Skybus grounds Newquay–Scilly service for rest of summer, citing aircraft and pilot shortage

Regional carrier Skybus has cancelled every remaining flight between Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY) and St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly until at least 31 August, abruptly severing the only fixed-wing link on the 30-minute route. In a letter sent late on Thursday and released by ITV on Friday lunchtime, the airline blamed “a combination of limited airframes and reduced pilot availability” that had destroyed its operational resilience during the peak holiday season. All passengers booked from Newquay will be re-routed, free of charge, onto Skybus departures from Land’s End – a 50-mile drive that adds up to three hours by public transport. Complimentary parking and cafe vouchers are being offered, but no automatic entitlement to cash refunds has yet been confirmed, sparking criticism from travel-rights groups. The cut comes just five months after the carrier withdrew from the subsidised Newquay-Gatwick public-service obligation contract when government support was trimmed. For island tourism operators the timing is grim: July-August brings roughly half of Scilly’s annual visitor spend. Hoteliers fear late cancellations as mainland families balk at extra surface travel, while freight clients must now rely more heavily on the weather-sensitive Scillonian ferry. Businesses with urgent mainland meetings will need to charter helicopters at up to £2,000 a sector or face 12-hour round-trips via Penzance and road. The episode also exposes the fragility of the UK’s regional aviation ecosystem. Smaller carriers struggled to rebuild rosters after pandemic furloughs and then lost flight-deck talent to better-paying Gulf and US airlines during the post-Iran-war capacity crunch. The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) is urging Whitehall to fast-track licence conversions for military flyers and to widen the Youth Mobility visa quota to attract foreign first officers. Corporate mobility managers with staff based in Cornwall or on assignment to Isles-based energy and conservation projects are advised to review travel insurance and emergency-evacuation provisions. Employers may also face duty-of-care questions if staff are asked to self-drive long distances at short notice following schedule changes.