By Brian Smith, aviation reporter, and Grant Smith

AIR SERVICES from Dundee to Newquay, set to start from July 28, have been withdrawn by the airline flyWhoosh before they get off the ground.

The flights to the Cornish town, famous for its beaches and surf, were scheduled to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and would have operated by extending the existing service to Birmingham.

Chief executive Aden Murcutt said last night that “strategic, commercial and operational reasons” all played a part in the decision to cancel the services.

“We had too much to do in too short a space and we were really struggling.

“For example, the Civil Aviation Authority were approached in April but it took six or seven weeks to come back and say OK. You cannot go ahead and commit resources when they might say no.

“We were also finding that the timetabling was not ideal…

“Eventually, to avoid the risk of failure, it was felt a postponement was the best option. It will only be a postponement of a few months and we will be aiming for a full season next year.”

One upset customer said she had booked her August 4 flight on the company’s website on Wednesday, paying in full, only to be telephoned the following day and told that the service was not operating.

“They said they were now planning to fly next year. Either they never intended to run them or they did not get the numbers. I am now waiting on a refund.”

She said she was now considering cancelling her holiday, despite having booked a hotel, because her only other means of getting to Cornwall was a long and expensive train journey.

Mr Murcutt promised, “All passengers who have booked will be refunded very quickly.”

Announced just three weeks before the service was due to start and half way through the summer, it has been suggested the flights to Newquay would always struggle to attract sufficient passengers.

A spokesperson for Dundee Airport said, “FlyWhoosh have informed us that they are not going to add to their current rotations and the services to Birmingham and Belfast continue unaltered.”

After a start that was at times hesitant, both routes have been picking up increased numbers of passengers, with some recent services to Belfast fully booked.

The spokesperson for Birmingham Airport said that from their point of view, Dundee has proved to be a popular route.

Mr Murcutt added, “Numbers continue to rise most impressively. It is fantastic because we always knew that the market was there.”

He added that he still believed there is the potential for other routes from Dundee and they would be looking at various options next month, with the aim of starting a new service before the end of the year.