Skybus has suspended the flights from Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY) to the Isles of Scilly due to a lack of aircraft available and qualified pilots. Existing customers are being transferred onto alternative flights departing from Land’s End Airport (LEQ) on their originally scheduled travel dates.
What is Skybus?
Skybus is a small British airline wholly owned by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company. It operates year-round, scheduled flights to the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall from mainland airports using a fleet of 19-seater DHC-6 Twin Otter and Britten-Norman Islander aircraft.
The airline offers daily round-trip excursions from Land’s End, allowing passengers to spend the day exploring the islands. However, the most popular route is from Land’s End Airport to St. Mary’s, which takes just 20 minutes. Flights also previously connected from Newquay and Exeter, though operations vary.
Skybus handles heavy volume but can occasionally face route suspensions or cancellations during peak seasons due to weather or aircraft availability issues.
Suspended Flights
In an official statement issued in July, the airline explained that a series of ongoing operational challenges – including past storm damage that delayed its fleet maintenance schedule – forced them to temporarily suspend the route until Aug. 31, 2026.
A letter to passengers stated:
“Following a series of operational challenges, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend Skybus flights from Newquay.”
The airline has struggled with unexpected, short-term crew availability issues and pilot absences, leaving them without a backup pool of qualified flyers during high-demand periods. Severe weather earlier in the year has caused physical damage that heavily disrupted Skybus’s planned aircraft maintenance schedule.
The letter continued:
“We recognise this news will be disappointing and frustrating, particularly for those who have already made travel plans, and we sincerely apologise for the disruption and inconvenience this will cause.”
To deal with the limited resources, Skybus chose to concentrate its remaining fleet and flight crews at Land’s End Airport (LEQ), with affected travellers gaining free parking at LEQ, a refund for any calculated fare differences, and a complimentary voucher to use at the airport café. By consolidating operations at a single hub, the company aims to provide a more reliable, dependable, and predictable schedule for travellers.
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