New flights from London to the South West

UK regional airline Air Southwest is celebrating the start of its twice daily service from London City Airport to Plymouth in Devon and Newquay in Cornwall, the surf capital of the UK.

From yesterday (April 20), London City travellers can fly to the far South West in little over an hour, slashing hours off the same journey by rail or road.

The new flights, priced from just £29, have proved a big hit with Air Southwest customers with more than 5,000 seats sold since they were announced just a few weeks ago.

Air Southwest managing director Peter Davies said: “Air Southwest is revolutionising air travel between the Capital and the far South West and giving people a real choice.

“These flights fit the busy working lives of our business customers and are ideal for London City customers looking to visit friends and family or make the most of a short break in Cornwall and Devon without the high costs of the Eurozone.”

Richard Gooding OBE, Chief Executive of London City Airport, welcomed the new service: “Air Southwest passengers are able to travel to London’s financial centres faster than any other way with this new service. London City Airport’s close proximity to Canary Wharf and The City, with quick connections to the rest of London and the South East, makes it an obvious choice for the business traveller. With a check-in time of only 15 minutes, this new service will be popular with commuters wanting to maximise their business day.”

David Keating from Loughton in Essex was travelling to Newquay from London City on the inaugural flight. He was taking his wife Renata to visit Cornwall for the first time, and staying in St Ives.

David said: “The new flights with Air Southwest from London City are so convenient – we always try to fly from London City whenever we can. I used to travel to Cornwall a lot when I was younger, but my wife has never been so I wanted to show her just what a beautiful place Cornwall is. The cost of flying down is very reasonable and will make getting there a lot quicker which is good for us, cutting our travel time. We’re really looking forward to visiting some of the great beaches around the county and well-known places including Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor, Newquay and the Helford River.”

Flying to Plymouth on the first flight from London City were passengers Jim Erskine and his wife Jacqueline from Dartford, Kent.

Jim said: “We’re travelling down to Plymstock to visit an old friend so the new flights have worked out really well for us. I was planning to drive down to the South West but when we saw the new service from London City advertised we figured it would save hours on our journey. We’ve flown from London City Airport before and really enjoyed the experience as it was convenient, quick and the staff were really helpful. Now that I’m retired my wife and I are planning to enjoy more short breaks away so we may also try out the new flights from London City to Newquay.”

The new flights operate twice a day on weekdays and once a day on Sundays.

Business customers can take full advantage of Air Southwest’s Business Plus service which offers a range of benefits including flexible booking and complimentary refreshments.

Fares start from just £29 including taxes and charges and baggage, offering great value for money. The route is being flown by Air Southwest’s fleet of fuel efficient Dash 8-300 regional aircraft.

Check Air Southwest’s flight times, use the low-fare finder and book online at airsouthwest.com.