40 years of Isles of Scilly Skybus........

Get ready for a look behind the scenes of what happens every day at Land’s End Airport in a new corporate film from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group. From Air Traffic Control to loading the freighter planes with Royal Mail post, you'll see the variety of what the Skybus team gets up to.

"It's been great to meet more of the team behind the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group and their services. Our filming days have taken us across different departments, capturing the diverse skills and daily operations that keep these crucial connections running smoothly." said Rich Stephens, Director & Co-Founder of creative video production company PixelRain, which is making the film 

Skybus has been servicing the islands for the last 40 years, helping to transport both air freight and passengers to the islands as a faster alternative to the ferry service.

For four decades, Skybus has been more than just a flight service - it's been a lifeline connecting the Isles of Scilly with the mainland. From the inaugural flight in 1984, the company has flown over stunning coastlines and provided vital links for residents, visitors and businesses alike. 

 

The airline started up with just a single 8-seater Britten-Norman Islander aircraft, since then it has grown into a service with a fleet of seven planes operating an air freight service and scheduled passenger flights year-round. Since then, Skybus has carried more than two million passengers and thousands of tonnes of freight, to the islands. 

 

Stuart Reid, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said: “Over the past four decades Skybus has become an integral part of island life, and one we are exceptionally proud of. It’s no exaggeration to say that it is a lifeline to the islands. Skybus has outlasted more than 50 other UK airlines which have come and gone over the same period, which is no mean feat. We are very grateful to the whole Skybus team for their dedication and hard work over the past 40 years, and of course to the thousands of passengers who fly with us each year.” 

These days, the airline carries more than 70,000 passengers each year between Land’s End, Newquay and Exeter airports and the Isles of Scilly. Skybus has been flying from Newquay and Exeter for more than 30 years and is Newquay’s longest-serving airline. The flying time to St. Mary's Airport in Isle of Scilly from Land’s End Airport is 20 minutes, from Newquay  Airport it is 30 minutes and from Exeter Airport the journey takes an hour. The carrier operates Land’s End Airport all year round, while Exeter and Newquay are seasonal operations between March and October and  April to October respectively.

Skybus also transports approximately one tonne of freight per day including urgent time-critical medical supplies and employs over 40 skilled local people consisting of pilots, aircraft engineers, operational and ground handling staff.  

The Skybus fleet consists of 4 De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft and 2 Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders.

DHC-6 Twin Otter

Crew 2

Capacity 17 passengers 

Length 51 ft 9 in (15.77 m) 

Wingspan 65 ft 

Height 19 ft 6 in 

Empty weight Between 7,800 lb (3545 kg) and 8,200 lb (3727 kg) 

Cruise speed 145 knots (166 mph) 

Range 644 nautical miles (741 mi)

Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander

Crew 1 or 2

Capacity 8 passengers 

Length 35 ft 8 in (10.86 m) 

Wingspan 49 ft (14.94 m) 

Height 13 ft 9 in (4.18 m)

Empty weight 4200lb (1909Kg) 

Cruise speed 125 knots (143 mph) 

Range 507 nautical miles (583 mi)

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