Bristol is unlikely to be a major airport for Flybe, they are headquartered in Exeter and that is their major airport/maintenance airport for the southwest. Exeter airport is not held to ransom, First Choice are basing an aircraft there and it is rumoured that Easy has in the past shown an interest - but that has not progressed due to the proximity of their current base, Bristol.
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This is from a report linked to the Flybe results today.
"Flybe has also sold of all of the Embraer 145 aircraft inherited from BA Connect, and at prices within the funding provided by British Airways for this purpose".:ok: |
Just to bring the thread back on track a bit,
Hasn't SAS got a few spare Q400 aircraft for sale. One careful owner, don't worry about the scratches :eek: Enjoy those touchdowns boys, I'll keep a good lookout for the NOTAMs from Exeter :E |
With respect FCA are a charter airline not scheduled so they pose no real threat to BE. We do desperately need some competition down here, but I have heard that RCA have their hands tied and are too scared to let any competition in for fear of upsetting their best customer.
It's a shame, as BE are starting to take the piss at EXT now, some competition would be brilliant, but with EZY and FR just up the road, I can't see who could come in. |
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Bacon routes from BRS had good load factors. Flybe are unable to provide anything like Bacon professional product, also soon as there is a bit of competition on routes, and Flybe cant have the monopoly, they run scared.. This is probably the main reason no other Airline operates schedule services from EXT. Flybe probably hold the Airport to ransom, thus preventing any other operator operating. :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh: On a lighter note good luck to BRS with the two main LOCOs EZY were looking at EXT for a GVA route and this didnt materialise. It would seem that BE had put their foot down with EXT. All airlines gather info with each booking ie showing the address of the passenger on a particular route. So I believe that EZY knew from previous bookings on other routes the demand from the EXT and Devon area. BE in my opinion are under pressure and are best in a niche category ie routes that the big locos wont do. Its only a matter of time until a big outfit goes into SOU or EXT and we will see what happens then! |
I have heard that RCA have their hands tied and are too scared to let any competition in for fear of upsetting their best customer.
I suspect the economics of operating these sort of routes is that its not a case of the 'best customer' getting upset , its a case of them being unable to sustain their service if faced with competition. Thus airports like BFS Intl , EMA , LPL , BRS have reaped the deep volumes of Low Cost but lost the wider products of more traditional carriers - its very difficult to keep both |
Definitely suggest ou read the Chairman's Report as linked on the main Flybe thread.
You will get the answer to your question there - well as far as the remaining 16 aircraft are concerned. I understand - and I am not a 'spotter' that some aircraft have been already returned to leasor/sold and have gone to former eastern european airlines. |
BRS have reaped the deep volumes of Low Cost but lost the wider products of more traditional carriers - its very difficult to keep both KLM, Lufthansa,Eastern, Aurigny, Air Arran, Air Southwest, Continental, OLT, SN, Air France, Skybus + Several Charter lines! True Lo-Co's are our biggest carriers but I would say there is enough variety there to keep you going - Including 4 Mainline carriers! They don't just pitch up anywhere! Total contradiction too - EXT have most of their eggs in one Lo-Co (I use the term loosely-trust me!) basket than any of the above and they don't exactly have the service of yesteryear either! :rolleyes: |
How long before the SAS Q400s arrive in the flybe livery?
flybe engineers inspecting them already - I beleive... May be because flybe already do some of the SAS Q400 maintenance anyway, but who knows. Iam sure SAS will want rid of the Q400 asap, now they are grounded in Sweden. flybe may get a lot of aircraft for not a lot of money. |
I know that some of the 145s have flown to Poland - but I don't know if that is to join the National airline there, or maybe to receive overhaul/painting at their hangars.
Pretty sure I saw something mentioning that some of the 145s would be flying for a Ukrainian carrier at some stage. The 145s are more expensive to operate and have a lower payload than the Q400. It just depends if passengers are prepared to put up with the longer blocktimes. But there are the 190/195s which are being introduced for the longer and more busy routes. |
Its only a matter of time until a big outfit goes into SOU or EXT and we will see what happens then! There already is one - it's called Flybe ;) |
190s?? What do you know?!!
3hrs 20 to Milan in a Q400 the other week :hmm: I think they flew around the Alps! |
From todays Times
Flybe, the low-cost airline based in Exeter, has raised the possibilities of making further acquisitions and of arranging a flotation next year after the renewal of its fleet. Jim French, the chairman and chief executive, said that the company was in an “excellent” position to take advantage of any acquisition opportunities arising from industry consolidation in Europe. Flybe reported a rise of £20 million in full-year profits yesterday. Pretax profits from continuing operations and before exceptional items were £15.6 million, against a £4.4 million loss the previous year. The company made an overall loss of £19.9 million, which it said reflected substantial restructuring costs relating to the newly acquired BA Connect, formerly the loss-making regional unit of British Airways. Integration of BA Connect had been completed. Mr French said that Flybe was now a “much stronger business”, with good cash reserves and a more balanced network. In five years the airline has grown from 1.9 million passengers and 41 routes to five million passengers and 125 routes. The addition of BA Connect is expected to bring the passenger total to seven million this year, with 400 flights every weekday. Flybe is the largest scheduled airline operating at Manchester, Birming-ham, Southampton, Belfast City, Inverness, Norwich, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Turnover is likely to be more than £500 million, compared with the £355 million reported for the year to March 31. However, Flybe said that it was on track to achieve £40 million of planned cost and revenue synergies, having completed changes such as closing the Manchester head office and abandoning loss-making routes. Flybe also sold all the Embraer 145 aircraft inherited from BA Connect as it prepared for a new operational fleet consisting of 60 78-seat Bombardier Q400s and 16 118-seat Embraer 195s. It said that the new aircraft, worth $3 billion (£1.44 billion) and due for delivery by the end of 2009, would give it one of the world’s youngest and most environmentally sensitive fleets |
Well done Jim and team. I am surprised and delighted by the reported profit, in this part of the world it seemed a few months ago that flybe were on their way out rather than their way up. I would be cautious about further acquisitions in the near future, I think it was the BA Connect issue that was the cause of most of the operational problems and your passengers are still getting over the trauma of that period. Well done. Didn't MOL state last year that within two years there would only be 2 locos in Europe. I wonder if he is still confident that that will be the case.
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Jim French's Chairman's report on the FlyBe website also makes fascinating reading for the detail of the fees paid by BA just to get shot of BAConnect. Some 140 million pounds - I expect FlyBe took BA to the cleaners as usual but amazing that the same BACon managers have been entrusted with another BA subsidiary....
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Max tow are you refering to BA Cityflyer? If so Waterside are well aware of the managements limitations and ensure any decisions go through them first
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BHX-Scandinavian routes
In an article today in the Birmingham Post Newspaper Jim French has stated that Birmingham will get new routes to "The Scandinavian area" this coming summer? Anyone in Flybe land have any ideas my money is on ARN.
Daza |
Flybe Scandinavia
BHX-Oslo on a Q400 must be worth a pop at 4-7 a week.
Helsinki on a 195, 3 to 4 a week Stockholm 5-7 a week Even Copenhagen might be worth a go but high risk going against a double daily weekday service. There are a few possibilities and good to see some imagination for once and lets hope that any potential route is supported, as East Mids does have some attractive fares to Scandi at the moment. It will be interesting to see where flybe pitches their fares compared to Sterling. Pete |
Not sure it would be wise to start any new Q400 service to Scandinavia for a good few years.......:}
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Scandi
Haven't a clue
oops :) good point, I bet it would be all BHX originating pax ;) Well it seems that one or two are going to start, it will be interesting to see what they use. Pete |
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