Air Southwest to Close in September

Posted 15/07/2011

UK regional carrier Air Southwest is to suspend operations at the end of September citing a significant decline in forward bookings as the reason for its closure.  The airline, established by Sutton Harbour Holdings in 2003, had provided domestic and international air services from Plymouth and Newquay Airports but was sold to Eastern Airways in December 2010 when the company begun to divest its interests in the aviation sector.  It subsequently revealed plans to close Plymouth Airport, a decision that has ultimately resulted in the closure of the airline.

Air Southwest says that it had intended to continue flying from Plymouth Airport until its closure at the end of the year but revealed that “despite our original hopes…forward bookings are significantly lower than required and the level of demand is not financially viable.”  This has had a knock-on effect on its Newquay operations which it says “have been reviewed at length, but are not viable on their own without the association with Plymouth”.

As a result Air Southwest will terminate its flights from Plymouth and Newquay to Glasgow, Guernsey, Jersey and Manchester on September 14 with its Newquay services to Aberdeen, Bristol, Cork, Dublin and Leeds Bradford ending on September 30.

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