UK airline Skybus has been forced to cancel its flights between London Gatwick and Newquay as the fuel crisis sparked by the war in Iran continues
10:41, 02 Apr 2026Updated 12:07, 02 Apr 2026
Skybus has grounded flights (stock)(Image: PA)
A UK airline has abruptly cancelled future flights due to the fuel crisis sparked by the war in Iran.
All Skybus flights between London and Cornwall have been cancelled from Friday (April 3) due to the rising price of fuel and a drop in passenger numbers.
Skybus has been operating daily flights between London Gatwick and the seaside town of Newquay since November 2025 under a Public Service Obligation funded by Cornwall Council and the Department for Transport, which was scheduled to end on May 31.
The airline, headquartered in the Cornish town of St Just in Penwith, began the service on November 23 with a short-term contract after the previous operators, Eastern Airways, announced it was on the brink of entering administration.
The London-Cornwall route was provided by Skybus under a Passenger Service Obligation contract jointly funded by the government and the council(Image: Aerial Essex/Getty Images)
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Skybus managing director Jonathan Hinkles said: “The huge rise in the global cost of fuel following the conflict in the Gulf, coupled with a significant drop in new passenger bookings since mid-February’s announcement of the planned closure of the PSO air route, forms an insurmountable barrier to the service continuing through April and May.
“At a time of great economic uncertainty and steps being taken to conserve energy worldwide, it is neither environmentally nor economically sound for us to continue flying with vastly reduced passenger numbers.” He thanked passengers, local stakeholders and the Skybus team for their support.
Skybus said in an earlier statement it had advised Cornwall Council that its last services will take place on Thursday.
The airline said passengers due to fly on cancelled services would be fully refunded.
Flights between London and Cornwall take around 1 hour 20 minutes and start from £79.99 each way. Trains take around five hours and require a change at Newquay and cost about £85 a fare on average.
It comes after the United Arab Emirates barred Iranians from entering or transiting through the country. Emirates, Etihad and FlyDubai made the announcement on Wednesday.
Flights have been disrupted across the Middle East after Iran targeted Gulf countries in retaliation for joint US-Israeli strikes.