Cornwall Airport Newquay
Newquay, United Kingdom
Cornwall Airport Newquay
Cornwall's gateway airport serving southwest England.
- ›The airport shares its site with the former RAF St Mawgan base.
- ›It has been designated as a potential UK spaceport for horizontal satellite launch operations.
- ›Cornwall Airport Newquay is owned by Cornwall Council.
- ›The airport handled approximately 500,000 passengers per year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ›Virgin Orbit attempted the first orbital launch from UK soil here in January 2023, though the mission failed to reach orbit.
Cornwall Airport Newquay, formerly RAF St Mawgan, is the principal commercial airport serving Cornwall and the wider South West of England. Positioned on a plateau above the Atlantic coastline, it handles scheduled, charter, and seasonal routes connecting the region to UK cities and select European destinations. The airport plays a vital economic role for Cornwall, supporting tourism and year-round connectivity for a county with no direct rail links to London airport.
- Main Terminal — A single compact terminal handling all passenger departures and arrivals, with check-in, security, and a modest selection of retail and food outlets.
- Taxi and private hire from the terminal forecourt to Newquay town centre and wider Cornwall
- Bus service: First Kernow route 30A connects the airport to Newquay town centre
- Car hire desks from major providers including Hertz, Enterprise, and Europcar on site
- Pre-booked coach transfers to Truro, St Ives, and other Cornish destinations
- Cycle-friendly parking and paths for those arriving by bike
- Hendra Holiday Park (Newquay)
- Travelodge Newquay
- Hotel Victoria Newquay
- The Headland Hotel & Spa
- Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa
Inside the terminal, passengers can choose from a small café and a pub-style bar serving hot meals, pastries, and Cornish cream teas before departure. The dining offer is limited given the airport's size, so travellers with time to spare are advised to eat in Newquay town centre before arriving. Just outside the airport perimeter, local farm shops and Cornish food producers make for a worthwhile stop for those driving in.
- Arrive at least 90 minutes before departure — the terminal is small but security queues can build quickly during summer peak periods.
- Car hire is strongly recommended for exploring Cornwall, as public transport connections beyond Newquay can be infrequent.
- Check in advance whether your airline uses Newquay as a seasonal-only route, as schedules change significantly between summer and winter.
- The airport sits on a hill and Atlantic weather can change rapidly — check local forecasts if flying small aircraft or on turboprop services.
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Cornwall Airport Newquay is the main commercial airport for Cornwall, England, 4+1⁄2 miles northeast of the town of Newquay on Cornwall's north coast. Its runway was operated by RAF St Mawgan before 2008, and is now owned by Cornwall Council and operated by Cornwall Airport Limited.
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