Flybe

[lbaspotter]

See flybe have now started to offer 3x daily Leeds/Bradford - Glasgow link but you'll need to change aircraft at Belfast City.
Connections to the Scottish Islands & Highlands are now also been offered via change of aircraft at Aberdeen. Destinations include: Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh & Wick

Meanwhile you can also book connecting flights via Southampton to the following destinations: Alicante, Amsterdam, Bergerac, Bordeaux, Guernsey, Jersey, La Rochelle, Limoges, Nantes, Paris Cdg, Rennes & Verona.

 

[a300boy]

I will have a look at that option ! Thanks. Why do you thionk we have all these cancellations is it aircraft , crew or lack of passenger related.

 

[tleeds]

Eastern have a tech J41 at Leeds at the moment so are currently an aircraft short.
It was yesterday morning on the 10am service, aborted it’s takeoff due to an engine failure. The eastern engineer was overheard saying it’s “f**ked”.
They did engine runs later on yesterday afternoon on the taxiway but to no avail. Still very code 41. (tech).

They’ve done their best Eastern/Flybe. Some services going operating NWI>LBA>ABZ. Some stopping at MME on the way etc. Can’t have much life in the S20’s or J41’s. Horrible aircraft.

 

[jason1-11]

Noticed 2 Flybe Belfast departures within 50 minutes of each other this evening.

 

[tleeds]

Think it’s to make up for the lack of early departure and x2 late departures today (Saturday).

Loads were around 60/70 on both!

FlyEarly is a big thing at the minute! If you buy a semi flexible ticket you can pay the difference to fly on the earlier flight, sometimes it’s only £10-£15 for most ticket types so worth it!

A LOT of people now changing tickets on the app and also at the airport (only able to do -2hours to departure time).

 

[jason1-11]

Newquay will receive an aircraft upgrade next summer ( June ???) as the route will transfer to a Newquay based Emb175.

The Emb175 will be based at Newquay to predominantly operate their Gatwick service.

 

[AirBingley]

Interesting that the Belfast based aircraft originally scheduled for this service is showing long layover times in Leeds - maybe something new or extra Belfast flights? e.g. Tues 12th June arr LBA 13.35 but doesn't leave until 17.40.

 

[lbaspotter]

Interesting that the Belfast based aircraft originally scheduled for this service is showing long layover times in Leeds - maybe something new or extra Belfast flights? e.g. Tues 12th June arr LBA 13.35 but doesn't leave until 17.40.

The flybe website booking engine has not been updated with the new summer 2018 schedules timings. So hence the reason the Leeds - Belfast City schedule still has its big gaps showing where the aircraft has gone off to operate the Leeds - Newquay service during the winter months on Tue, Fri & Sun.
I guess the schedules will be changed at a later date, when things are finalised regards the Newquay - London Gatwick route..

 

[lbaspotter]

Newquay will receive an aircraft upgrade next summer ( June ???) as the route will transfer to a Newquay based Emb175.

Bad news & a bit of good news:

Got a message from Newquay airport earlier that states Flybe will continue to use the Belfast City based Dash 8-Q400 aircraft this summer on a reduced 3x weekly Leeds - Newquay service (Was 5x weekly summer 2017) up until August. The Newquay based Embrear 170* will then start to operate a revised 4x weekly schedule from September to October (Sunday flight continues on Belfast City based Dash 8-Q400).

3x weekly = March 25th - September 2nd
Tuesdays, Fridays
BE753 = LBA 14:00 – NQY 15:15/ BE754 = NQY 15:40 – LBA 16:55 = Dash 8-Q400
Sundays
BE753 = LBA 10:25 – NQY 11:40 / BE754 = NQY 12:25 – LBA 13:40 = Dash 8-Q400

4x weekly = September 3rd – October 26th
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays
BE754 = NQY 15:05 – LBA 16:05 / BE753 = LBA 16:35 – NQY 17:40 = Embrear 170
Sundays
BE753 = LBA 10:25 – NQY 11:40 / BE754 = NQY 12:25 – LBA 13:40 = Dash 8-Q400

 

[Seasider]

With NQY being a PSO route, don't they have to fly a certain number of flights? It seems strange they are offering more flights in a bigger aircraft in the "shoulder season".

 

[a300boy]

More bad news ! but not as bad as it could have been.

 

[White Heather]

With NQY being a PSO route, don't they have to fly a certain number of flights? It seems strange they are offering more flights in a bigger aircraft in the "shoulder season".

Perhaps the fact that Newquay is a major surfing resort has something to do with this. Surfing is likely to be better towards the end of the summer when winds tend to pick up more and generate bigger waves and better surfing conditions. Shame the flight has reduced - I understood it had done extremely well last year - although 3 or 4 per week to Newquay isn't bad.

 

[Finger66]

So rumours are once again abound re the possibility of Flybe entering the LBA - CDG route. Should this happen then they are starting to build up a nice mini-hub at LBA. Yes it's not going to be on the scale of MAN or BHX but all the same the potential increase in connecting traffic would be good news. We would have BE routes to ABZ, SOU, BHD, NQY, DUS and CDG, maybe even AMS to join too! If this does all become more of a reality then to help make it work then the reliability issues of their franchise partner have to really be addressed. Pax will not be impressed about missing connections through the regular cancellation of a rotation that equally affects the point to point pax. Maybe this is all just wishful thinking, who knows, but slowly but surely Flybe do seem to be waking up to the LBA potential

 

[a300boy]

Is this the same Flybe that chopped the Exeter and Aberdeen services then, from what we understand, did a deal with Lba then turned about and set up at Robin Hood in direct competition with some Leeds routes and is opening another route to Belfast very soon.
Not sure I am as enthusiastic as you are not to mention our last management team who sold up overnight.
Manchester is what it is because they did what was needed at the right time which is what I want to happen here.

 

[paully]

The `Dirty Deal` that Flybe pulled on LBA was under their previous management, who nearly took them under if the figures are to be believed. I get the feeling the new Flybe managers are less than impressed by Robin Hood and the silly money deal they got there cannot go on much longer. Business being business(and you still wouldn`t trust any of them would you?) they will have no trouble touting LBA again as a home and having a new team on board there as well......who knows..

 

[paully]

The `Dirty Deal` that Flybe pulled on LBA was under their previous management, who nearly took them under if the figures are to be believed. I get the feeling the new Flybe managers are less than impressed by Robin Hood and the silly money deal they got there cannot go on much longer. Business being business(and you still wouldn`t trust any of them would you?) they will have no trouble touting LBA again as a home and having a new team on board there as well......who knows..

 

[Finger66]

Flybe have done so very weird and not so wonderful things over the years, but those failings can only go on for so long before common sense has to prevail. Common sense in this instance being LBA over DSA. I don't think they can go wrong with a DSA to BHD link though as they are so well established at BHD and they operate to almost everywhere in the UK from there. Links Air were getting decent figures on the route when they operated it as it wasn't that that brought them down. Flybe wouldn't have taken on LBA - DUS without knowing Jet2 got the loads already. So CDG and maybe AMS potentially have a similar set up

 

[Seasider]

I think you are being optimistic re DSA - BHD as they operated it before, reducing frequency and finally dropping it.

 

[Finger66]

Last year I posted that to me it seemed sensible for Stobart to consider the purchase of both Flybe and Eastern with the hope of licking them into shape. The possibility of the Flybe purchase seems to be gathering momentum. Eastern continue to be in complete disarray so:
Eastern now have 2 x ATR72-600s on board
Eastern are "parking J41s" as and when they are basically Becoming too expensive to maintain any longer So need to replace them - ATR42s anyone?
Flybe already have some ATRs inc the franchise agreement with Stobart
Flybe already have a franchise agreement with Eastern
Whilst I don't like the idea of possibly one or two further airline names disappearing, I think this consolidation is necessary and even possibly inevitable. The travelling public need a reliable and trustworthy operation and this would initially best come with fleet renewal and more commonality for BE but especially T3. But probably more importantly needs a management team who don't make daft route announcements and then have to save face by entering into agreements with rivals. So Stobart here is a real opportunity to make a name for yourself and you need to ensure LBA is at the forefront so you can grow our existing EI, BE and T3 routes but also utilise the untapped potential that exists - particularly thinking the near continent here

 

[White Heather]

Totally agree Finger66, but will you tell those nice people at Stobart Air please? And whilst you are at it, can you ask them for our Cork route back too please?