Isles of Scilly helicopter link firm 'to sell heliport'
BIH said the move would shorten flight times and save money
A helicopter company that provides the main air link between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly plans to sell off its heliport for redevelopment.
British International Helicopters (BIH) has agreed to sell Penzance Heliport to Sainsbury's.
The sale is subject to the firm gaining planning consent for a new store.
Flights will continue from Penzance until the end of September 2011 when BIH plans to operate services out of Land's End or possibly Newquay.
The Penzance base has provided a flight link to the islands for about 40 years.
Flights from the Penzance site will continue for the next two seasons, BIH said.
Managing Director Tony Jones said the deal had been worked on "for some months".
The company announced at the end of 2008 that it planned to move operations to Land's End Aerodrome.
It said the move was necessary because the route had been losing money for years and the new base would help cut journey times and save money.
However, Tony Jones said that the company was now also looking at how operations could work from Newquay.