A Liskeard-born pilot flew into Newquay Airport yesterday morning at the helm of easyJet's first flight to Cornwall.

The airline's inaugural flight arrived at 8.20am from London Southend carrying the first of 20,000 visitors expected to travel to the county with easyJet this summer. The budget airline will also introduce flights to and from Liverpool Airport on July 4.

At the controls yesterday was 28-year-old Richard Andrews whose parents, Mark and Domini Andrews, and brother Douglas still live in Liskeard. Richard, who attended St Martin's Primary School and then Liskeard School and Community College, went on to do much of his flying training in New Zealand and had been flying professionally since early 2011.

Al Titterington, managing director of Newquay Cornwall Airport, said: 'This is fantastic news for the airport to attract an airline of easyJet stature.'