Plymouth is to lose its air link to Gatwick after Air Southwest announced closure of the loss-making route.
Air Southwest’s flights, which operate from Plymouth via Newquay, will cease on February 1. The decision follows the takeover of Air Southwest by Humberside-based Eastern Airways in September, which has vowed to return its subsidiary to profitability.
The closure is a setback for Plymouth airport, whose parent company Sutton Harbour Holdings sold Air Southwest to Eastern Airways.
“The flights were just not being used enough and Gatwick’s landing charges are going up next month,” said an Air Southwest spokesman.
Flybe, which operates from Newquay to Gatwick, has offered to re-protect passengers booked with Air Southwest. However, Flybe cannot operate from Plymouth as its 78-seat Q-400 aircraft are too big for the runway length.
Air Southwest, which operates 50-seat Dash 8 aircraft from Plymouth, said it would continue to fly from Newquay to eight UK and Ireland destinations and from Plymouth to Ireland, Scotland and the Channel Islands as well as to Leeds/Bradford, Bristol and Manchester.