easyJet is to fly between London Gatwick and Newquay this summer, adding a direct air link between the capital and Cornwall at the airline’s biggest UK airport.
The inaugural flight takes off on 23 June 2026, with the service operating twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays. For business travellers in London and the South East, the route offers a fast alternative to the long rail journey to Cornwall, while Cornish firms gain a same-week return option into Gatwick and its onward network across Europe and beyond.
The carrier says the service will strengthen direct domestic connectivity between London and the South East and Newquay, whether for a coastal break, visiting friends and family, or connecting journeys through Gatwick. It is also expected to support Cornwall’s visitor economy, a sector heavily reliant on summer footfall.
Kevin Doyle, easyJet UK Country Manager, said: “We are delighted to be launching flights from London Gatwick to Newquay this summer, providing even greater connectivity for customers in London and the South East wishing to explore Cornwall.”
The Tuesday and Saturday pattern will suit split weeks and weekend extensions rather than the classic Monday-out, Friday-back business itinerary, so SME travellers should plan meetings around the schedule. Full timings are available via the easyJet media centre, and Cornwall Council has welcomed the link as a boost for the county’s economy.
The announcement follows a period of rapid regional growth for the airline, which earlier opened its 11th UK base and confirmed three new UK routes for summer 2026. Eight new Airbus A320 family aircraft are joining its UK-based fleet across Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Newcastle.
easyJet says this growth is strengthening UK connectivity for holidaymakers and for the more than five million customers who travel with it for business, while supporting thousands of jobs. Since 2023, the airline has grown by nearly a third, 31 per cent, at its regional bases, adding more than 200 routes from local airports.
Founded 30 years ago, easyJet has flown over 800 million customers to and from the UK and recently marked 250 million passengers flown from Gatwick alone. Today it is the largest UK airline, serving 22 UK airports with flights and package holidays across more than 650 routes to nearly 140 destinations in Europe and North Africa, and employing around 12,000 people across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
For SMEs weighing up the new route, the twice-weekly frequency will not replace the sleeper train or the drive for every trip. But as a low-cost hop of around 75 minutes between the capital and the South West, it gives Cornwall-bound business travellers a welcome new option from Gatwick’s departure boards, and it lands just in time for the summer season.
