Flybe - 8
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Vincent Hodder/FlyBe has just confirmed at Routes that the fleet size will reduce, as will the number of routes being launched. They will 'refocus on core business'...
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If we consider where FlyBe are when oil prices are low, it is definitely sensible for them to consider what their best strengths are for the future.
It is in a sense good that they have already tried lots of things that didn't work out; they should have a good idea of what they need to do if times do become tougher.
It is in a sense good that they have already tried lots of things that didn't work out; they should have a good idea of what they need to do if times do become tougher.
Join Date: Oct 2005
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He difficulty BE have with the E175 is that it doesn't hold many more passengers than the Q400s, isn't a whole lot faster due to the short flight times and relative speed of the Q400. On the other hand it burns more fuel and has expensive finance and maintenance costs - I believe the engines in particular. Customers may have a preference for jets, but they won't pay more. The US is slightly different as stages are longer (probably too long for a prop) and mainline union contracts prohibit regional airlines operating aircraft with more than 70-78 seats. Tellingly the E190/195 hasn't been a big seller in the US for exactly this reason - across the airlines cheaper to "misuse" an A320/737 on a few routes.
Delta seem to think the C-Series is a different argument - even at mainline pay. It's a lot bigger than E175 and a bit bigger than the E195, but if the C-Series is to short-haul what the 787 is to long haul flyBe could carve out a niche for themselves if/when they are in a position to grow.
Delta seem to think the C-Series is a different argument - even at mainline pay. It's a lot bigger than E175 and a bit bigger than the E195, but if the C-Series is to short-haul what the 787 is to long haul flyBe could carve out a niche for themselves if/when they are in a position to grow.
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I wouldn't be surprised if their intra-European network (HAJ-MXP for example) gets axed, as well as some of their thinner routes to France (Rennes etc). The rumour is that their DSA base will be axed, and they'll probably cut capacity from Scotland given that they won't be able to rely on Loganair for feeder passengers any more. They'll probably also lose their Brussels Airlines contract, given that the airline is being merged into Eurowings.
A320 - closing the HAJ and DSA bases, thin routes to France, cutting capacity to Scotland and losing the Brussels contract sounds in total like an awful lot of cuts; do you really think all of these will happen ?
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Over the next 3 years they plan to remove 10-15 aircraft; that's a cut of 11-18% in capacity. The Brussels Airlines contract covers 2 aircraft, as does the DSA base. If they remove an aircraft from ABZ, GLA and EDI due to Scotland cuts, plus an aircraft from BHX and SOU due to France cuts, that's 9 aircraft gone. If all this happened, they'd still need to remove 1-6 more aircraft to achieve their target.
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Currently Flybe have 84 aircraft plus one Q400 on order. Once it's been delivered they will have 85. By the end of this year, they will have 79 aircraft (6 Q400s will be removed), and by 2019/20 they will have 70-75 aircraft.
Based on the current number of aircraft (i.e. not including the Q400 on order), Flybe will cut their capacity by 6% by the end of this year. By 2019/20 they will have cut their capacity by 11-17%. That's up to one sixth of Flybe's total capacity being axed in 2-3 years.
Based on the current number of aircraft (i.e. not including the Q400 on order), Flybe will cut their capacity by 6% by the end of this year. By 2019/20 they will have cut their capacity by 11-17%. That's up to one sixth of Flybe's total capacity being axed in 2-3 years.
Join Date: Oct 2005
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When do the leases on the ERJ fleet start to expire? Presumably flyBe will let these exit the fleet without replacement. As pointed out upthread they have been a financial disaster for flyBe, the 175s were a particular madness (was it in exchange for getting out of even more 195s?).
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I don't think it's right to state that the Embraers have been a disaster for Flybe. The aircraft exiting the fleet have been in place between eight and ten years so they've seen good service.
I think it's important to consider what changed in the time that they we're in use with Flybe. Most were employed on routes to/from regional bases to LGW but when BAA divested of LGW the new owners significantly increased their charges to smaller aircraft to the extent that the routes were effectively no longer viable. It was then difficult for Flybe to find alternative year round routes in their network that required this level of capacity.
I also think it's possible that the E195's appeared to be more and more expensive as the years rolled on when you consider the rate at which both EasyJet and Ryanair started to retire their 737-700 and A319 fleets. I'd be interested to see the comparative lease rates of an E195 vs 737 vs 319 in 2008 compared to what they currently are in 2017 as I suspect that the E195 looked to present poorer and poorer value for Flybe.
With regards the E175, I don't see that Flybe have an issue with this smaller variant. They certainly aren't making noises about getting rid of this fleet as soon as possible, unlike the E195's. I think the issue with the E175's was the ridiculously large order they initially placed (35 firm, and another 105 options!)
I think it's important to consider what changed in the time that they we're in use with Flybe. Most were employed on routes to/from regional bases to LGW but when BAA divested of LGW the new owners significantly increased their charges to smaller aircraft to the extent that the routes were effectively no longer viable. It was then difficult for Flybe to find alternative year round routes in their network that required this level of capacity.
I also think it's possible that the E195's appeared to be more and more expensive as the years rolled on when you consider the rate at which both EasyJet and Ryanair started to retire their 737-700 and A319 fleets. I'd be interested to see the comparative lease rates of an E195 vs 737 vs 319 in 2008 compared to what they currently are in 2017 as I suspect that the E195 looked to present poorer and poorer value for Flybe.
With regards the E175, I don't see that Flybe have an issue with this smaller variant. They certainly aren't making noises about getting rid of this fleet as soon as possible, unlike the E195's. I think the issue with the E175's was the ridiculously large order they initially placed (35 firm, and another 105 options!)
Last edited by JobsaGoodun; 25th Apr 2017 at 20:37.
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There was also a time when they thought they were going to be expanding across Scandanavia and the Baltic states in a way that didn't happen.
Sad times for regional air travel in the UK - FlyBe's desperation to find things to do with the E-jets has probably seen a lot of things tried that wouldn't otherwise have been tried!
Sad times for regional air travel in the UK - FlyBe's desperation to find things to do with the E-jets has probably seen a lot of things tried that wouldn't otherwise have been tried!
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I hope DSA does not get its usual thumping. Most of the Flybe flights i have caught (to/from DSA)' have been pretty full.
I see the schedule for Dublin from November has been cut to avoid mid week flights, but the Amsterdam and Berlin flight have remained daily, for now at least.
Mind you I do wish they would run their flights on time occasionally
I see the schedule for Dublin from November has been cut to avoid mid week flights, but the Amsterdam and Berlin flight have remained daily, for now at least.
Mind you I do wish they would run their flights on time occasionally