Last year proved an exciting one for Cornwall Airport Newquay (CAN) with the airport recording an increase in passenger numbers, which were up 20% year-on-year in November and 7.3% in December compared with 2017. Some 450,000 passengers used the airport with projections for overall passenger growth by the end of the financial year meaning a 5th consecutive year of growth.
Several new routes were added to CAN’s network reach last year, including the much anticipated link to London Heathrow, which is due to launch in March and will be operated by Flybe.
StobartAir, under the Flybe franchise, also added a link to London Southend, while Scandinavian flag carrier, SAS, introduced a new link to Denmark. Ryanair meanwhile extended its Alicante service to a year-round operation in response to demand for a winter sun destination from Newquay. The low-fare carrier also introduced technological advances in both the passenger check-in process and onsite car parks.
CAN’s managing director, Al Titterington, remarked: “We’ve had some fantastic new routes announced over the last year. The Copenhagen route has already proved popular with the Danish market, with flight dates being extended before the first flight has even landed.” Commenting further on the success of Eurowings’ German routes from the Cornish gateway, he added: “With our German routes already bringing new visitors into Cornwall, it is hoped that we see this replicated with Scandinavian customers and will continue to grow the international passengers keen to see more of our beautiful county. With our new connection to London Heathrow starting in March this year, we hope that we will see far more tourists from further afield, such as the USA and Asia, who can now easily connect to Cornwall via Heathrow.”
The connection will also prove invaluable for local passengers wishing to connect to international destinations, as Titterington concludes: “Whilst 2019 may bring some challenges to the aviation industry, we are looking forward to continuing to grow and improve our airport in the interests of the people of Cornwall.”
