Air traffic delay stops flights for 3 weeks @ Newquay Airport

Newquay Airport is to close for 3 weeks from this Sunday, November 30th 2008. That is until the airports new owners (Cornwall County Council) sort out the ATC problems with the CAA and due to the RAF not agreeing to delay their withdrawal from the RAF St Mawgan airbase.

Routes effected.

Air Southwest = Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, London Gatwick, Dublin, Grenoble & Cork

Ryanair.com = London Stansted, Gerona-Barcelona & Alicante

Skybus = Isles of Scilly

Full report from BBC News here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7750133.stm

Air traffic delay stops flights

All flights in and out of Newquay have been cancelled for three weeks from Sunday because of a problem over air traffic support.

Cornwall County Council, which owns Newquay Airport, had been due to take over air traffic operations from the RAF on 1 December.
But the council said there was a delay in securing a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence until 19 December.
An estimated 460,000 passengers are due to pass through the airport this year.
An MoD spokesman said: “The MoD is to vacate the airfield on 1 December in accordance with our agreement with Newquay Cornwall Airport.

“We regret that we have not been able to agree to the request to extend our support to the airport, this is because the RAF personnel who are employed at the airfield are required for operational posts elsewhere.”
The RAF decision not to continue providing air traffic cover means the airport is effectively without a licence until 19 December.
Andrew Mitchell, from Cornwall County Council, said: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience this temporary cancellation of flights from the airport will cause to those who have booked flights during this period.
Contingency plans
“We are clearly very disappointed that the RAF has not been able to continue to operate the airfield beyond 1 December.
“We would like to place on record our sincere appreciation for the cooperation we have received from the RAF throughout this project.”

Mike Coombes, from Air Southwest, Newquay’s biggest airline operator, said: “We are implementing our contingency plans to minimise disruption to customers and will be contacting all those affected in due course.”
Cornwall County Council said flights up to 30 November will not be affected. It is due to set up a hotline for affected passengers.
The RAF has provided air traffic control support for Newquay airport until now because the RAF St Mawgan airbase is next door.
But the base has been scheduled for closure for some time and Cornwall County Council has been in negotiation with the MoD to buy the site with a view to expanding the airport.