the route is excellent news for the Welsh leisure industry and for our business sector. Improving linkages between Wales and Cornwall is a great way to develop our economy through year round business.”

Laurent Le Mercier, Airport Director at St Brieuc Airport said: “We are really excited about the launch of the new route from St Brieuc to Newquay in Cornwall. Not only does this open up the opportunity for short breaks to Cornwall but it also acts as a connecting airport for the rest of the UK.

“We are looking forward to welcoming visitors from Cornwall to St Brieuc and hope that the new service will result in lots of short breaks in Brittany.”

By reinstating the Cardiff route, which was previously serviced by another carrier, and by developing the new route to St Brieuc, Skybus can now offer a convenient, reliable and quick service for the people of Wales, France and Cornwall.

The new services to Cardiff and St Brieuc will maintain the high quality reputation that Skybus is known for. Exceptional customer satisfaction and service reliability will be standard in the new service.

Skybus took delivery of a twin otter aircraft last month in order to service its route expansion programme.