Skybus strengthens support for islander medical travel

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group airline, Skybus, has announced a new programme to further support islanders travelling to the mainland for hospital appointments.

From Tuesday 5 May, two seats on the first weekday morning flight from St Mary’s to Land’s End, and on the last evening return flight (six days per week), will be reserved for patient travel until 24 hours before departure.

Patients will continue to book in advance as usual, but the additional reserved seats will support urgent needs, including short-notice consultations and timely returns following hospital discharge. Any unallocated seats will be released for general sale 24 hours before departure via the Skybus website.

To further support islanders, passengers can now pre-book a guaranteed shuttle service between Land’s End Airport and West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance. The service will connect with weekday flights and is priced at £8 one way, in line with existing transfers to Penzance rail station.

While an informal transfer service has operated previously, the new programme guarantees availability, helping more patients complete return journeys on the same day for outpatient appointments.

Jonathan Hinkles, Managing Director of Skybus, said: “Access to healthcare is a vital part of providing lifeline air services for island communities such as the Isles of Scilly. This programme will improve access to flights when they are most needed, supporting year-round medical travel. We have seen the impact of a similar approach previously, where it significantly improved access to patient travel on lifeline routes and was later adopted by the Scottish Government. Alongside our commitment to ground transport to West Cornwall Hospital, we believe this sets a new standard.”

Reserved medical seats are already in place for Summer 2026 and do not affect existing bookings or general availability. The new ground transfer service is available to book now for travel from Tuesday 5 May.