Originally Posted by
JobsaGoodun
Flybe grew their DH4 fleet rapidly in the period 2006-2010 following the acquisition of BA Connect in 2007. Most of these airframes have operated until this point without a change in livery or repaint and therefore most will require this very soon. I would imagine that all of these visits will have been planned long ago and budgeted for. A repaint would be be required if these aircraft go back to their lessors anyway. The design didn't cost huge bucks as I understand it was completed in-house. All Flybe seem to be doing is choosing an appropriate time in the fleet transition to alter the livery to bring it into line with the current brand, and on aircraft that will need repainting anyway and for which the costs of this work is already planned into the lifetime of the aircraft.
if what you say is correct than perhaps the rebranding is more to do with reducing repainting costs? I can imagine that the 2-colour new livery is cheaper and quicker to apply than the previous incarnation.