After a deal was agreed that could pave the way for Flybe to restart operations, Routes looks at what became of the carrier’s UK network since its failure.
European regional carrier Flybe is reportedly locked in urgent funding talks as looks to avoid collapse. However, the airline is continuing to operate, with more than 2,300 flights across 96 routes scheduled this week.
A takeover has been agreed for struggling regional airline Flybe through a consortium led by Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Group. The joint venture partners now plan to create a “fully-fledged UK network carrier” under the Virgin Atlantic brand, which will provide feed for Virgin Atlantic’s long-haul network.
Not content with a 40+ per cent growth in passenger traffic in 2016, one week into the New Year Cornwall Airport Newquay has already confirmed the launch of a new summer link to the Republic of Ireland from Stobart Air and the return of Flybe services to London Stansted as part of an expanded summer 2017 programme that will also see increased frequencies on five existing domestic routes.
Irish regional carrier CityJet has reached a heads of terms agreement with Stobart Group to launch a network of up to 18 routes from London’s Southend Airport. The proposed up to four aircraft operation from April 2017 will bring up to 600,000 new passengers to Essex airport and complement the existing operations from easyJet.
Around 14 million annual seats are available between Ireland and the UK with this year’s offering the largest this decade and up 4.8 per cent on last year. Ryanair is the dominant carrier with a 53.7 per cent capacity share, ahead of Aer Lingus (including its Aer Lingus Regional operation) with a 32.4 per cent share.
The new combined contract will operate from February 1, 2015 until January 31, 2017 and may be extended for a further period of a maximum of one year, following the initial two year period, subject to a satisfactory review undertaken after the initial period of 18 months of operation.
UK leisure carrier Jet2.com, the largest operator at Blackpool Airport, has already revealed it will move its entire operation to Manchester Airport from October 10, 2014, while Aer Lingus Regional and Citywing will maintain services to Dublin, Belfast City and the Isle of Man until the closure of the airport on October 15, 2014.
UK low-fare carrier Flybe has confirmed the identity of the new routes it will launch this summer from Southend Airport after agreeing a franchising agreement with Stobart Air: Rennes (France), Groningen (the Netherlands), Münster Osnabrück (Germany), Cologne Bonn (Germany), Caen Normandie (France) and Antwerp (Belgium.
UK low-fare carrier Flybe is to open six new routes to destinations across Benelux and Northern Europe from Southend Airport after agreeing a franchising agreement with Stobart Air, the new corporate name for Irish regional carrier Aer Arann.