A BUDGET airline has stepped in to save a route from Southend to Newquay axed by easyJet last month.

Flybe, Europe’s largest independent regional airline, will fly to Cornwall three times a week between May 16 and September 27.

It marks Flybe’s return to Southend, from where it used to fly to the Channel Islands.

The Newquay route, which easyJet operated four times a week, was dropped last month, leaving many in the lurch. It launched in June last year, carrying almost 8,000 passengers in the summer.

Tickets for will be on sale from today at flybe.com, with one-way fares from £24.99, including taxes and charges.