Situated just off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly are an archipelago representing the southernmost point of the British Isles. These can be reached by boat and helicopter, but for passengers wanting to travel on fixed-wing aircraft, regional carrier Isles of Scilly Skybus is the place to go. Let's look at everything you need to know about this fascinating little airline.
Network
As the carrier's name suggests, its primary destination is the Isles of Scilly, and its flights serve St Mary's Airport (ISC) on the island of the same name. This facility is situated just outside Hugh Town, the archipelago's largest settlement, with the longer of its two runways a 694-meter-long strip paved with asphalt.
Regarding its mainland destinations, Isles of Scilly Skybus serves three airports in southwestern England. The only one of these that features year-round service is Land's End (LEQ), which is also the airline's main base. Correspondingly, its head office is situated just down the road in Penzance. The carrier's website shows that as many as ten flights a day can be timetabled between Land's End and St Mary's.
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Isles of Scilly Skybus also serves Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQT) and Exeter Airport (EXT) on a seasonal basis throughout the summer. Flights to these destinations are scheduled to take 30 and 60 minutes, respectively, compared to just 20 for Land's End. A look at the carrier's timetables shows that Newquay generally sees three rotations a week, while Exeter gets as many as four a day at certain times.
Fleet
Given the aforementioned short runway at St Mary's Airport, Isles of Scilly Skybus is relatively limited in terms of the aircraft that it can use. However, it has managed to strike a good balance in terms of its current fleet, consisting of two different propeller-driven designs that are on the smaller side.
The largest aircraft type that the airline flies is the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 'Twin Otter.' According to data from Planespotters.net, four of these planes presently serve the carrier, with their average age being a hefty 43.8 years old. The airline's seat maps show space for 19 passengers, up to three per row.
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Even smaller still are the carrier's Britten-Norman BN-2 'Islander' aircraft. These tiny planes are just 10.86 meters long and, alongside one or two pilots, can seat just eight passengers, laid out in four rows of two. Their range is 507 NM (939 km), compared to 644 NM (1,193 km) for the Twin Otter.
Fares
Given the limited capacity offered by the carrier's flights and the reasonably high demand, fares on Isles of Scilly Skybus are understandably pricey. This year, singles to St Mary's started at £121.50 ($155.47) from Land's End Airport, £171.25 ($219.13) from Cornwall Airport Newquay, and £236.50 ($302.62) from Exeter Airport.
However, cheaper travel options do exist. For example, day trip passengers can combine an outbound Skybus flight with a return boat journey (two hours and 45 minutes) on the Scillonian ferry for as little as £89.75 ($114.84).
What do you make of Isles of Scilly Skybus? Have you ever traveled with the Cornish carrier? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Sources: Isles of Scilly Travel, Planespotters.net