Yesterday morning I joined the Monday morning fliers at Gatwick's North Terminal for a quick trip to Plymouth on Britain's brighest regional airline, Air Southwest. Despite the BA strike, or possibly because of it, the terminal was quiet, but busy and we had the pleasure of walking up directly to the well positioned (at the top of the escalator) Air Southwest check-in desk. Thereafter the whole flight to Plymouth (and back the same day) was practically perfect !
I am biased because I like small aircraft and the 39 seater Dash 8 aircraft operated by Air Southwest allows a really personal service on board. Pretty full in both directions withe flight operating a triangle from Gatwick to Plymouth and Newquay and back to Gatwick. Passengers disembarking at Plymouth on the left of the airline (A and B seats) and passengers disembarking at Newquay on the right hand side (C and D seats). How often can you remember the names of the cabin crew serving you, so thank you to Sam on the way out and Lulu on the way back (her actual name was Laura, I think, but it was changed in the teasing PA from the Captain)?
Air Southwest are owned by Sutton Harbour, who also own Plymouth Airport, so as you would expect the service standards at the Airport matched the excellent on board service and, despite a moment of anxiety as the weather worsened as departure time beckoned, we took off for home perfectly on schedule.
Air Southwest are a regional treasure and its great to see a small, but well funded airline, really being taken to heart by its local community. The Gatwick service is augmented by a relatively new service from London City Airport which shows the airline's intention to develop more links to and from the Southwest of England and despite the current uncertainty about the BA strike (and a significant percentage of Air Southwest passengers into Gatwick interline onto another airline including BA) the airlines loads looked good.
One to watch and enjoy if you heading in their direction !
I am biased because I like small aircraft and the 39 seater Dash 8 aircraft operated by Air Southwest allows a really personal service on board. Pretty full in both directions withe flight operating a triangle from Gatwick to Plymouth and Newquay and back to Gatwick. Passengers disembarking at Plymouth on the left of the airline (A and B seats) and passengers disembarking at Newquay on the right hand side (C and D seats). How often can you remember the names of the cabin crew serving you, so thank you to Sam on the way out and Lulu on the way back (her actual name was Laura, I think, but it was changed in the teasing PA from the Captain)?
Air Southwest are owned by Sutton Harbour, who also own Plymouth Airport, so as you would expect the service standards at the Airport matched the excellent on board service and, despite a moment of anxiety as the weather worsened as departure time beckoned, we took off for home perfectly on schedule.
Air Southwest are a regional treasure and its great to see a small, but well funded airline, really being taken to heart by its local community. The Gatwick service is augmented by a relatively new service from London City Airport which shows the airline's intention to develop more links to and from the Southwest of England and despite the current uncertainty about the BA strike (and a significant percentage of Air Southwest passengers into Gatwick interline onto another airline including BA) the airlines loads looked good.
One to watch and enjoy if you heading in their direction !
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