Flybe

[rollo]

Ultimately and unfortunately Flybe were a badly managed company who never seemed sure of their direction and seemed to pick routes randomly at times e.g. BHX and MAN to Luxembourg came and went in short order while developing a reputation of being unreliable with cancelled flights at short notice hence their commonly used nickname.

They went broke before conavirous took effect.

 

[Ash]

Ultimately and unfortunately Flybe were a badly managed company

Yes sadly I could sit and write all day about Flybe's woes, some of which were self inflicted, some not:

• Lax enforcement of baggage size regulations made it difficult to monetise checked in baggage unlike Ryanair, Easyjet et al.
• Disproportionate exposure to notorious bad weather airports in Channel Islands, Isle of Man impacting operational integrity
• Disproportionate exposure to Air Passenger Duty from large domestic network
• Lack of proper integration into Avios frequent flyer program
• Poor website user experience (IMO)
• Crew shortage resulting in high overtime costs and high delay/cancellation rate
• Very expensive and poorly timed shift to new res system, Amadeus when the airline was bleeding cash
• Resulting from many of above, crippling exposure to EC 261 claims
• Expensive lease terms well above market rate on many aircraft
• Nonsense operation with Eastern done out of spite against Loganair, which just trashed both airlines yields

Despite all this I do think there is a gap in the market for a smaller, watered down version of flybe operating only the Q400 from a smaller number of bases, if they were unburdened from many of the above factors and when the COVID impact eventually subsides.

 

[David_itl]

MAN-Luxembourg never disappeared. The only issue was that it became bookable only a few weeks before the start of the summer and winter timetables. That Luxair are coming back to that route suggest that it was viable. All the rich pickings for a resurrected Flybe have gone.

 

[Coathanger16]

The ability to attract a high fare on a route is a sign of its success, not failure. Any conventional revenue management system will progressively jack up the price as the cheaper fare buckets are sold, leaving only the most expensive last minute fares available for those who will pay them (business traffic).

Flybe's business model was never to chase mass market tourists looking for a cheap weekend in Berlin or Milan. Their fleet, route network and frequencies operated should make that apparent. They were doing well on the revenue side of the business, the SAS ACMI work was particularly lucrative for instance.

However they were ultimately undone by poor cost control, the consequences of a revolving door of senior management and the legacy fleet decisions they had to live with. COVID was simply the straw that broke the camels back.

It can be both. The fact is there were very few, if any, "cheap" fares from Flybe on what should be busy international routes. Of course if you try and book flights with easyJet for the next day the flights aren't cheap, but it seemed from memory that booking a flight from Luton with easyJet a week out was cheaper (even with the cost of driving down and parking) that it would be to fly with Flybe from BHX even if you made the booking 6 months in advance. Whilst that may have worked for and been "lucrative" for Flybe, the amount of passengers it brought to BHX were far lower than the level BHX should be aiming for.

In 2019 BHX ranked 11th out of UK airports served from Berlin, behind smaller airports such as Bristol (124% more than BHX), Glasgow (93% more than BHX) & Liverpool (40% more than BHX). Even EMA at a third the size of BHX saw passenger levels to Berlin approximately 80% of the levels BHX saw. The difference between these airports and BHX? Each of them had a LCC operating the route. If EZY or RYR had ever decided to fly to Berlin from BHX, Flybe wouldn't have stood a chance, even with lucrative business passengers.

Flybe tried to go up against airlines both smaller than itself as well as airlines much larger. The network the flew from Cardiff was very different to that at Birmingham which again was different to the network out of Edinburgh. They should have picked one type of market (regional/domestic being the best chance) and served that across their network, rather than trying (and failing) to serve different types of markets from different airports.

 

[Seasider]

Ultimately and unfortunately Flybe were a badly managed company who never seemed sure of their direction and seemed to pick routes randomly at times e.g. BHX and MAN to Luxembourg came and went in short order while developing a reputation of being unreliable with cancelled flights at short notice hence their commonly used nickname.

They went broke before conavirous took effect.

Traffic had started to decrease before they went broke. They may well have gone anyway, but the coronovirus made sure.

 

[rollo]

Flybe ceased trading on th 5th March so it depends on when you think conavirous really took hold on day to day life I suppose but personally I take it as when the lockdown took effect but either way they will be sorely missed in the regions.

 

[Brum X]

BHX has most of the bigger airlines serving it though.

Yes it does but I hope it sticks with these airlines to grow the offering from BHX rather than invite Flybe back into the mix.

 

[Matt995]

First of the Flybe E175's parked up at BHX, departed yesterday G-FBJE departed early afternoon to Lisbon Alverca Airport

Anyone know how many remaining Flybe DH8s and E175's are still on the ground at BHX?

 

[rollo]

First of the Flybe E175's parked up at BHX, departed yesterday G-FBJE departed early afternoon to Lisbon Alverca Airport

Anyone know how many remaining Flybe DH8s and E175's are still on the ground at BHX?

Three of each left, posted by Olton Pete on another forum.

 

[smithy108]

Could this be the return or not ?

Flybe eyes unexpected comeback in the spring
Flybe could make a return to UK skies next year following a deal for the assets of the failed airline.
The regional carrier went into administration in Mach this year, with the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic compounding years of financial losses.
Ahead of a potential return, administrators EY sold the brand and remaining assets to Thyme Opco.
The company is affiliated to Cyrus Capital, which had put cash into the Virgin Atlantic-led rescue attempt in 2019.
The deal could see the Exeter-based carrier restarting as a regional airline in the UK in early 2021.

Simon Edel, a joint administrator, said it would be great news for communities around the UK who had relied on Flybe: “The restart of this iconic brand, which was once Europe’s largest regional airline, will provide a potentially significant boost to aviation jobs, regional connectivity and local economies.”
Flybe, which flew about eight million passengers a year between 81 airports in the UK and Europe, had long struggled financially.
It was promised fresh investment when a consortium of Virgin, Stobart Air and Cyrus Capital took over the airline in 2019.
Virgin Atlantic had planned to rebrand the airline and integrate it as a feeder for its long-haul routes from Manchester and London.
This model now appears unlikely, however, with Virgin Atlantic having scaled back its operations in the wake of the pandemic.

A Thyme Opco spokesperson added: “While we plan to start off smaller than before, we expect to create valuable airline industry jobs, restore essential regional connectivity in the UK and contribute to the recovery of a vital part of the country’s economy.”

 

[Brum X]

Let's hope the route development team at BHX have there eyes peeled on much bigger fish, We did Flybe and it failed. Time to move on.

 

[Coathanger16]

What market would they serve though?

How much of the former Flybe network has been picked up by the likes of Loganair, Eastern, etc?

BHX now has easyJet serving Belfast Int, Aer Lingus serving Belfast City, so do we really need (or want) Flybe back on the route? (and others)

 

[JENNYJET]

Just hope a certain investment vehicle keeps a substantial distance from whatever the risen airline becomes, I understand the Flybe name was sold by the administrator, EY or Earnst and Young.

 

[HPsauce]

If this gets off the ground ( and I wish them luck with that) they will have to start in a very modest way. Yes, former routes have been covered to a degree, but others remain available or are currently underserved ( current Covid crisis conditions in mind of course). With the right equipment they could serve some of our "wish list" destinations around Europe. From small Acorns etc...

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Just hope a certain investment vehicle keeps a substantial distance from whatever the risen airline becomes

I assume you are referring to a 'monotone cow'!

Kevin

 

[JENNYJET]

Not quite since a bull cannot be a cow, yet!

 

[Ray Finkle]

Hmm, one wonders what consumer confidence in the Flybe name would be if they were to return? Even if they did get up and running I can't see how they'd compete with easyjet on the likes of BFS and Scotland, not without dirt cheap prices and high frequencies, something that would likely be unsustainable. Would there be an agreement with Air France/KLM as without them you have no lucrative connections through AMS and CDG?

I also imagine that it will be no small task to convince suppliers, who may still be owed substantial amounts of money, to work with them again. If it was me I'd be wanting payment in advance.

Good luck to them but I won't hold my breath.

 

[Nethercote2019]

I think as ever it will be the Flybe LHR slots & then the IAG Irish feeder ?

 

[Ianbutty]

Hmm, one wonders what consumer confidence in the Flybe name would be if they were to return? Even if they did get up and running I can't see how they'd compete with easyjet on the likes of BFS and Scotland, not without dirt cheap prices and high frequencies, something that would likely be unsustainable. Would there be an agreement with Air France/KLM as without them you have no lucrative connections through AMS and CDG?

I also imagine that it will be no small task to convince suppliers, who may still be owed substantial amounts of money, to work with them again. If it was me I'd be wanting payment in advance.

Good luck to them but I won't hold my breath.

I think customers will.be grateful for its return. Oddly enough it's collapse probably strengthened it's image as the press stressed what a vital local service it provided.

I too wish them well, but don't be boring a focus on LHR and MAN slots. Grasp the task ahead be be bold.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Let's hope the route development team at BHX have there eyes peeled on much bigger fish, We did Flybe and it failed. Time to move on.

I for one would welcome FlyBe back to BHX