LPL-AMS would be blown out of the water if easyJet put a third daily back on the route this winter, which I am sure it is within their gift to do.

Flybe are due to publish an interim statement tomorrow morning, so let's see what that says before reaching any further views on their management capability.

LPL AMS
 

At one time, easyJet offered 4 flights per day between Liverpool and Amsterdam. For the Summer, that now stands at 2 per day although the Winter offering increases to 3 rotations on Monday and Friday. By comparison, Manchester weekdays currently offer 6 KLM, 2 easyJet and 2 Flybe. easyJet do not have the capacity to up the Winter offering to 3 per day every day unless they choose to use AMS based aircraft and even if they did, there appears to be sufficient demand for Flybe to carve out a reasonable niche.

EasyJet has plenty of spare capacity within its network over the winter such that if a decision to increase LPL-AMS or, for that matter, adding extra frequencies on LPL-IOM or LPL-BFS would be eminently possible. Sounds like quite a good idea for an A319, actually.

easyJet
 

That isn't easyJet's standard Modus Operandi, they don't appear to flood the market with capacity in order to drive off competition. They didn't react to Flybe appearing on the MAN AMS route, so I see no reason why they should do so on LPL AMS.

Flightrider
 

Flightrider: you cannot see the hypocrisy in this new BE management opening routes at airports FR/EZY won't touch with a meaningful barge pole (and in doing so competing with their own near by monopolies SOU/BOH for example) but trying to compete with EZY on a route like LPL/AMS?

I mean that one route is pretty much the epitome of EZY, it's very ethos is founded on it. Basically chav central. I can still hear the scouse accent all those years ago from the show Airline on itv and the constant focus on the angry chav who has missed his flight to AMS. No single airline is going to compete with EZY on that route.

Indecision is one sure way to alienate your customers and screw up your credibility.

Careful there, Rivet Joint. I know at least one person who's going to take issue with you over these comments.
Very disrespectful.

Kcockayne: these are purely my views and no one is stupid enough to take ones views as fact?

I have supported BE since the very first day and rely on them heavily. I don't want to see them go but surely anyone would admit their decision making is becoming increasingly erratic?

Trading Update statement (referred to by Flightrider yesterday):

Trading Update - Flybe Grp Regulatory News (RNS) - London South East

In today's statement, Flybe management said they think the company will be roughly breakeven this year instead of making a loss last year.

I note that airlines generally seem to be having a better year this year than last year. How much of the improvement in results is because "a rising tide lifts all boats" and how much due to management's actions ?

I know what you're saying David, but you can tell that the actions of the management team have been positive by cost control.

The costs of running the business shouldn't increase at the same rate as turnover, which in turn negates any chance of making a (decent) profit.

They will have done a good job if they have set up the business so that costs under control as business picks up and profits are maximised.

That's a simplistic view and I'm sure people with a degree in economics have a better qualified view and a better explanation.

I've noticed that the Q400 has been used on SOU-ALC route for the last 2 Sunday's, must be one of the longest sectors it operates

Is this because of a shortage of 195's or likely to continue for the rest of the summer season.

Adfly; I totally Agree
For those who actually do some research instead of posting frankly stupid ill informed comments, the rationale behind the Embraer/Flybe/Republic deal is as follows:-
Previous Flybe management commited to purchase 35 E175s. New management
realized that, given the appalling state of the company at the time and the re focussing of the company on cutting costs they needed to dump the E175 order.
Initially, due to contractual commitments, the orders were deferred.
Subsequently and fortunately republic wanted to focus on E175s for their future needs and a deal was done between the three parties whereby Republic would takeover 20 of the remaining E175 orders in return for Flybe subleasing 24 Q400s.
The 24 Q400s were never earmarked totally for fleet expansion and it was announced at the time that a number of them would be replacing Aircraft whose leases were expiring.
This deal has saved the company a fortune and is all in the public domain so for gods sake, kcockayne in particular, stop posting such crass ill informed negative comments

Hate to see news get in the way of personal abuse (sorry, "banter"!), but...

Surprised to see the first ex Republic Q400 has appeared on the UK Register already. Delivery imminent, if so what are the plans?

Chaps, come on. What's hard to understand? It's all in the financial reports. The 24 republic aircraft will give a net increase of only 4 aircraft over the delivery period. Bean detailed what there is to know about it in his post above. We don't need to find routes AND pilots for 24 aircraft.

my god that was hard work, all that info has been available for at least 6 months.
Without going into aircraft registrations on here it gets quite complicated
with arrivals and departures of individual aircraft but if you look at
jethros website it makes it all clear(ish)
Flybe Fleet List

Readers interested in facts and analysis might appreciate this public domain, comprehensive, informed and independent analysis of Flybe strengths and weaknesses:


Flybe SWOT Analysis: strengths as an airline do not necessarily convert to sustainable profits | CAPA - Centre for Aviation

G-PRPL arrived in Exeter yesterday afternoon, all the way from Rockford Illinois.

Formerly Republic's N380NG.

Do the US aircraft get a cabin make-over according to BE standards?

You would think that if they leave them as 71 seats, it has the potential to cause all sorts of operational, handling and flexibility problems.

It seems unlikely that they will leave the first-class cabin, if that's what you mean... :cool: