Cornwall Airport Newquay

About Cornwall Airport Newquay

Cornwall Airport Newquay (IATA: NQY, ICAO: EGHQ) is the main commercial airport for Cornwall. It is located at St Mawgan, about 4 miles (6 km) north-east of Newquay on the county's north coast, and it provides air links for residents and visitors travelling to and from one of the most remote parts of England. Flights connect Cornwall with London, northern England, Scotland, Ireland and a selection of European destinations.

According to UK Civil Aviation Authority figures, the airport handled 394,307 terminal passengers in 2025, about 5 per cent fewer than in 2024. Its busiest year remains 2017, when around 460,000 passengers used the airport.

The airport is owned by Cornwall Council and operated by Cornwall Airport Limited. Its single runway, 12/30, is 2,744 metres long, and the whole site covers more than 850 acres, making it one of the largest regional airports in the UK by area. As well as airline flights, the airfield handles business aviation, military exercises, training, air ambulance and coastguard search and rescue flights. It is also home to Spaceport Cornwall, the UK's first licensed spaceport. The airport employs its own air traffic control and fire and rescue teams.

How to get to Cornwall Airport Newquay

By road

The airport has direct access from the A3059. Drivers coming along the A30 can leave at the Highgate Hill junction near Indian Queens and follow the A39 to the St Columb Major roundabout, then take the A3059 and follow signs for the airport and St Mawgan. From Newquay itself, the B3276 coast road runs towards Watergate Bay and on through Trevarrian to the airport.

There are three on-site car parks (East, West and P3), all within walking distance of the terminal. Spaces can be pre-booked online or paid for on arrival using the JustPark app or the payment machines. Enterprise, Europcar and Hertz provide car hire from the P3 car park. Coastline Travel Cornwall is the official taxi provider, with an office in the East Car Park just outside arrivals.

By bus and coach

Two bus routes stop at the airport, from a stop between the terminal and the West Car Park:

• 56 (Transport for Cornwall): between Newquay and Padstow.
• 94 (Go Cornwall Bus): between Wadebridge and Truro, via St Columb Major, Fraddon, Summercourt, Ladock and Tresillian.

By train

The nearest railway station is Newquay, at the end of a branch line that joins the main line at Par. Cornwall Council, Great Western Railway and Network Rail are working together on the Mid Cornwall Metro project, which includes a new passing loop at Tregoss Moor and plans to double the frequency of trains between Newquay and Par to one an hour.

Terminal and facilities

The airport has a single passenger terminal with the following services:

• Free unlimited Wi-Fi on the Cornwall Airport Guest network.
• Food and drink: a café before security, a café and bar in the departure lounge, and a water fountain for refilling bottles.
• Shop in the departure lounge selling Cornish food, drink and souvenirs.
• Cash machine dispensing pounds sterling and euros.
• Special assistance for passengers with reduced mobility or hidden disabilities, including free wheelchairs, induction loops, ear defenders and membership of the Sunflower scheme. The CAA has rated the airport's assistance service as Very Good.

There is no left luggage facility and no smoking area after security. Terminal opening hours change with the seasons, so passengers should check the latest times before travelling.

Airlines and destinations

The 2026 route list includes a mix of year-round domestic services and seasonal holiday routes. Airlines currently flying from Newquay are:

• Loganair: year-round flights to Aberdeen, the Isle of Man and Manchester, with summer routes to Glasgow and Newcastle.
• Ryanair: year-round routes to London Stansted, Dublin, Alicante and Málaga, plus summer flights to Edinburgh and Faro.
• easyJet: summer flights to London Gatwick and Manchester, and a winter route to Geneva.
• Aer Lingus: summer services to Dublin and Belfast City.
• Eurowings: summer flights to Düsseldorf.
• Edelweiss: summer flights to Zürich.
• Skybus: year-round flights to the Isles of Scilly.

In winter, tour operators also run flights to Lapland and Tenerife.

History

The first commercial passenger service to Cornwall began in 1934, using a landing strip at Trebelzue Big Field. During the Second World War the site became an RAF airfield, and in 1943 it took the name RAF St Mawgan, when the present runways were built. Civil flights grew again from the late 1950s, and in 1962 part of RAF St Mawgan became known as Newquay Airport, with a small civil terminal. A new terminal opened in 1993.

Cornwall Airport Limited took over operational management in April 2007. After RAF flying operations ended in 2008, the airfield passed from Ministry of Defence control to Cornwall Council. The Aerohub enterprise zone was created in 2012, and in 2015 the airport was renamed Cornwall Airport Newquay. The loss of Flybe in 2020 and the pandemic hit traffic hard. In June 2021 the airport served as a logistics hub for the G7 summit at Carbis Bay, with Air Force One landing there. In January 2023 Spaceport Cornwall hosted its first horizontal launch, although the rocket did not reach orbit.