Whoever wrote the book is partly right, I was station manager Gatwick at that time (1969-70) with Westward Airways, I know exactly what went on. I go back to 1965 at Gatwick so remember the flights mentioned. The route was even flown by Southend Air Taxis for a few weeks, the reference books will tell you it was a Chieftain but in fact it was on a Cessna 272, Westward flew LGW/LHR/PLH/NQY/ISC, twice a day on the 'long haul' and four times LGW/LHR. It was so bad in the end we told the passengers the aircraft was tech and put them in a taxi at our costs so we did not have to fly with only one or two on board.
Back to NQY and EGHQ's post
So much I agree with there, but a couple of things I do not.I do not believe that NQY airport is vital to the future of the Cornish economy. I would rather the Council spent £3million a year more constructively to develop the infrastructure here. If the airport cannot pay its way under the Council sell it to someone who can make it pay or close it.
Connecting over other points makes complete sense, but, no one is going to fly from Newquay to say Dublin to catch Ryanair to Nice. If I want to fly West I want to fly West not east for two hours first. How do I get to Vancouver for instance, not over Dublin or Manchester for sure, Paris, Amsterdam maybe but it is back to the old problem of travelling an hour in the wrong direction. Quicker and easier to go to Heathrow. Same reason it is alien to fly to Southend to go to London City, to go to Nice that is a different matter. Curiously then the success of the NQY/SEN route depends far more on the success of SEN in having a good range of connections than it does on NQY itself! Pointless relying on incoming tourist traffic from Southend catchment area.
Why advertise an airport, if anyone east of Liskeard doesn't know there is an airport at Newquay they are likely to be the sort of person that wouldn't be using it anyway.
The airlines and tour operators that use the airport need to advertise the services THEY offer but that is a matter of individual decision.
Simple fact is with nowhere sensible to land that offers good connections and London is the logical choice, the future is far from a proper job!