Archive Flybe at Cardiff Airport

[Jerry]

Press release by the airport about the new Rome route which is the first scheduled Rome service from Cardiff!
News

28 MARCH
Flybe connecting Cardiff with Rome for first time ever


Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, started operating its 2017 summer schedule from Cardiff Airport at the weekend (March 26th) which features 15 routes offering a total choice of up to 73 flights a week. The schedule includes the launch of the first ever service between Cardiff and Rome, with the inaugural flight taking off today (March 28th).

Seats are available for booking at www.flybe.com from £24.99 one way including taxes and charges and currently available for travel through to 28th October 2017.

Flights to the Italian capital operate twice a week, with flights conveniently scheduled on Tuesdays and Saturdays into Leonardo de Vinci-Fiumicino airport.

It is not only the country capital that Flybe is serving from Cardiff this summer, with routes to London City, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast City, Berlin and Paris Charles de Gaulle airport all featuring to ensure that business and leisure travellers are well connected to Wales.

HIGHLIGHTS of Flybe’s 2017 Summer Schedule from Cardiff

Available for travel 26th March – 28th October 2017

15 destinations:

Belfast City, Berlin Tegel, Cork, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh, Faro, Glasgow, Jersey, London City, Milan, Munich, Paris Charles De Gaulle, Rome and Verona

Choice of up to 73 flights a week

NEW ROUTE FOR SUMMER- CARDIFF (CWL) to ROME (FCO)

Tues

Dep CWL 1350 Arr FCO 1725 Dep FCO 1805 Arr CWL 1935

Sat

Dep CWL 0705 Arr FCO 1040 Dep FCO 1125 Arr CWL 1255

Vincent Hodder, Flybe’s Chief Revenue Officer, comments: “We are delighted to include yet another new route from our Cardiff base this summer. Rome is an exciting new destination both for Flybe and for the airport. We are committed to connecting people and communities and offering the widest choice of destinations possible with time saving, punctual and affordable travel. We look forward to welcoming many more new passengers on board.”

Debra Barber, Chief Executive Officer of Cardiff Airport, added: “What an exciting start to Flybe’s summer season! We’re delighted that the airline has chosen Cardiff to launch its first ever service to Rome. This route has been in great demand by our customers for some time so this is a welcome addition to the airline’s growing network of services.”

Full details of the Flybe Summer Schedule can be found at www.flybe.com

 

[superking]

the flybe service out and back to milan today cancelled. do we know the reason for this.

 

[Tinkerman]

Superking, i'm sure it's not just me thinking this, but why on earth are your posts often so intangible and illegible ? I kind of understand what you're talking about sometimes but most of the time i'm none the wiser with half the things you say.

Not sure, G-FBEM issues somehow.

 

[Jerry]

the flybe service out and back to milan today cancelled. do we know the reason for this.

Could be that the aircraft, G-FBEM, has gone tech as another E195 G-FBEH is operating JER and according to SWAG it was flown in from Coventry.

 

[Tinkerman]

BE are looking at additional charter opportunities for this coming winter and next Summer. Just reported on BBC news !

 

[Jerry]

The new Chief Executive has said Cardiff is central to Flybe's new five year business plan and as Tinkerman reported above they are looking for new opportunities with the airport including charter opportunities for maybe next winter or summer. So possibly more aircraft and new routes on the way? Also maybe a new holiday partner for Flybe?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39508890

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Which basically means the winter routes aren't profitable so they need to find something to fill the gap! The charter business could be anything from Tour Operator charters, such as ski holidays, santa flights (not sure if BE ever operates these elsewhere?), sports charters - Having a/c and crew based at CWL may bring down the cost of teams charter an aircraft, even if it's the DH8 or the E195 it will probably be too big for most teams, but if the cost is right! It's always puzzled me why the previous BE before pulling out, WX and the current BE haven't increased flights significantly for matches such as 6 nations and big football games. VY, FR and EI all added quite a bit of capacity, BE only moderate and tried to keep they're other schedules. Some forward planning should be done to not put certain flights on sale on those dates and look to operate extra schedules. These are usually high demand and good money makers surely.

 

[Jerry]

matches such as 6 nations and big football games.

I've always wondered that. If you look at this years six nations BE never put on any extra flights to CDG or DUB. They did though put on an extra flight to EDI operated by an EDI based aircraft. If they based another Q400 at CWL then it could give them the flexibility with the E195s to operate more holiday charters backed by tour operators and maybe the odd sport charter especially considering S.Wales have 4 pro rugby teams that and 2 football teams that do a lot of travelling. Just with the 4 pro 12 teams there's 32 away trips minimum that require flights and that's without European games. It could be part of a sponsorship deal. The winter schedule will be interesting!

 

[Bcn_boy]

You should be careful not to be spreading nasty rumours which have no foundation. Those employees as well as passengers booked on flybe from dsa will now be getting nervous about their jobs and holidays. The unecessary uncertainty this could cause could lead to people leaving their positions and cancelling trips. That will put things into a downward spiral.

 

[Jerry]

Sad for DSA if it's true. I believe BE have 1 E195 and 1 E175 based there at the moment. I'm sure the crews will be relocated with the aircraft to other bases. Just a selfish CWL thought but maybe 1 might come here. Does anyone know when Flybe will release Winter 2017/18? If it is happening then that's when it will be confirmed. Though they may still fly into DSA from other bases ie JER.

 

[Jerry]

You should be careful not to be spreading nasty rumours which have no foundation. Those employees as well as passengers booked on flybe from dsa will now be getting nervous about their jobs and holidays. The unecessary uncertainty this could cause could lead to people leaving their positions and cancelling trips. That will put things into a downward spiral.

Don't see how people would cancel there trips especially when they can't book flights to begin with. The post on PRUNE said at the end of the summer which means BE intend to carry on with their summer schedule and it's hardly nasty as Tinkerman has said the poster is connected with DSA so the rumour looks like it has some foundation. Hopefully for DSA the poster is wrong or BE change their plans.

 

[Tinkerman]

Jerry mate, chances are that due to 2 E195's leaving at the end of the Summer, by default that leaves an aircraft shortage. If BE are then unwilling to put other aircraft in there then that's the natural course of action for the base.

I wouldn't get too carried away since the E195 operation at CWL is shaky at best.

 

[Jerry]

Jerry mate, chances are that due to 2 E195's leaving at the end of the Summer, by default that leaves an aircraft shortage. If BE are then unwilling to put other aircraft in there then that's the natural course of action for the base.

I wouldn't get too carried away since the E195 operation at CWL is shaky at best.

They'll have 6 left I believe after the summer and the E195 operation isn't shaky at CWL BE seem happy with it. I'm more thinking about the E175. But it will be a case of wait and see at what the Winter schedule reveals.

 

[Cruzeiro do Sul]

The rumour may possibly be based on a posting which was made earlier in the day on pprune. The poster appeared well informed, as Flybe was referred to as 'us'. They made comments on various Flybe topics and stressed that all opinions were personal.

Comments included the 'subsidised bases and flights'.
'NQY and CWL performing very well and will continue'.
'EXT and NWI will do inherently well in summer; the winter is a different story'.
'DSA is, well, the one that I think could be looked at in closer detail'.

 

[Jerry]

The rumour may possibly be based on a posting which was made earlier in the day on pprune. The poster appeared well informed, as Flybe was referred to as 'us'. They made comments on various Flybe topics and stressed that all opinions were personal.

Comments included the 'subsidised bases and flights'.
'NQY and CWL performing very well and will continue'.
'EXT and NWI will do inherently well in summer; the winter is a different story'.
'DSA is, well, the one that I think could be looked at in closer detail'.

That's a different post. The post in question specifically says that DSA operations will end at the end of the summer.

 

[Cruzeiro do Sul]

It all boils down to credibility. It may well be that both posts are correct.
The earlier post looked well-informed and authoritative. The second post received criticism on pprune for lacking detail and corroboration.
All will be revealed within the next 6 months.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Last month Flybe reported making a small adjusted pre-tax loss for the year ending 31 March 2017, blaming weak demand, overcapacity in the market and the effects of rail competition. The fleet will be reduced in number this year so it would not be a huge surprise if some of the rumours reproduced above are correct.

http://atwonline.com/airline-financials/flybe-predicts-small-annual-loss-tough-conditions-continue

 

[Jerry]

It all boils down to credibility. It may well be that both posts are correct.
The earlier post looked well-informed and authoritative. The second post received criticism on pprune for lacking detail and corroboration.
All will be revealed within the next 6 months.

We'll find out when they release winter 2017/18 on what or if a anything is culled from any of the airports and CWL isn't immune either. There is also the possibility that although the base could get pulled they could operate some routes by non based aircraft.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

And i think we should wait until then before fuelling what at the moment is nothing more than a potentially damaging rumour, so lets not fuel that fire more by continually talking about it. It is a rumour network, but this certainly could worry those employed by BE in DSA and also those jobs that are supported by BE's operation. Secondly it won't necessarily mean people cancelling their flights but it could mean people might be more cautious in booking with BE in the future, whether they carry on in the short or long term. Once things like this start spreading on social media it can really gain pace. If that posted by commenting "us", I hope he/she gets a good talking to by anyone that knows who he is, especially by BE if he/she is releasing confidential information.

 

[Jerry]

Nice little interview with Flybe CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener in Wales Online. The main points are how she feels Brexit could effect the aviation industry, how Flybe want to move forward as an airline especially IT wise and the impact on the customer experience.
Cardiff Airport wise she mentions the good relationship between the airline and airport. The interesting bit is when asked how Cardiff Airport could attract more airlines she says 'i think the airport is already doing many things: the infrastructure, the expansion they have done, the one they are planning, the improvement for security, there have been a lot of changes. The last time I was in Cardiff was three or four years ago and I can see many changes since then.” The interesting bit for me is the expansion they are planning. Whether that is terminal wise or airline and route wise will be a wait and see but it does sound like the airport doesn't keep any secrets about what it's planning for the future from Flybe.
The London City route gets mentioned and she says they are happy with it but there will be future action to promote the route and that they are working with the airport looking at charter routes for winter 2017/18. All in all it seems pretty positive for the future of Flybe at CWL.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/flybe-boss-sees-difficulties-airlines-12881018