The Department for Transport (DfT) will give Cornwall Council up to £1.8m over 2 years for the Newquay route and up to £2.5m to fund direct flights for a further two years between Dundee and London until 2023.
This funding will keep the route running in order to support regional links across the country, the DfT said, and will bolster economic growth in the regions by encouraging tourism and business travel.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Government acknowledged the significant carbon impact of the aviation sector at COP26 in Glasgow. A recent study has found that while aviation’s present contribution to anthropogenic global warming is 4 per cent, this is expected to increase up to 2050, potentially consuming up to one-sixth of the remaining temperature budget to limit warming to 1.5°C.
Furthermore, short-haul flights that could be replaced with less carbon-intensive transport options have been shown to be responsible for the majority of...