A NEW initiative to give disabled people the opportunity to fly has been launched at Cornwall Airport Newquay.

Flynqy Pilot Training, in partnership with Aerobility, the UK charity dedicated to giving disabled people access to aviation and the wonders of flight, has unveiled the Cornwall Flying Scholarship.

The scheme will provide fully funded aviation opportunities for people living with disabilities in Cornwall and the surrounding area. There will also be pathways for those who want to develop their aviation knowledge and take their first steps towards learning to fly.

The Cornwall Flying Scholarship has been established with a particular focus on supporting Cornish applicants with physical disabilities. But applications are also welcomed from other eligible members of the local community, including those living with hidden disabilities, disabled ex-forces personnel and children and adults living with terminal illnesses in Cornwall.

Zara Dinnacombe from Flynqy Pilot Training said: “We are incredibly proud to be launching these fully funded aviation opportunities in our local community and to be able to accelerate our commitment to making general aviation as inclusive and accessible as possible.

“Launching scholarships has always been a long-term ambition for Flynqy Pilot Training, but thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a local aviator, we have been able to turn that ambition into reality much sooner than anticipated.

“We couldn’t think of a better time to launch the Cornwall Flying Scholarship than at the end of such an incredible weekend of joint aviation activities with Aerobility and Cornwall Airport Newquay. It has been a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared belief that aviation should be accessible to everyone.

“Whether someone simply wants to feel the excitement of taking to the skies for the first time, or dreams of one day becoming a pilot, we hope the Cornwall Flying Scholarship will give people the opportunity to discover what they are capable of. Sometimes, all it takes is someone to open the door and say, ‘you can do this’ – and we hope this scholarship will be that opportunity for the people of Cornwall.”

Duncan Healey from Cornwall Airport Newquay said: “Aviation has the power to inspire, open doors and create new opportunities and initiatives like this demonstrate how important it is to ensure those opportunities are accessible to everyone.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of bringing together organisations with a shared passion for aviation and a commitment to making a real difference. “We’re pleased that the scholarship will give people in Cornwall the chance to experience the excitement of flying and discover where that first, or next, step in aviation could take them.

“We look forward to welcoming the successful scholarship recipients to Cornwall Airport Newquay, seeing them take to the skies and hopefully inspire others to believe that a future in aviation could be within their reach.”

Applications close on October 18, 2026. Applicants must be aged 14 or over and either be living with a disability, be a disabled ex-forces person, or be living with a terminal illness in Cornwall.