Eastern Airways is returning to East Midlands airport for the first time since 2017 with new flights to Newquay.
The regional carrier will run a daily service to Cornwall from February 10 in time for school half-term.
A 72-seat ATR aircraft will be deployed on the route with one-way fares starting at £68.99.
The air link will save almost ten hours compared to surface transport options on a round-trip.
The new service will operate year-round and complement existing flights to Newquay Cornwall from Gatwick and Humberside.
The airline is also raising frequency between Humberside and Newquay to four flights a week from April 7 for next summer.
A Jersey route returns from Humberside from May 13.
Three flights a week between Humberside and Denmark’s fifth largest city of Esbjerg are being introduced from December 14.
Eastern Airways last operated at East Midlands with a route to Aberdeen between 1999 and 2017.
Commercial director Roger Hage said: “This is a major step in growing connectivity to the Cornwall base and the only Midlands service to the south-west of England.
“By adding East Midlands airport with the major cities of Nottingham, Derby, Leicester all within 30-minutes and Sheffield within an hour, this welcome addition to the domestic network at East Midlands will aid those who travel for business, visit friends and family or seek a welcome leisure break with the need for international travel.
“Adding the new destination of Newquay-Cornwall, this significantly improves access to the UK staycation destination of choice.
“We want to ensure the right services are being offered given Eastern Airways is all about supporting the regions of the UK, connecting people and places, so growing our Cornish network and capacity is a crucial part of increasing connectivity and aiding economic recovery to both business and the UK’s vital tourism sector where sustainable.”
East Midlands airport managing director Steve Griffiths added: “We know many passengers choose this airport because we’re easy to get to and easy to get through. With a flight time of 1 hour and 20 mins, it will be so much quicker to reach one of the most beautiful coastlines in the UK and will be very welcome news to the thousands of people in this region who regularly make the almost 300-mile trip to Cornwall for holidays.
“The new connectivity will boost tourism, benefit our regional economies, and help establish links between complementary business sectors across the Midlands and the south-west of England.”
Cornwall airport Newquay managing director Sam O’ Dwyer said:“Our research and passenger feedback has shown there is much demand for a link into the Midlands region from Cornwall, combined with more capacity into London, and the doubling of flights into Humberside is fantastic news.
“Eastern Airways has been serving Cornwall since 2020 and these latest announcements provide a clear indication of its continued commitment to ensure our customers have more choice available to them when travelling within the UK throughout the year.”