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Air Southwest is to terminate all services between Plymouth and Newquay airports, and London Gatwick from February 1 2011. The purple-and-white carrier cited a slump in the number of passengers flying the route, and an 18% hike in landing fees at Gatwick International, as the impetus for the cull.

Ironically, Air Southwest was created in 2003 to combat a shortfall in flights between London and the southwest, following the departure of UK flag-carrier, British Airways, from Devon and Cornwall. Southwest operated the Gatwick route uninterrupted until December 2010, when, under new owner, Eastern Airways, the carrier issued a ‘use it or lose it’ warning to local travellers, as sales plummeted. Eastern chief, Peter Davies, was frank - “if we don't get enough passengers, then we can't fly the route.” Air Southwest went on to make a loss of £3.94m at the end of 2010.

Since the beginning of January, local news website, This is Plymouth, has published increasingly desperate pleas from business leaders to Air Southwest, asking the airline to reconsider (or at least postpone) the termination of its Gatwick routes. The London link has “psychological importance” to overseas investors, says the newspaper. Though, perhaps even more distressing for local businesses, is the “inextricable” link between Air Southwest’s fortunes, and those of Plymouth Airport. The hub would likely face closure if the airline packed up its planes and disappeared.

Passengers who are expecting to fly with Air Southwest after February 1 will be ‘rescued’ by budget airline, Flybe, and train service, First Great Western (FGW). Flybe pledged to “assist Air Southwest in any way possible,” after the stricken Southwest approached the blue-and-white carrier for assistance. Equally, FGW will provide free, first class travel to ticketholders. The decision was made after Plymouth Council asked the rail service for a “response,” earlier this month.

Newquay Airport retains a route to Gatwick, courtesy of Flybe, but Plymouth will need to lure a new airline to its runway in order to remain operational. Unfortunately, the tiny hub can only support the type of Bombardier Dash aircraft used by Air Southwest and Flybe, among others, which severely limits the number of carriers that can be persuaded to fly from the Devon airport.