British International Helicopters will close its domestic helicopter routes between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly from the 1st November.
Managing Director Tony Jones, said this is an extremely sad announcement for BIH and the Isles of Scilly, but that, “unfortunately we had no alternative.”
The decision to close the route was triggered by legal action, announced today, taken by Tesco and two private individuals challenging the process undertaken by Cornwall Council and the Secretary of State when planning permission was granted for a Sainsbury’s supermarket on the current heliport site.
BIH said this has prevented them from completing the sale of the land to Sainsbury’s and created too many uncertainties for the passenger service to continue.
BIH says financial pressure on the company has been compounded by the falling number of visitors to the Isles of Scilly, while the majority of costs have risen.
The company has entered a formal redundancy consultation process with its employees.
It says it will honour all customer flights booked up until 31 October 2012 and anyone with a flight booked after 1st November will be given a full refund.
Glandore on Scilly 
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