Flybe - 8

[Cazza_fly]

Officially announced today. Flybe to LHR from ABZ up to 3x a day and from EDI up to 4x a day.

A codeshare with as many carriers including BA may help them to succeed on these routes...

[euromanxdude]

.

New CEO announced this morning as well Christine Ourmieres-Widener

[BOHEuropean]

Flybe Heathrow

ABERDEEN (ABZ)
Mon-Fri (3 flights a day)
· Dep ABZ 0645 - Arr LHR 0900
· Dep ABZ 1500 - Arr LHR 1715
· Dep ABZ 1720 - Arr LHR 1935

· Dep LHR 0945 - Arr ABZ 1145
· Dep LHR 1805 - Arr ABZ 2005
· Dep LHR 2020 - Arr ABZ 2220

Sat (1 flight a day)
· Dep ABZ 0645 - Arr LHR 0900
· Dep LHR 0945 - Arr ABZ 1145

Sun (2 flights a day)
· Dep ABZ 0645 - Arr LHR 0900
· Dep ABZ 1720 - Arr LHR 1935

· Dep LHR 0945 - Arr ABZ 1145
· Dep LHR 2020 - Arr ABZ 2220

EDINBURGH (EDI)
Mon-Fri (4 flights a day)
· Dep EDI 0600 - Arr LHR 0800
· Dep EDI 0835 - Arr LHR 1035
· Dep EDI 1530 - Arr LHR 1730
· Dep EDI 1800 - Arr LHR 2000

· Dep LHR 0845 - Arr EDI 1025
· Dep LHR 1120 - Arr EDI 1300
· Dep LHR 1820 - Arr EDI 2000
· Dep LHR 2045 - Arr EDI 2225

Sat (2 flights a day)
· Dep EDI 0600 - Arr LHR 0800
· Dep EDI 1530 - Arr LHR 1730

· Dep LHR 0845 - Arr EDI 1025
· Dep LHR 1820 - Arr EDI 2000

Sun (3 flights a day)
· Dep EDI 0835 - Arr LHR 1035
· Dep EDI 1530 - Arr LHR 1730
· Dep EDI 1800 - Arr LHR 2000

· Dep LHR 1120 - Arr EDI 1300
· Dep LHR 1820 - Arr EDI 2000
· Dep LHR 2045 - Arr EDI 2225

[toledoashley]

This passage from the press release is really interesting and I presume applies to BA as well...

Heathrow's Chief Executive, John Holland-Kaye, added: "Improving the connections into Heathrow from all around the UK will be vital in helping to secure the economic future of communities in every corner of the nation. Today's announcement shows that the measures we're introducing, such as the £10 reduction on domestic passenger charges, are already working to secure vital links. More airlines flying routes to Scottish airports means more flights, more competition and choice for families, and more visitors to Scotland. With Flybe based at Terminal 2, it also means new, unique direct access from Heathrow to markets such Colombia, Taipei and Auckland - meaning more opportunity for Scottish businesses looking to reach new export markets."

[GAZMO]

Interesting flying times, two hours to fly to LHR from EDI and 2.25 hours from ABZ!!!!
Only 2 hours from BFS to BOD and 1.5 hours from BHD to LHR!!!!
Maybe they have to fly around LHR a few times
Dep EDI 0600 - Arr LHR 0800
Dep EDI 0835 - Arr LHR 1035
Dep ABZ 0645 - Arr LHR 0900

[inOban]

I see that congestion at LHR means that S-bound flights take 20 minutes longer than N-bound. The last time I flew between LHR and EDI (50 years ago on a Vanguard!) I'm sure it took only just over an hour. Progress.

[AirGuru]

Seating plans indicate a Dash to be used on both routes.

[ETOPS]

means that S-bound flights take 20 minutes longer than N-bound

Sensible scheduling in my opinion - having operated there for nearly 30 years you need to allow for the inevitable "Take up the hold at Bovindon - delay 15 to 20 mins".........

[cornishsimon]

Also looks like work is in progress with other schedules.

Seems NQY-MAN is looking like becoming twice daily when you go to book flights ?

cs

[Cyrano]

I see flyBE has named its new CEO. Christmas has come early for its competitors...

[Wycombe]

Seating plans indicate a Dash to be used on both routes

Ryanair-esque timetable padding even so. I've flown SOU to EDI, GLA and BHD on the Dash and never more than about 1hr 15min flying, 1hr 30min block.

Rarely holding at any of those airfields though

[Skipness One Echo]

Given flybe are the most likely candidate for LHR-LPL/MME/NQY/ xyz in terms of UK connectivity (stop laughing down the back !!), I might imagine they have a good deal to do this as it's effective PR to attach to the narrative of increasing access from LHR to the UK regions. Whether that ideal will survive untrammeled market forces I dare not say but you can see why they'll give it a go. They've survived a whole lot longer at LCY than I thought.

[brian_dromey]

On the face of it, this doesn't have success written all over it.
BD - long gone, but not forgotten. Couldn't make money from connecting to Star "partners"
VS - Closed within moments of a sensible CEO being appointed by Delta.
EI - Were operating wet-lease, didn't fancy risking their own cash and moved the 4 A320s to Dublin.

I hope BE can make a go of it. The purple Dash-8s will be in interesting sight, if nothing else. I'd agree with the above - Heathrow might have offered them a deal they couldn't refuse - Heathrow charges are specifically set up to penalise operators using aircraft of less than 100 seats and certainly props. But the third runway is within LHRs grasp and the marketing line is connecing domestic destinations.

[stewyb]

Interesting, does the choice of new CEO mean a Flybe/Cityjet merger or acquisition either way is potentially on the cards? Those Sukhoi 100's would be very useful on Flybe's route network!!

[LGWAlan]

Originally Posted by cornishsimon

Also looks like work is in progress with other schedules.

Seems NQY-MAN is looking like becoming twice daily when you go to book flights ?

cs

As maybe CS - but not good times with both flights departing NQY within 2 hours of each other

[cornishsimon]

Totally agree.

Morning and evening returns would be perfect for onward connections at MAN

Guessing that the additional MAN departure operates MAN-NQY-xxx-NQY-MAN ?

cs

[All names taken]

Dep EDI 0600 - Arr LHR 0800
Dep EDI 0835 - Arr LHR 1035
Dep ABZ 0645 - Arr LHR 0900

All this says to me is that Heathrow still has plenty of slots available if it can afford to throw them to the wind on this flight of fancy - a PR own goal surely. Where are all these airlines queuing up to fly to exotic and unserved <cough cough> 'key markets' ? Obviously no other takers for these prime morning slots.
And won't these slow prop aircraft cause further delays down the approach path?

[INKJET]

Waste of a slot TBH, especially if it's a turboprop on the climb out

[canberra97]

All names taken

These are not new slots rather the remedy slots made available through BA when the Virgin Little Red experiment flying domestically from LHR to both ABZ and EDI ceased.

[Trent dayne]

Have you ever watched a Dash on the climb? They can go like a rocket.