Edi -Manston route
I was surprised when flying this route last week, that it didn't fly down the East coast. It actually overflew Heathrow and routed south of London.
Why does it take this strange route?
Thats because:
1. The East Coast is indeed the uncontrolled playground of the military, G/A up to high level and much other commercial activity.
2. The East Coast route between East Anglia and Essex increasingly becomes incredibly complex controlled airspace for traffic from the east routing into Luton and Stansted as well as the rest of the TMA.
3. Flybe, like many other UK operators, prefer to remain within controlled airpsace (CAS) and, although the route North to South within CAS may add extra track miles, it is the safer and better service that the clients (you) pay for.
For years there has been a lobby for a direct North - South airway but it hasn't happened yet and won't until this Government kill off all of our miltary airborne Ops entirely.