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-   -   Flybe - 8 (https://www.pprune.org/airlines-airports-routes/560903-flybe-8-a.html)

DaveReidUK 23rd Feb 2017 16:47


Originally Posted by CabinCrewe (Post 9685745)
Wonder if props stay clear?

No, you can see on the video the prop cutting a furrow in the runway.

AirGuru 23rd Feb 2017 17:12

No wonder the RH MLG collapsed, that was a severely hard landing on the RHS, those Dash's aren't meant for that. Something that we see relatively often nowadays. Doris is playing havoc.

N707ZS 24th Feb 2017 06:05

Good job the prop didn't break. How many times did this happen to SAS?

davidjohnson6 29th Mar 2017 21:22

Flybe predicts small annual loss as tough conditions continue | Airline Financials content from ATWOnline

Given that the UK economy is in pretty good health right now and airlines all over the UK and western Europe are making strong profits, I really don't understand why Flybe is making a loss. I really do hope that when the economy next weakens (and it will do eventually), that Flybe has got its act together

sinbad73 29th Mar 2017 21:27

The fact they're severing ties with Loganair will have an effect on their balance sheet too.

inOban 29th Mar 2017 21:53

Domestic PAX from EDI/GLA have been static at best, presumably because of the continued growth of direct flights has reduced the demand for feeders to, say, MAN. And if a route to, say, a French regional airport, becomes popular, ie profitable, then FR or EZY will jump in. They get squeezed.

chaps1954 30th Mar 2017 07:30

The railways are taking more and more domestic traffic now as journey times are speeding up

ATNotts 30th Mar 2017 08:00


Originally Posted by davidjohnson6 (Post 9723423)
Flybe predicts small annual loss as tough conditions continue | Airline Financials content from ATWOnline

Given that the UK economy is in pretty good health right now and airlines all over the UK and western Europe are making strong profits, I really don't understand why Flybe is making a loss. I really do hope that when the economy next weakens (and it will do eventually), that Flybe has got its act together

Two things in play here I suspect. First firming of the oil price, which may have hit them if they had failed to hedge forward; and second the fall in value of sterling which will not only have had an effect of existing revenues, but may be beginning to impact on future bookings - for example second property owners in France making fewer, longer trips, rather than going backwards and forwards more frequently at weekends.

pholling 30th Mar 2017 08:10


Originally Posted by ATNotts (Post 9723792)
Two things in play here I suspect. First firming of the oil price, which may have hit them if they had failed to hedge forward; and second the fall in value of sterling which will not only have had an effect of existing revenues, but may be beginning to impact on future bookings - for example second property owners in France making fewer, longer trips, rather than going backwards and forwards more frequently at weekends.

Flybe will also see more harm than most other UK airlines with the fall of GBP as they will have a higher percentage of revenues in GBP vs other currencies. Since a fair portion of their costs are in USD or EUR they will have a weaker cash-flow. This is especially true if their hedges on fuel are either non-existent or in USD.

As for the UK economy being in good health. It isn't as clear cut as the GDP in £ numbers make it seem. Looking at the value of GDP in some other currencies will see a drop in GDP over the last year. Conversely if you look at the value of the US economy in GBP it has grown a lost faster than the UKs. Even in $PPP the UK isn't as strong as the headline figure. I haven't looked at the numbers recently, but I seem to recall the GDP:GNP ratio has shifted quite a bit, which is often a sign of underlying weakness. It remains to be seen where this will lead, but it looks like the North Atlantic market is really beginning to suffer, especially for the areas outside of London.

Wycombe 30th Mar 2017 08:52


The railways are taking more and more domestic traffic now as journey times are speeding up
Some are, but others definitely are not....example being SW England into London. For example, Flybe from EXT into LCY often cheaper than the train and definitely quicker (depending on where you're actually going in London)


And if a route to, say, a French regional airport, becomes popular, ie profitable, then FR or EZY will jump in. They get squeezed.
True again in some cases, but plenty of routes around the UK (and some into regional France) that won't ever be RYR or EZY territory.

Business travel should be riding high at the moment, so a real concern that they can't make money even in the current environment, although I do appreciate there are many factors in play, as others have described above.

inOban 30th Mar 2017 09:16

1. It's not speed but frequency. Between both GLA and EDI there are usually three flights per day to MAN. (There are no GLA - MAN flights on a Saturday). Train is every hour alternately. I suspect that most MAN PAX from Scotland either take a coach or drive - whenever I'm in Tebay services there always seem to be holiday groups.

2. The future of the UK is meant to be global, so we have to make clear that the economy of the UK shrank by 10% overnight last June.

3. Why should business traffic be riding high at the moment?

HeartyMeatballs 30th Mar 2017 09:55

The value of the pound and economy fell with the pound.

GDP is up, investment is up, no sign of a recession or depression, airlines are making money, shops are making money, car production and purchasing is up, tourist numbers are up, house prices are up, employment is at record highs, CPI is steady and has been positive.

So, I ask, why shouldn't business traffic be riding high at the moment?

inOban 30th Mar 2017 10:05

I think that you are reading the economic data through rosetinted spectacles. Inflation is rising and industrial production is weak, according to the data I see.

HeartyMeatballs 30th Mar 2017 10:18

Inflation was near or below target until very recently.

Industrial production seems to be doing ok as do our services sector.

https://s23.postimg.org/e2dw0xn5n/IMG_0752.jpg

chaps1954 30th Mar 2017 11:03

InOban I think you must be looking at Scottish business because it is doing very well here in the
Northwest of England with house prices rocketing and jobs galour, building in the city of Manchester
is almost back to pre 2008 with about 10 buildings of over 100m and 2 of over 200m being built and
1 bedroom appartments going for upto 1/4 million

HeartyMeatballs 30th Mar 2017 11:09

Similar story here in North East England.

A320.b744 30th Mar 2017 11:28

inOban makes a good point. The rise in inflation since the Brexit vote, though still below the BofE target, is a rapid increase to what we've seen over the last few years, and will be a problem for Flybe. Prices of goods have increased, but real wages have not yet caught up to the inflation growth, meaning people are less well off in real terms. If inflation continues to rise, it'll be even harder for wages to respond, meaning real incomes will continue to fall steadily. Nominal wage growth needs to equal or exceed inflation to ensure that people's real wages are growing. Over the next few years I can't see that happening, and Flybe - as well as BA and easyJet domestic services - will suffer as a result.

Honestly, I think that most Flybe bases will see a reduction in services over the next couple of years. BHD and IOM will probably suffer the least, given that there are no viable alternatives to air transport. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a slight shift towards the European leisure market, with reduced frequencies on GB domestic routes, especially those without codeshares.

pholling 30th Mar 2017 13:31


Originally Posted by HeartyMeatballs (Post 9723938)
Inflation was near or below target until very recently.

Industrial production seems to be doing ok as do our services sector.

https://s23.postimg.org/e2dw0xn5n/IMG_0752.jpg

Always wait until all the revisions are out, the monthly numbers are notoriously unreliable. That being said, the UK economy has held up quite well over the last year. Though there are a lot of signs of stress that could bode poorly for the future. If you have $s to spend UK labour, property and commodities are about 15% cheaper than they were last year. Simplistically this reflects the markets view that all else remaining equal over the next 5 or so years the cost of doing business in the uk will rise about 18% over what it was before (hence the prediction that brexit will lead to a overall reduction in GDP in £s of ~5% over the prior trend). The nice thing is that none of those costs are yet realised, e.g. tariffs and non-tariff barriers. This means our exports are more attractive. Couple that with a Eurozone that is beginning to really grow again and we are in a good rising tide.

In the short term a lot of Manchester central property values is being driven by foreign money, which means that the reduction in the cost of labour makes the property that much more attractive. Also, even the more pessimistic forecasts for the next 20-30 years say that brexit will not have a significant effect on the long-term growth trend (conversely it won't improve the long term growth trend), so if you are investing in something over that time period and you think the currency markets have over reacted now would be a great time to get into the game.

Conversely, if you have £s and need to buy stuff in $s this hurts you a lot. For many airlines fuel prices are approaching 50% of operating costs. If the pound looses 15% of it's value and all of your revenue are in £s then you need to increase your incomings by 9% just to stand still. In the case of a BA or U2 much of their revenue is in $s and €s, which helps a lot. This is showing up in locally funded construction, where the real cost is rising quite rapidly, leading to current reductions in planned activity.

inOban 30th Mar 2017 14:04

Remember also that in modern manufacturing, labour is a small part of the cost. All your raw material and components are being imported at increased prices.

davidjohnson6 30th Mar 2017 14:09

I can accept that the pound's collapse last June makes life tough for an airline with £ revenues and $ costs. However every year businesses face significant challenges; despite the collapse in demand for Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia other airlines still turn a profit. A firm like Jet2 should be really hurting on this basis but they seem to be doing ok

Ultimately if a company is not making profits then it is burning capital and will eventually end up in deep trouble. So when will Flybe attain consistent profitability and just how rosy does the economy have to be ?


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