Business flyers welcome London flights
A NEW service of one-hour flights from Newquay and Plymouth to London will begin today.
It is being celebrated as a great help for business by slashing rail and road journey times.
-
Members of the Plymouth business community celebrate Air Southwest's new service from Plymouth to London City Airport. From left: Air Southwest deputy chief executive Mike Coombes; Deborah Southwould, of the Plymouth Federation of Small Businesses; University of Plymouth's Emma Hewitt; Nigel Halford of Tamar Science Park, and Architects Design Group's Ian Potts
The flights, which are priced from £29 all-in, are being operated by Air Southwest to London City Airport, six miles from the City and three miles from Canary Wharf. More than 5,000 tickets for seats have already been sold since the service was announced a few weeks ago.
Air Southwest managing director Peter Davies said: "It means we can offer up to six flights a day from Newquay and Plymouth to London, and customers can mix and match flights to and from London City with our existing London Gatwick services to fit around their working day.
"London City Airport is entirely geared to the needs of the business traveller and we're delighted to be offering such a fast and efficient service direct into the capital."
Mr Davies said there was an equal balance between outbound and inbound bookings, with Londoners taking the opportunity to holiday in Devon and Cornwall.
The new flights operate twice a day on weekdays and once a day on Sundays and have been designed with the needs of business passengers in mind to provide a full working day in the capital.
Passengers have already welcomed the development. Olivia Yabsley, who lives in Devon and commutes to London regularly to work for an interactive marketing agency, said: "The timings of these new flights are great and really convenient for getting into central London in time to start the working week, which is absolutely ideal. For me, it is all about convenience and cost – these flights are competitively priced and it is good to see some healthy competition for the peak time train."
Jonathan Fielding, general manager of Mylor Yacht Harbour, said: "We have a large number of clients on the south coast who work in the city so I travel to London regularly to meet them.
"The low value of the pound means that we're increasingly tendering for European contracts and I plan to try out the connections from London City for onward flights.
"The beauty of the new London City service will be that I'll be able to travel to the capital and fit in a full day's work and then fly home in the evening without the need to stay overnight."
5 Comments
by Linda Brice, Bodmin
Monday, April 20 2009, 6:26PM
“Sounded good until tried to book and cheapest tickets showing were £59 not £29 as advertised!”
by Stephen, Plymouth
Monday, April 20 2009, 5:26PM
“Well done Airsouthwest how brilliant that we can now spend a whole day in London without the prospect of a dreary 3 hour plus train journey back to Plymouth”
by richard, Cardinham
Monday, April 20 2009, 11:46AM
“Good old Airsouwest - what a coup. In fact we using this useful facility next week to fly up to an exhibition ay the ExCel centre - MUCH easier than train, MUCH easier than driving - almost to the door !”
by CarbonBoot, The Duchy Of Cornwall
Monday, April 20 2009, 10:37AM
“Mr Fielding doing his bit to accelerate rising sea levels then. Perhaps Jonathan wants to drive his tax deductible luxury fossil fuel shackled demo motor boat right up to his front door...
Cornwall:
'Green Peninsula'?
Not Yet!
Shut down Newquay Airport.
Help our only planet remain habitable.”
by Oliver, Exmouth
Monday, April 20 2009, 9:11AM
“I just looked on their website for prices for next Tuesday, and a round trip from Plymouth to London is £188, which is rather more than the £29 single mentioned in the article.”