Skybus is celebrating more than 30 years of flying from Exeter Airport to the Isles of Scilly this week. 

The Cornwall-based airline has been flying from Exeter Airport to Scilly since May 1991. The first flight of 2023 took off from Exeter this week.

Skybus, owned and operated by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, will be operating up to three flights a day, six days a week from now until mid-October.

The islands, located 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, are only an hour away by air.

They are among 26 destinations on offer from Exeter Airport this year as it gears up for a busy 2023.

Stephen Wiltshire, managing director of Exeter Airport said: “We’ve enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Skybus, and we’re delighted to welcome them back to Exeter again this year for what we expect will be a busy season.

“In addition to regular flights to Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey this summer we’ve got a new service to Faro on the Portuguese Algarve with Ryanair, flights to Belfast and Dublin up to seven times a week, and seamless onward connections to the USA and Canada via Dublin with Aer Lingus.

“It means travellers even more choice from their local airport.”

Stuart Reid, chief executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said: “Exeter to Scilly is always a popular route, especially with holidaymakers travelling from up country and the South East because it makes the islands so accessible.

“We’re a celebrating a partnership with Exeter Airport that spans more than 30 years and are anticipating another busy year as more people discover the unique charm of Scilly.”

Since the route started in 1991 Skybus has flown 227,284 passengers from Exeter Airport to the Isles of Scilly, on 20,657 flights.

Flights can be booked through the Skybus website.