I think for VS (or DL) they will se this as an attempt to do something closer to Delta Connection in the UK ( and not Europe where the model doesn't have as much leg). Even sounds similar.

It is never good to keep a brand which has failed. So no Flybe going forward in to the further future.

Assuming BREXIT happens the UK will move closer to the US and away from Europe.

"The combined entity will be a powerful combination with sufficient scale to compete effectively in the and (sic) European airline markets. It will allow us to continue to work with Flybe and provides an excellent opportunity to continue to grow passenger numbers at London Southend Airport." Does this suggest that the current scale-back of flyBE and Stobart operations from SEN will be reversed?

It doesn't look like Stobart will have much clout within the new organisation but Virgin Atlantic might be content to let them put another airframe or two at SEN.

Yes, though it's being reported as being a done deal in the mainstream media

At the risk of stating the obvious, when you buy a a company as a going concern, you buy its debts as well as its assets.

This bid is pretty humiliating for the current, and past, management, and directors of Flybe. It values the company at less than 1% of the levels it briefly reached just after the floatation. One can only assume that the directors are recommending such a derisory bid as the company is very, very close to complete collapse, otherwise, they'd surely hang out for something better.

Whatever happens, hope for a good result for most staff, who have had to put up with a lot of uncertainty, over many years.

Whilst a lot of people out there will regret the day that JF walked through the doors at Exeter, the current Board don't look too smart for rejecting the Stobart bid last year, and then leading the company to the precipice.

Very. Whatever happens I expect there to be fewer of them. If this works out maybe Airbus 220s - DL is a big customer for them.

If anything is too happen in the short term then it may be possible that the E175s will get swapped out for the A220s as the US regional scene seems to like the E175s!

So with Stobart absorbed into this new entity, what happens to those aircraft flying branded as Aer Lingus Regional?

If that arrangement is allowed to expire, it shouldn't make a massive difference to the Cork routes, other than losing the Aer Lingus sales platform in Ireland; they are largely point-to-point thin routes. For the Dublin routes, feeding Aer Lingus long-haul is part of the bread and butter. Aer Lingus certainly won't want to lose the feed, but it may not match what Virgin want. Working things through, Delta will fundamentally own 15% of the new company and they aren't going to be happy feeding a transatlantic competitor.

Some additional info from Flight:

Cuts likely as Virgin shapes Flybe-Stobart combination - Flight Int

I don't think there will be any changes, for now, as the current Aer Lingus Regional deal runs to 2022. CityJet & Air Nostrum have both expressed interest in tendering for the franchise, now they have merged I expect them to be a tough competitor for the contract.

I think one of the changes might be that the ATR operation for SAS would move to the RE certificate, streamlining the fleet a little bit, with the ATRs for EI and SK and the Q400s for VS. The E-175/195s will be interesting to watch. The 195s are meant to be gone from BE by years end, but Stobart will still have 5 190/195s.

As an inhabitant of Newcastle (Flybe's routes to and from which go nowhere near MAN or LHR) who likes the occasional trip to the Channel Islands via SOU, the relentless emphasis in the press release on feed to MAN and LHR worries me. Virgin Atlantic branding on an aircraft flying between GCI and SOU, or NCL and EXT, just doesn't seem to make sense. Big cuts to UK regional flying on the way, I fear :(

I use the NWI-EXT route often, loads often 80% plus nowadays, of course that still doesn't mean it makes money, I fear that regional connection will be lost now and the 6 hour car journey will return.

Another question will be if IAG are happy to let a competitor feed its hub in DUB?

As for fleet reductions, I expect that to be achieved in the form of ditching the E195's and maybe some of the Q400's. Can't see the E175's going and there's 4 more on the way soon.

Because it is so difficult to make money out of it- that's why BA gave up/never showed an interest. And the public have come to expect low fares- look at how they winge about rail.

Loganair/BMI may pick up any routes which can turn a profit. Aurigny are essentially state owned and might fill in some GCIs.

In fairness, I think easyJet have revolutionised parts of UK regional flying for the better. What is tricky is matching the high frequency business wants with the lower fares the market will support, hence you might get only one A319 per day getting you into London just before midnight. It's the secondary markets to secondar markets that really struggle IMHO.

There's something very fishy going on here. It seems that Flybe have just sold the family silver, 5 minutes before the market closed and at twice the market capitalisation. Have Branson and Stobart just been screwed over ?


RNS Number : 9260M
Flybe Group PLC
11 January 2019

Flybe Group PLC ("Flybe" or the "Group")

Slot Transaction at Gatwick Airport

Flybe Group plc announces that today Flybe Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary, signed an agreement with Vueling Airlines S.A. (the "Agreement") to receive a total of £4,500,000 (four-and-a-half-million pounds) in respect of slots at London Gatwick Airport. The funds will be paid in two tranches, being receivable in the next few days in respect of slots to be used during the Summer Season in 2019 and for subsequent Summer Seasons. The remainder is due in June 2019 in respect of slots to be used during the Winter Season in 2019/20 and subsequent Winter Seasons.

Flybe had already announced they were pulling out of Gatwick - Newquay flights to operate to Heathrow this year. A slot sale was a logical result of this - timing may not have been in their control.