Flybe

[Jerry]

Apparently Flybe are going to launch a MAN-GCI route. Unsure whether it's going to be Blue Islands or Flybe that operates it.

 

[Liverpoola380]

I flew out of T3 recently on an early morning flight and noticed at least 5/6 E175/195's parked up rather than the normally large pool of Dash 8's

With the creation of connect airways has there been a shift of Embraer ops to Manchester?

 

[pholling]

I flew out of T3 recently on an early morning flight and noticed at least 5/6 E175/195's parked up rather than the normally large pool of Dash 8's

With the creation of connect airways has there been a shift of Embraer ops to Manchester?

The creation of connect would not have had anything, yet, to do with the aircraft mix in MAN. Connect has only recently been given control of Flybe. The current mix of early morning Embraers will have come out of planning before the purchase. We should start seeing changes from the Connect control in the Winter, and especially next Summer periods.

 

[Jerry]

I

I flew out of T3 recently on an early morning flight and noticed at least 5/6 E175/195's parked up rather than the normally large pool of Dash 8's

With the creation of connect airways has there been a shift of Embraer ops to Manchester?

I'm sure I read somewhere that the plan was for the MAN base to be all Embraer and that was decided before the takeover wss approved.

 

[IanFarquharson]

I
I'm sure I read somewhere that the plan was for the MAN base to be all Embraer and that was decided before the takeover wss approved.

FlyBe will only have 7 EMB170s next Summer split between MAN and BHX so both bases will still be mainly Dash 8s

 

[Jerry]

FlyBe will only have 7 EMB170s next Summer split between MAN and BHX so both bases will still be mainly Dash 8s

I believe it'll be 9 is what I was told.

 

[jfy1999]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1174769878101889024

 

[Jerry]

Flybe will be ending Manchester to Glasgow on the 26th October.

 

[jfy1999]

Flybe will be ending Manchester to Glasgow on the 26th October.

I find that strange, if Virgin are trying to use Flybe as a feeder airline. Do they think there isn't enough potential connectivity from GLA?

 

[mullion]

Glasgow is just too easy by train, loads have been falling for years

 

[Jerry]

I find that strange, if Virgin are trying to use Flybe as a feeder airline. Do they think there isn't enough potential connectivity from GLA?

I'd imagine that at the moment the drive is towards profitability rather than feeding at Manchester especially if the plan is to eventually be a hub airline at Heathrow. I'd be surprised if they would want to run 2 hubs, so I'd have thought that Manchester would be more of a focus city for both.

 

[mullion]

Manchester is very much a hub to Link in with Virgin and also for Flybe themselves

 

[Silvercity]

Glasgow is just too easy by train, loads have been falling for years

Its true the train to Glasgow ( and Edinburgh isnt bad too ) you can get on in Manchester Crewe Warrington Wigan and soon a new service from Liverpool. Its easier than by air.

 

[Jerry]

Its true the train to Glasgow ( and Edinburgh isnt bad too ) you can get on in Manchester Crewe Warrington Wigan and soon a new service from Liverpool. Its easier than by air.

Will be interesting to see if Edinburgh is next for the chop!

 

[Silvercity]

Will be interesting to see if Edinburgh is next for the chop!

Maybe, if you can reach a local station easier with no check in or security formalities and be deposited at Waverley or Haymarket in the city centre, why wouldn't you.

 

[pholling]

I'd imagine that at the moment the drive is towards profitability rather than feeding at Manchester especially if the plan is to eventually be a hub airline at Heathrow. I'd be surprised if they would want to run 2 hubs, so I'd have thought that Manchester would be more of a focus city for both.

Hubbing though LHR is a long-way off in any real size, as it depends on new slots created by the 3rd runway. However, connect, now that they have control, are probably going to be ruthless on routes. If there isn't a lot of connection to VS flights and the route is loosing money it will be on the block.

 

[Jerry]

Hubbing though LHR is a long-way off in any real size, as it depends on new slots created by the 3rd runway. However, connect, now that they have control, are probably going to be ruthless on routes. If there isn't a lot of connection to VS flights and the route is loosing money it will be on the block.

I'd imagine that profit will come before feeding VS.
As for Heathrow yes there might not be a lot of slots but they do seem to get hold of them, I can see them starting a small Virgin short haul operation to establish it with the view to growing in the future when the runway becomes operational. The basis of one is already there with the current Flybe LHR operation. If the rumours are true about the A220 order then the 4 300s would be ideal for Heathrow while the 10 100s would be an ideal replacement for the E175s and provide a product synergy with Air France on both MAN and BHX-CDG when their A220s start. Will be interesting to see what happens!

 

[Land23R]

When the flybe/Connect/Virgin deal was finalised, Virgin stated that flybe/connect flights would be to serve their hubs at Manchester and Heathrow, so I'm mystified why some are now writing off MAN. The new runway at LHR, if it happens, will be 2026 at the earliest. I'd be surprised in the meantime if VS were prepared to surrender some of their own slots to make room for flybe feeders, or to pay vast sums for other slots that may become available.

I accept the point that flybe routes that prove unviable are likely to be dropped at all the airports they serve, but if Connect is to work, wouldn't they look at the wider picture at MAN, not just as a point to point operation, and, depending on the route and timings, assess the feed in terms of the extra revenue it may be securing for Virgin flights?

 

[Jerry]

It's not writing MAN off, i've no doubt that Manchester's importance to Virgin will grow especially with Thomas Cook now gone but from what i've seen online Virgin have only laid out plans for them to be a hub airline at Heathrow and i do think that Connect will want to prioritise profit over everything else and i partly wonder if codeshare's were in the past part of the reason why Flybe struggled especially if they weren't getting full value for them.

 

[David_itl]

The Heathrow blurb was just noise for the masses. I like reading this type of thing:

"Juha Jarvinen, Virgin executive vice-president commercial, said: “As one of our three core hubs in the UK alongside Heathrow and Gatwick, Manchester is Virgin Atlantic’s home in the north. ""

https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/virgin-atlantic-to-grow-manchester-airport-presence-19492

Flybe has a loosely fitting network floating round the VS network. What may have been unprofitable codeshare would now start accruing benefits given the tie-up. Tweak some timings and perhaps add a destination or two. With the ex-Thomas Cook A330s having the same engine as the A330-300s. there's potential for a couple of those to join the fleet to really put the marker down as MAN as their "real" 1st hub given the relatively small Flybe operation out of LHR.