Campaigners dressed as elves stage protest as Cornwall's daily flights to London resume
Eastern Airways is operating the service from Newquay to Gatwick
Extinction Rebellion's 'Santa's Elves' have been campaigning outside Cornwall Airport Newquay, protesting against subsidised seats on flights between the Duchy and the capital.
Eastern Airways is operating the reinstated Public Service Order agreement from Cornwall Airport Newquay to London Gatwick.
The protestors who are against the subsidies, chanted and sang carols outside the airport as the first flight departed.
Oliver Baines is a member of Extinction Rebellion. He told us: "The council has itself declared a climate emergency, so its first priority has to be to reduce carbon emissions by the maximum it can, and absolutely not to increase them.
"We have it light-hearted as it's Christmas, and come here dressed as elves and as carol singers, but the intent is really serious, these flights should not be taking place. We will continue to protest until these flights get taken off".
But officials say the Public Service Order agreement secures a vital transport link.
Adam Wheatley is the MD of Eastern Airways. He said: "I've been really enthused actually by locals who have been saying, and I quote a taxi driver from last night, this is our lifeline down here, and it just makes you really appreciate the connectivity and how important it is.
"I think it just connects this region again, I've spoken to a few people who say they sometimes feel a bit isolated down here, and I think this service will solve that problem".
Kim Conchie, chief executive of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce agrees that the resuming daily flights will help to connect the county with businesses.
He told us: "We can see for our hospitality industry it will enable us to have an offering all year round and take the pressure off the summer a little bit. From other industries, we want our new digital and tech businesses to be open to the world. Really it's straight across the business spectrum that this will be an improvement for us".
Kim said that people have a right to be protesting: "I think we need to work with the airlines and the aircraft manufacturers to make sure we're moving in a carbon net zero direction but for the moment while we need to get people in and out of Cornwall for business this is a great moment".
He continued: "With this flight, the diesel that they're using is actually marginally better than the train and much better than the car.
"I think the number of people gathered here today to protest proves that we need to be very alert to climate change concerns and make sure that we are moving in that direction and that all of us".
The first flight set off at 11am today (15th December) and took just over an hour to land in London.
Flights will run all year round.