Flybe

[Tarn Spotter]

As WH details, all Flybe operations from LBA will be judged on financial considerations.
You wonder were Stobart Air stands in all this.
They have just signed a francise with BA City Flyer out of London City, they have a similar deal with Are Lingus out of Cork, Flybe out of Southend etc.
Its hard to see what BA gains from the Flybe deal, Stobart could be the big winner.

 

[Jerry]

As WH details, all Flybe operations from LBA will be judged on financial considerations.
You wonder were Stobart Air stands in all this.
They have just signed a francise with BA City Flyer out of London City, they have a similar deal with Are Lingus out of Cork, Flybe out of Southend etc.
Its hard to see what BA gains from the Flybe deal, Stobart could be the big winner.

I don't believe the Stobart deal is a franchise deal but is just wet lease.
As for IAG buying Flybe i think they'd only buy it if they felt that there was a benefit to them in operating a regional network across the UK. I suppose the question then is what is that benefit for IAG?

 

[Tarn Spotter]

I accept a ACMI agreement but this is how Stobart announced the deal
"Stobart Air, the franchise flying partner to leading airlines including Aer Lingus and Flybe, has invested €36 million in its fleet, as the airline announces it will operate routes from London City Airport under the British Airways CityFlyer brand".

 

[KARFA]

As for IAG buying Flybe i think they'd only buy it if they felt that there was a benefit to them in operating a regional network across the UK. I suppose the question then is what is that benefit for IAG?

Considering a lot of the BE network is the former BA connect business BA got out of many years ago because it wasn't profitable (and clearly BE haven't managed to make it work since), and considering the long track record of unprofitable domestic/regional airlines, I fail to see why IAG would pile back in to that market now?

 

[Seasider]

I thought someone had saved them.

 

[ChurchFenton]

Where have those scarce Heathrow slots come from to add a 4 x daily service to Newquay from scratch, with perfect departure times throughout the day? In the meantime, we see our BA service suffering a slow death by successive frequency cuts.

 

[oldendays]

Where have those scarce Heathrow slots come from to add a 4 x daily service to Newquay from scratch, with perfect departure times throughout the day? In the meantime, we see our BA service suffering a slow death by successive frequency cuts.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[KARFA]

Where have those scarce Heathrow slots come from to add a 4 x daily service to Newquay from scratch, with perfect departure times throughout the day? In the meantime, we see our BA service suffering a slow death by successive frequency cuts.

They are exBMI slots which BA now hold. However due to the loss of competition on domestic routes after BMI was bought the slots are available to any airline who want to run domestic flights. Little Red had a go but failed so the slots went back to BA. Now BE has been using them over the last few years to ABZ and EDI. These NQY flights will use those same domestic protected slots.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Looks as if Virgin Atlantic in talks to buy Flybe

 

[lbaspotter]

The Bad news keeps on coming for LBA & Flybe.

I've just had confirmation from Flybe that they are reducing the frequency of the Leeds/Bradford to Dusseldorf route to 4x weekly during January, February and March 2019.
We are set to lose the Tuesday & Wednesday rotations, thus meaning it wil continue to operate on Monday,Thursday,Friday & Sundays.

 

[Bigman]

'Virgin' on the ridiculous now. Another airline not bothered about this place!!

 

[Jerry]

'Virgin' on the ridiculous now. Another airline not bothered about this place!!

Or the route isn't just profitable on those days for those month's.

 

[White Heather]

Or the route isn't just profitable on those days for those month's.

Or it is, but they can make even more money using the aircraft on another route on those days. Disappointing as my information was the route was doing well generally. I don't suppose we should be too surprised, coming from a struggling airline that has already reduced the Belfast City route during those months in similar fashion? I would think that to cut their losses they may be looking at reducing frequency on any routes where there are days with marginal profitability, based on advance bookings. At least the route still continues - for now.

 

[AirBingley]

From memory isn’t that schedule change only what Jet2 used to do in the same period?

 

[Finger66]

If the route was doing that badly overall it would be pulled completely. It will be down to time of year and Flybe's current issues

 

[mullion]

No airlines pick which days are doing OK and cut back others hoping that the people that used the days cut will transfer
to the other days to help those flights.

 

[a300boy]

Thats how routes become unusable and the business community stops using them.
I was going to book in March 2019 but now will use Manchester as I can go there and back in a day or out one morning and back the following evening as its a spotting trip.

 

[mullion]

If a route cannot support a daily service every other day usually works as business men/women will
usually arrange their meetings, having a double daily or more is a whole differnt kettle of fish.

 

[Jerry]

This could turn out well for FlyBe.....I didn’t realise just how some of the airports depend on them as much as they do....a classic case of having all ones eggs in one basket......share price to go up yet again?

'Branson and Walsh braced for clash over Flybe rescue'
>> Click here to read.

Not if IAG get hold of them. Imo they'd shut them down at best they'd merge them with Cityflyer and base a few e jets at MAN and LHR.

 

[Finger66]

Thats how routes become unusable and the business community stops using them.
I was going to book in March 2019 but now will use Manchester as I can go there and back in a day or out one morning and back the following evening as its a spotting trip.

Even if Flybe had maintained their 6 a week schedule you could never have gone out and back in a day from LBA and it's still possible to go out Sunday and back Monday, or out Thursday and back Friday so I hope your need to fly from MAN stems from needing to be Monday - Tuesday or Tuesday - Wednesday if out one day and back the next. I totally get the day return bit. Does the route return to 6 a week from next April