Newquay Airport Map & Terminal Guide 2026

Newquay Airport Map

The map below shows the full layout of Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY / EGHQ), the main commercial airport for Cornwall and the wider South West of England. Set at Mawgan in Pydar on Cornwall's north coast, it sits 4.6 miles (7.4 km) northeast of Newquay town. The airport is owned by Cornwall Council and operated by Cornwall Airport Ltd. It recorded 407,609 passengers in 2024 and was named the UK's friendliest airport by APH in 2025 and the UK's fastest growing regional airport in 2023.

The Newquay Airport map shows a compact, straightforward layout centred on a single terminal building. Landside you have the check-in hall, ATMs, and the car parks (East, West and P3). Airside you move through security into the expanded departure lounge with cafe, retail, and an executive lounge. Use the map to locate the terminal entrance, car park access from the A3059, and the bus stop between the West car park and the terminal.

Newquay Airport Location Map

Cornwall Airport Newquay sits northeast of the town on a former RAF base, the runway originally built and maintained for decades as an RAF maritime operations base. The A3059 links the airport directly to the A30, Cornwall's main arterial road. The location map below places NQY on the north Cornish coast relative to Newquay town and the surrounding area.

Newquay Airport Terminal

Cornwall Airport Newquay has one terminal building, open from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekdays and until 8:00 pm on weekends. The terminal is compact and easy to navigate. Landside covers check-in desks, ATMs, an information desk, and the car hire counters (Hertz and Europcar). Once through security you reach the airside departure lounge, which was expanded in 2024 and now includes a Cornish cafe, a retail area, and an executive lounge accessible to all passengers by paying at the door or via a lounge membership programme. There is no duty-free, but a souvenir shop operates airside.

Airlines and Routes from Newquay Airport 2026

Eight airlines serve Cornwall Airport Newquay in 2026, connecting NQY to 14 destinations across the UK and Europe. Year-round routes cover London, Manchester, Dublin, Alicante and Malaga. Summer 2026 adds Zurich, Dusseldorf, Faro, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast City, Newcastle, and Guernsey. Aer Lingus Dublin passengers benefit from US Immigration pre-clearance at Dublin Airport, giving onward connections to New York, Boston, Chicago, and Toronto without clearing US customs on arrival.

Newquay Airport Security

Cornwall Airport Newquay operates one security checkpoint serving the single terminal. In February 2025 the airport installed C3 computed-tomography security scanners. These advanced scanners mean passengers do not need to remove liquids or laptops from their hand luggage before going through security. Standard TSA-style restrictions still apply to quantities and prohibited items, but the 100ml liquid rule no longer requires a clear bag to be placed in a tray.

Getting to Newquay Airport

The airport is accessed from the A3059, which connects to the A30 at the St Columb Major roundabout. There is no direct train service to the airport. The closest train station is Newquay, linked by bus to the terminal. All ground transport options drop off and pick up directly at the terminal building.

By Bus

First Kernow Bus 56 runs between Newquay bus station and the airport roughly every hour on weekdays and Saturdays, from around 7 am to 6 pm. On Sundays the service runs five times a day. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes. The bus stop sits between the West car park and the terminal entrance. Fares are paid contactlessly to the driver or via the Go Cornwall Bus app.

By Taxi

Coastline Travel is the official taxi provider for Newquay Airport and operates a desk in the arrivals hall. There is no taxi rank, so passengers arriving without a pre-booking need to use the desk or call ahead. The fare to Newquay town centre is around £20, taking 15 to 20 minutes. Uber operates from the airport with fares from approximately £13 to town. Pre-booking is strongly advised in summer, when availability across Cornwall is limited.

Newquay Airport Parking

Cornwall Airport Newquay has three on-site car parks, all within walking distance of the terminal. Pre-booking through the airport website is recommended year-round and essential in summer. The West car park offers 10 minutes free, which is enough for a quick drop-off or pick-up. For longer stays, the P3 pre-book-only car park offers up to 50% off standard rates for trips of four days or more and sits 5 to 10 minutes on foot from the terminal.

Newquay Airport Map — Arrivals

Arriving passengers deplane on the apron and walk or bus-step to the terminal. Domestic arrivals collect bags from the single baggage reclaim hall and exit landside. International arrivals are processed through the same arrivals hall, which was expanded in 2008 to handle domestic and international flights simultaneously. Car hire desks (Hertz, Europcar) and the Coastline Travel taxi desk are located in the arrivals hall. The bus stop for Bus 56 to Newquay town is just outside to the left, between the terminal and the West car park.

Newquay Airport Map — Departures

Departing passengers check in at the main check-in hall, go through the single security checkpoint, and enter the airside departure lounge. Gates are called from the lounge when boarding opens. The airport is small enough that there is rarely a long walk to any gate. Check-in desks and bag drop typically close 40 minutes before domestic departures and 50 minutes before international flights. Gate assignments appear on screens throughout the terminal and on your airline's app.

Recommended Arrival Times at NQY

For domestic flights, arriving at the terminal 90 minutes before departure gives comfortable time for check-in and security. For international flights, allow 2 hours. In peak summer (July to August) Saturday mornings are the busiest departure window, so add an extra 30 minutes of buffer. The terminal is compact, which means security queues rarely run long outside these peak windows.

Spaceport Cornwall

Cornwall Airport Newquay is also home to Spaceport Cornwall, the UK's first licensed spaceport and the only horizontal-launch spaceport in Western Europe. The facility sits on the northern side of the airfield. Following the failed Virgin Orbit LauncherOne launch attempt in January 2023, Virgin Orbit went bankrupt and the original launch programme ended. The spaceport retains its licence and now hosts 13 space-related firms in a dedicated Space Systems Operations Facility, with further launch opportunities being pursued with new operators for mid-decade launches.

Insider Tips for NQY

NQY is a small airport and that is its biggest advantage: check-in to gate in 20 minutes is genuinely possible outside summer peaks. The C3 scanners mean no liquid bag faff at security, which speeds things up further. If you're hiring a car in Cornwall in August, book it at least two months ahead — Cornwall's limited supply runs out fast. The A30 is the main artery through Cornwall and can queue badly on summer Saturday afternoons; if you're driving to the airport on those days, allow extra time. The departure lounge cafe opened following the 2024 expansion and is a solid step up from what was there before. Free Wildanet WiFi is available throughout the terminal and is genuinely quick.