Taken from the Plymouth Herald found here
Air Southwest scraps all flights between Plymouth and London
AIR Southwest is to scrap all flights between Plymouth and London, as well as Newquay and London, from the start of next month.
The company, which was sold by Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour Holdings to Eastern Airways at the end of last year, has today announced changes to its operational schedule and will cease flying from Newquay and Plymouth airports to London Gatwick from February 1.
All passengers booked to fly from Newquay will be contacted and offered an alternative Flybe flight free of charge. Passengers booked from Plymouth will be contacted and refunded.
The rest of the Air Southwest schedule is unaffected. The airline will continue to operate regular scheduled services from Newquay to Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Dublin, Cork, Newcastle and Glasgow; and from Plymouth to Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, Jersey, Guernsey, Dublin, Cork and Glasgow.
A spokesman said: “Air Southwest has also confirmed that it is having exploratory discussions with Flybe on potential areas for future positive cooperation going forward.”
Bad news for them, good news for us. You have to wonder if the writing really is on the wall now for Plymouth Airport.
By: Deano - 11th January 2011 at 20:19
I don’t by the “They were the first to fly in the Ash Cloud” line for a couple of reasons, firstly, the trip between PLH & NQY is 15 mins at the most and is transited at 4,000ft. Secondly All Class A airspace was closed, but ASW allows flying outside controlled airspace. This meant they could conduct their flights below the ash cloud. A meagre trip between PLH & NQY proved nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Unfortunately Eastern bought a business that lost £3.9m last year. For an airline with just 5 airframes this is absolutely massive. It was in trouble way before Flybe jumped on the NQY-LGW route, but yes, it was probably the final nail in the coffin.
By: cloud_9 - 11th January 2011 at 19:38
…think that Flybe was a nail in the coffin.
Sadly I agree.
Such a shame that one particular airline tries its level best to see the end of the another, but I would not be surprised to see/learn if SHH has starved the airline of much needed funds that would enable it to compete effectively, but as Deano correctly points out, it is survival of the fittest.
By: spitfireman - 11th January 2011 at 19:23
They could have used that trump card years ago, they didn’t.
They were the first to fly during the ash cloud crisis.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8630983.stm
They may be poorly led and inept but they tried to make that airline work.
Most people at Plymouth think that Flybe was a nail in the coffin, the other stuff didn’t help of course.
By: Deano - 11th January 2011 at 18:13
…….not really, they really wanted it to work, I drove D.G. onto the airfield when the first (painted) ASW D8 landed at PCA. Never seen a prouder man.
Of course they did – short term. SHH has shown it’s hand during the recession and ash cloud crisis that it isn’t really interested in it’s aviation sector. PLH is worth far more to them for Real Estate than any airline business venture could return.
By: spitfireman - 11th January 2011 at 17:30
Correct
I do not, and would never relish in the news that people lose their jobs.
Exactly what happened to me………..
By: spitfireman - 11th January 2011 at 17:27
I think the writing was on the wall well before Flybe went into NQY. It was on the wall when Sutton Harbour allowed development on the second runway at PLH which really spelt their long term intentions on what they want to do with the site.
…….not really, they really wanted it to work, I drove D.G. onto the airfield when the first (painted) ASW D8 landed at PCA. Never seen a prouder man.
We knew a couple of years later, when Flybe went into direct competiton with ASW to Gatwick it was a disaster. It was only a matter of time before they would fold. Flybe of course could absorb any loss on that route, with ASW gone they can do what they like.
By: Deano - 11th January 2011 at 17:21
Correct
But it has been loss making for quite some time for ASW. Then not helped by the fact that we jumped on the route to keep open our Gatwick slots. Survival of the fittest I’m afraid.
I do hope though that ASW will be ok. I have some good mates there. I do not, and would never relish in the news that people lose their jobs. I has happened to me in the past and could very well happen again in the future.
By: black kettle - 11th January 2011 at 17:02
Deano
You may be correct….time will tell,but it is a fact that the only route CURRENTLY being confirmed as scrapped from PLH is the one on which they’d faced recently arrived competition on one sector of the route.I suspect a major slice of the pax load was historically boarded at NQY
By: Deano - 11th January 2011 at 11:59
I think the writing was on the wall well before Flybe went into NQY. It was on the wall when Sutton Harbour allowed development on the second runway at PLH which really spelt their long term intentions on what they want to do with the site.
By: black kettle - 11th January 2011 at 07:40
The writing has been on the wall for PLH since another airline decided to operate from the region to LGW,but wasn’t that the whole idea?
I’ve heard it suggested another location in the region has been “actively discouraged” from courting lo-cost operators.It’s a dog eat dog business and a no-brainer to see where passengers will gravitate towards if PLH doesn’t survive!
Good news indeed for “you” at the moment
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January 11, 2011 at 12:16 am