Is Cornwall Council's Newquay-Gatwick route a drain on public funds? Investigation shows flights are 80% empty, primarily benefiting second-home owners. We explore the staggering cost per passenger and question the economic viability of this subsidised air travel. Could taxis be a cheaper alternative? The data reveals a troubling trend. Deciding to check this out myself, and indeed the figures seem correct, not many folk arrived from Gatwick to Newquay Airport. I note one may hire a taxi for £350 to take you door to door from Newquay to London. or indeed £260 from London to Newquay.
It could save the ratepayers and indeed the airline a huge amount if we took an alternative to air travel on this route and paid for individual taxis. Public money might be subsidising each passenger for (my unaudited calculation) £500 a pop.
It does seem clear, however, that since the Cornwall Council’s confirmation on Tuesday that 80% of passenger seats on its Newquay-Gatwick route have been empty since the contract started in November 2025, There is now a groundswell of public disapproval. Just this week Skybus started using a smaller aircraft; it says it will be “only” 65% empty.
The actual number of passengers is broadly unchanged – on average, about 35 per flight.  A majority of these are second-home owners.  Only a small handful of passengers – four or five per day - travel for business. The initial seven-month Council Skybus subsidy deal is for £2.1 million pounds or approximately £10,000 per day.