[QUOTE][The question is what does regional connectivity really mean? Connecting the regions to each other while avoiding London, or connecting the country via London? Given the chronic lack of investment for CrossCountry over the past decade, or more, I wonder if the latter is more important for Whitehall?/QUOTE]

I'm sure that it's much more important to HMG to provide connectivity of anywhere outside London to London, rather than, for example maintaining connectivity between Manchester and Aberdeen, Inverness to Birmingham or Newcastle to Bristol (not suggesting any of those are FlyBe routes, I know some aren't). One only has to look at the UK's motorway and rail networks to understand that connecting Nottingham to London is more important than Nottingham to Birmingham, and Leeds to London more important that Leeds to Manchester. But then, with most civil government civil servant and MPs (wherever their constituency is) spend a disproportionate time in London and the Southeast why would they think in any other way.

Lots of thoughts, pondering, and some uninformed commentary. What we really need now is news. Cold hard facts in black and white so we can all start to move on with whatever future the company may or may not have.

What time is the PM's speech today?

There is no speech scheduled on todays Commons order paper. The only chance might be at 12 30. when time is set aside for any ministerial statements or urgent questions

Further research indicates there is no announcement in the commons today

I don't think you can call a 2 month, peak-season, irregular non-daily schedule from LHR to NQY taking the gloves off.

BA simply don't have the operational capability (ie, that of a regional airline) to compete with Flybe in their (regional) backyard.

This looks more like BA playing a publicity and politics game.

Good news for people who use the Cornwall to London routes though.

Hardly.

"Gloves off" would be re-opening ops at EGCC to say EGAC, EGHI, EGNS and maybe LFPG. But that would require actual investment in crew, aircraft, and marketing.

EGHQ is just a clumsy shot using spare aircraft and crew to slot sit for 2 months of the year. EGLL is far too valuable for IAG to waste slots on a EGHQ PR exercise.

Conversely as EGHQ is a PSO route, all BA are potentially doing by taking pax from BE is to increase the amount of public funds that will be given to BE to support this supposedly non-viable route.

I haven’t seen many mention the fact that since Flybe moved HQ to LL from KK - to slot sit, many many passengers and residents wanted HQ>KK to return for its Euro connections and EasyJet links. The world doesn’t begin and end at Heathrow people!

No but for connections, it's usually LHR that wins hands down. It's an oddly niche market that prefers to self connect at Gatters. Flybe not being in an alliance couldn't have helped. I wonder if second homes in France or Italy might be a significant driver?

Sajid Javid - Chancellor resigns,
Andrea Leadsom - Business Secretary sacked,
Nusrat Ghani - Transport minister sacked
George Freeman - Transport Minister sacked

I wonder where this will the leave the potential rescue of Flybe/Virgin connect now ???

Javid was trying to restrict Government spending so probably better for deal. The two junior transport ministers were not involved in the aviation brief so unlikely to have any effect.

Leadsom and Javid were both very pro Flybe , DC less so....

My understanding was that Flybe were expecting the decision on the funding today. Given the Treasury shake-up I wonder what's happened to that now?

Word is there are questions being asked at the treasury why a company with very wealthy owners is asking for state aid.......

Heard the same chatter re backers

who knows, I would hazard a guess you don't and its just trolling. Boris has just sacked the treasury team and chancellor and replaced them with his own picks, he is on record as saying that Flybe has to be saved and he is committed to regional connectivity.

I have no more inside knowledge that you do just read the tea leaves differently. My thought are with the staff who must be going through the wringer at the moment.

Thay must have read your post on 10 Feb - the power of Pprune.... :ok:

Wonder what the reason is the very wealthy owners have given to HMG explaining why they seem so reluctant to invest in their own cash in their future ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46564524
This may be one of the reasons.

Very old news
The investment in Flybe wa after this