Flybe

[Ray Finkle]

30-Second Interview — Paul Simmons, CCO Flybe

This announcement follows other recent network developments for the airline at Birmingham, with the carrier’s existing services to Hannover, Milan Malpensa and Stuttgart all being upgraded to double-daily for S14 in an effort to chase higher-yielding business traffic. As a result of these schedule improvements, Birmingham becomes the airline’s largest base for the carrier with an additional three E175s — taking the base up to 12; seven E175s and five Q400s — being brought in to service the seven new routes. The assets will come to Birmingham having been redeployed from within Flybe’s existing UK-based fleet.

Full article: http://www.anna.aero/2014/02/05/30-seco ... cco-flybe/

 

[thunderchild]

I know these kind of things easily divide people but I have to say the new livery is hideous - the fact the tail stays the same gives the impression that it hasn't been finished. And I actually believed for a second the new control tower was being painted until I realised the date!

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'm trying to reserve final judgment until I see one in the flesh but I definitely agree about the tail looking unfinished.

And I actually believed for a second the new control tower was being painted until I realised the date!

 

[thunderchild]

Haha; can't believe I fell for that! In my defence tho it had been a long day

 

[Ray Finkle]

Flybe's new routes from BHX exceeding expectations

The airline added in a trading update this morning (4 April 2014) that the eight new routes launched in February from Birmingham had exceeded expectations, with 30 per cent of summer 2014 seat capacity already sold.

The company expanded its presence at Birmingham Airport, making it the site's biggest carrier, in February. The regional airline made the city its biggest-ever base with the opening of the routes to Florence, Cologne, Toulouse, Alicante, Bordeaux, Palma Mallorca and Porto.

Full article: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/mid ... us-headway

 

[Ray Finkle]

Two more new routes to Ibiza and Reykjavik plus added Palma flights from Flybe, all 3x weekly night flights.

Flight Schedule
Operating 29th June - 7th September, 2014
Tues/Fri/Sun
Birmingham (BHX) to Ibiza (IBZ) Dep BHX 2140 Arr IBZ 0115+1 Dep IBZ 0145 Arr BHX 0325
BHX – Palma, Mallorca (PMI) Dep BHX 2130 Arr PMI 0055+1 Dep PMI 0125 Arr BHX 0300
BHX – Reykjavik (KEF) Dep BHX 2130 Arr KEF 2320 Dep KEF 2355 Arr BHX 0340+1

http://www.flybe.com/corporate/media/ne ... lights.htm

 

[Brum X]

Just posted the same on Route Development thread, LOL


Great to see Reykjavik! direct from BHX :good:

 

[Ray Finkle]

Cologne and Florence started today with CGN being operated on the newly painted aircraft which appears to be at BHX for the time being. Alicante and Porto start at the weekend with Newquay, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Palma all starting in May.

Good to see some expansion from someone, lets hope it lasts beyond just this summer.

 

[thunderchild]

Really hope that Reykjavik works out for them!

 

[Ray Finkle]

Toulouse, Cologne, Florence, Bordeaux all continue into the 2014/15 winter season with Bordeaux seeing an increase to five weekly, the increases on Hannover and Stuttgart also stay for the winter.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Further to the above NOC 4x weekly, WAT 3x weekly and Belfast stays at up to 7x daily.

 

[Aviador]

Flybe must be happy with their BHX base. It's refreshing to see them expanding after a period of contracting.

 

[Ray Finkle]

It's certainly welcome, I'd like to see Madrid, Lisbon and Prague for next year, maybe even Vienna. They're all currently offered by Flybe but only on a code share through CDG.

 

[thunderchild]

Agreed; Flybe have the right sized aircraft to offer the correct amount of frequencies to make these routes work. If only they'd add Helsinki too.

 

[thunderchild]

More good news from Flybe; new routes to Oslo and Hamburg this winter while Florence, Reykjavik, Porto, Cologne, Toulouse and Bordaux go to year round.

http://www.ttgdigital.com/news/flybe...691409.article

 

[Ray Finkle]

Excellent news. Oslo is definitely a welcomed destination, I think Ryanair served Rygge for a time but who was last to serve OSL, was it Duo? Hamburg is definitely a welcome return, Lufthansa saw them off the route a couple of years ago but since Germanwings have taken over the capacity has slowly reduced from an initial 2x daily to 4x weekly this winter, Flybe should do well. Great to see the other routes are also doing well enough to carry them through into winter. All we need now is MAD, PRG, LIS, WAW, HEL & BUD for next summer :good:

 

[Ray Finkle]

Flybe Announces Eight New Routes For Winter From Birmingham

Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline, will operate two new routes from Birmingham Airport this winter namely a daily service to Hamburg and Oslo from 26th October through to 27th March 2015.

Seats are available on the flybe website, with one way fares from £39.99 including taxes and charges.

Already Birmingham Airport’s largest carrier, the airline has also announced (20th May 2014) that, due to early successes, it will extend to year-round on six of the new routes it is operating this summer.

Flybe will continue to operate up to 28 weekly flights to Cologne, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Florence and Oporto with frequency aimed to provide convenience for business travelers and those passengers wanting a short break on the continent. Due to the popularity of its summer twilight flights to Reykjavik, it’s also moving this three times a week service to daytime flying, also with effect from 26th October.

The move is estimated to result in Flybe carrying an additional 100,000 passengers a year at Birmingham Airport. Altogether, it’s another exciting week for Flybe in Birmingham as its last four remaining inaugural flights for summer take off to Newquay, Bordeaux, Palma and Toulouse.

Fred Kochak, Flybe’s UK Routes Director, said: “We said we would be investing in a major way at Birmingham and it is now our largest ever base. Today’s announcement gives additional weight to that commitment and I’m delighted that, as a result of the Flybe route assessment model, we have been able to add even more destinations as well as choice for our Midlands’ business and leisure passengers.”

William Pearson, Birmingham Airport’s Aviation Development Director, commented: “Flybe’s Birmingham route network is going from strength to strength after announcing nine new routes already this year and becoming our largest carrier.

“Oslo is another new destination for us and we’re very pleased that Flybe is recognising the need to serve these markets and satisfy demand to give business and leisure travellers the destinations that they want from Birmingham Airport.”

Fred Kochak added: “Flybe already connects more than 1.5 million passengers a year from Birmingham both domestically and throughout Europe. Today's news further demonstrates our commitment to providing direct air-links from the regions of the UK, which means passengers do not have to face long road or rail journeys to south east hub airports.”

In total, Flybe will operate up to 350 flights a week from Birmingham on 26 routes as part of its 2014-15 winter schedule.

http://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/meta ... ngham.aspx

 

[Brum X]

OSLO is a great new destination for BHX. Great to see.

 

[thunderchild]

I wonder what Easyjet make of Flybe's expansion at BHX?

 

[User0001]

I wonder what Easyjet make of Flybe's expansion at BHX?

Probably very little to be honest.

There are very few routes where BE compete with U2, and to me, both have quite different business models.

Easyjet seem to go for the bulk trade, able to fill the A320 (I deliberately miss out the A319 as Easyjet have made clear that the A320 is the future for them and the A319 will be phased out as and when the leases end). It also seems to go for pretty safe routes. Your Palma, Copenhagen, Ibiza and so on.

BE I find, more of a niche, and domestic, airline. It has smaller aircraft, offers connections and interlines with quite a few other airlines, such as Air France and Etihad.

The other thing to consider is, BHX, may not make much money for easyjet. Flybe are no strangers to financial issues, lets not forget BHX's base count went up on the back of a company re-structure, and time is yet to tell if these routes at BHX will actually make any money. Certainly some of the initial fares to the likes of Florence and Oporto raise a few yield eyebrows for me, anyway.

Easyjet are more demanding when it comes to yield. I think they have an 8 month rule, if it doesn't make money its either cut back or canned. Flybe were selling Florence at £50 a few days before the flights, and that suggests the E175 was not anywhere near full. I doubt a 180 seat A320 would have fared much better.

One will never know why Easyjet refuse to budge on a BHX base, and certainly the 3 routes they have tried are hardly the riskiest ventures in airline management, but, I suppose with everything, time will tell.