New air links from Cork Airport to Devon and Cornwall in South West England have been launched today (28 April 2008) by Air Southwest.

The regional low-fare airline celebrated its inaugural flights to Plymouth and Newquay from Ireland earlier today. Plymouth is a brand new route with Air Southwest from Cork and the airline is re-introducing and increasing flights to Newquay by popular demand.

Natasha Manning and Kevin Cullinane from Cork Airport Marketing met the first passengers travelling to the region from Plymouth and Newquay earlier to mark the occasion, alongside Air Southwest Deputy Chief Executive Mike Coombes.

Flights from Cork to Plymouth run four days a week and services from Cork to Newquay run six days a week.

Mike Coombes, Deputy Chief Executive of Air Southwest said: "We were delighted with the popularity of the Cork to Newquay route last summer and it is great that we are able to increase this service from today and give even more choice for our customers with the addition of Plymouth. I’m confident that Cork and its surrounding region will also benefit from a boost in visitors this year."

Kevin Cullinane, Marketing Manager at Cork Airport said: "This route expansion by Air Southwest at Cork Airport is a further opportunity for an increase in both business and leisure travellers to visit the Cork region. The short flying time coupled with regular flights with convenient departure times means that the South West of England is ideal for both short breaks and longer holidays for Irish people to enjoy."

The news has been welcomed by the business community in Cork.

Conor Healy, Chief Executive of Cork Chamber added: "Cork is a fantastic destination for visitors from Devon and Cornwall and offers so much to see and do. These year-round flights with Air Southwest will undoubtedly benefit the local economy and we are delighted that the growth of air links into Cork Airport is helping to foster an increase in tourism to Southern Ireland."

Lawrence Bate, Director - Britain at Tourism Ireland added: "Good air links are crucial to the continuing economic success of Ireland and we welcome the launch of these new services today with Air Southwest to Cork. The city attracts leisure and business visitors year-round. The increase in air travel has led to an increase in tourism and these new routes are a further boost to Ireland."

Peter Cronin from Ballymakeera was on the first flight from Cork to Plymouth and said: "I work for the boiler manufacturer Firebird Ltd as an accountant and travel to Plymouth a couple of times a year for meetings with my Plymouth office colleagues and clients. For previous business trips I’ve flown to Bristol but the new flights from Air Southwest direct to Plymouth will make my life a lot easier and cut down the journey time so I’m looking forward to using them frequently."

Devon and Cornwall are increasingly becoming year-round destinations. The South West was the most popular English region for an overnight trip in 2006, reflecting the popularity of seaside destinations. In 2006, the South West attracted over 20 million overnight stays worth £3.7bn to the local economy.

All Air Southwest flights can be booked online at www.airsouthwest.com