Flybe 16 new routes from Southampton / Belfast / Birmingham / Bristol and Exeter

[eurostar builder]

FlyBE. the UK’s third largest low fares airline, today announces a massive expansion to its route network for next summer. Already one of Europe’s fastest growing airlines, the carrier is substantially boosting its capacity to more than 5m seats network-wide, with the introduction of 16 new routes from its regional bases at Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter and Southampton.

The new routes, which go on sale at www.flybe.com from today, are:

• Belfast City to Edinburgh, Exeter and Glasgow
• Birmingham to Perpignan
• Bristol to Bergerac, Bordeaux and Jersey
• Exeter to Alicante, Malaga, Faro, Belfast City, Edinburgh and Glasgow
• Southampton to La Rochelle, Limoges, Perpignan and Glasgow

Jim French, FlyBE.’s Managing Director, said: “This growth has been built on the phenomenal success we’ve already experienced with our existing low fares regional network. No other UK airline has expanded so dramatically during the past 12 months - our summer timetable represents a 30% increase in seat capacity and we are confident we won’t be stopping there.”

French added: “Short breaks are increasingly popular and second home ownership is at an all time high, with our flights from the regions we are enabling the population living outside London and the south east to enjoy the same benefits of low fare travel as the city dwellers. FlyBE. is committed to making low fare services available country-wide and with our new bases at Bristol and Exeter we are underlining our position as the UK’s leading low fare regional airline.”

:ok:

[sparkymarky]

The Glasgow/Edinburgh routes to Exeter and Southampton look like good business.

The competition on Belfast with BA directly and Easyjet indirectly (International rather than City) looks rather brave. FlyBE already compete with BA to Birmingham from Scotland, but they don't have a loco to compete with too on that route.

[eurostar builder]

The also are competing with Bournemouths Ryanair Flight (twice Daily) to Prestwick.

Its about time RYR made more punch in the south.

[Pies]

Apparently FlyBe are overcrewed aswell!!
:hmm:

[carlos vandango]

methinks BHD -GLA and EDI is brave too. Still , time will tell.

[IanH]

I dont think that the GLA or EDI to Exeter will be much of a threat to Ryanair's Bournemouth flights !

I travel to North Devon from Glasgow quite often and GLA-Exeter is a godsend !...... its a shame that they didnt fly to Chivenor..
:)

Ian H

[Voldermort]

It`s my understanding that BA are pulling off the BHD to GLA/EDI routes and were planning to hand them over to Loganair along with some ATP`s???If that is the case then it looks as though FlyBE have got in just at the right time and can start giving EZY a hard time just like GO used to do:ok: Still would not rule out a Ryanair PIK-Newquay just before the GLA-EXT starts:E

[Deeko01]

I dont think there is any risk with the GLA and EDI to BHD, currently BA operate into the City which is in the process of being transferred to Logibear so now is the time to get in there and anyway the arseholes at Easyjet need comptetition on that route, always amazes me how they very quickly forget where there bread was buttered on there flagship route GLA-LTN and have conveniently turned there nose up at expansion in Scotland and before anyone says its because its to expensive with the BAA well you tell that to Flyglobespan and Air Scotland.

The Southampton one will be interesting to cos BA charge and arm and a leg for that flight where as l dont think flybe will be so expensive and this will definately challenge the Ryanair Bournemouth flight tho after doing PIK-BOH and back last week for £23 is pretty tough to beat that but all good for the customer!

[carlos vandango]

unless I'm very much mistaken, Bace handing over BHD-GLA / EDI makes cack all difference to the travelling public. BA handles the bookings..nothing changes. 3 carriers on belfast-glasgow?
On the other hand if BA/Bace/Logie or whoever they are this week drop these routes then there is certainly scope for Flybe.

[stevobeevo]

justplanes.com reports that Flybe are dropping the Southampton to Bergamo service from 7th January 2004. Doesn't appear in their summer schedule either. Maybe FR will operate this into BOH.
It'll be interesting to see what FR's response will be to the Flybe Glasgow route. Last airline that tried to muscle in was gobbled up.

[sparkymarky]

I'm with IanH on the Exeter route. I do business in Exeter and it will be much better to fly direct. Current options tend to revolve around flights to Bristol followed by hire car.

I'm with Carlos on the BACX to Loganair transition not mattering much to the average punter.

[Speedmaster]

The evening Flybe edi-southampton flights are usually 83ish passengers on a 146 at around the same time as BA do the flight in an Embraer. However, I think Flybe are doing some very cheap deals on the route so prob not much profit as yet

[Smokie]

Pies,

Undercrewed, always have been, always will be !!

Sorry to burst your bubble.

[beauport potato man]

STEEBOBEEVO,

you're right. The Bergamo will end in Jan. The last flight is on the 6th Jan.

Real shame as the the route proved very popular in summer and i'm sure would do in winter too. The 'in between' months have experienced low loads - but i think that was fairly expected - it's off season.

It's a shame they didn't give BGY longer to establish itself as a core route - and not just chop it at the first sign of failing.

I'll miss it personally, but on the other hand didn't think it was the best route to have on a turboprop. Bumping round the tops at FL250 ain't fun for 1 1/2 hrs.

we'll see what they want to do with the Q400 instead i guess.

BPM

[Whispering Giant]

beauport potato man - the reason the route has been dropped is that even though the load factors were extreamly good during the summer it produced a relativly low yield and was hence not very profitable.

W.G

[beauport potato man]

W.G

I understand those reasons - indeed that's what the press release said....

But i wonder if the fares could have been looked at then? - and i thought that with the Q400's cheap operating costs that if any a/c could make that route work it would have been the Q400??

Still, does that mean it'll go to Manch instead now??!!!

BPM

[MEFLYBE]

The Q400 that operates the SOU-BGY flights is Jersey based so I would think an extra JER-SOU rotation could be possible. The SOU-JER and JER-SOU flights are always busy, with the evening 146 flight doing especially well.

Regards

Mike

[Smokie]

I don't suppose that the Free or £1 a ticket approach has had anything to do with the route being pulled then?

If you can't make a profit with a full load then somebody has seriously got their sums wrong.

In which case there is a rocky ride ahead!










Where can I get a ride on a white horse?

[babydoc]

Some other routes have gone from SOU for the summer too. Chambery and Salzburg (largely winter routes- accepted).

Other routes not to appear/reappear are Ibiza and Prague (more surprising).

What's with all this choppin' and changin'

As far as I'm aware FR and EZY (the accepted benchmarks for the sector) don't drop routes winter to summer or summer to winter.

flybe and baby are doing it big style. Is it clever or desperate?

If airlines find a good route they can make money on they stay on it. If it's a loser they cut capacity or pull off altogether and try something else. flybe and baby (especially) seem to be doing a lot of this.

What does this say about their financial situation and prospects. There can't be that many more routes worth trying and there are a lot of planes on order (flybe).

The latest flybe ploy is to try the type of routes Buzz served, on the surface quite successfully, from Stansted. We now know Buzz was losing money hand over fist.

What chance do flybe have from less lucrative (lower yielding) regional markets?

Lots of questions I know. Anyone any answers?

[Whispering Giant]

It's time to put some of you Doubter's minds at rest -
CMF/SZG/PRG are all winter only route's so will end at the end of the winter schedule.
IBZ is a summer only route - so will restart in about June/July and will carry on till the end of the summer.

So babydoc - we are not desperate, get your fact's right.....like every airline - we serve different market's in summer and winter and the route's we operate reflect that.

The companies financial situation is extreamly healthy - much better than it was in the last 2 finacial year's.

[ALLMCC]

Noticed that the timetable for the BHD - GLA is now up to 3 rotations per weekday instead of the announced 1 per day - was there an error in the original announcement or has there been a rethink?

Also does anyone know the a/c type to be used on the BHD - GLA & EDI routes?

[JobsaGoodun]

ALLMCC

I think Flybe have realised that to give GLABHD a real chance of working then it would need more than one flight a day, and hence the increase to three. This will be far more attractive to the 'day returners'.Maybe Loganair are now rethinking their position on these routes in the face of stepped up competition....who can say!

Presently all EDIBHD flight will use the Q400 and this is likely for GLA too with the odd 146 rotation thrown in for good measure.

Yes I accept that Flybe are chopping and changing their route network but destinations like Chambery would never be year round. The reason Flybe have a higher chance of making the old Buzz destinations work is that you have to remember the higher cost base that Buzz had (being formed out of KLM).

Flybe are also taking the decision that they can no longer afford to give new routes like SOUBGY, the one or maybe two years to show a profit that it may have done previously in it's guise as British European. If routes are not showing decent yields within a set time then its time to say Bye Bye....

It may be chopping and changing....but it also makes plain good business sense!!

[ALLMCC]

JobsaGoodun

Thanks for that - timings will be excellent for business users and presumably a/c used will be BHD based - best of luck to Flybe - its about time BFS/Easyjet had some proper competition on these routes!

[LGS6753]

'FR and EZY are benchmarks'

Interestingly, the only route EZY has ever given up (to my knowledge) was LPL-LTN. That was due to the high opportunity cost. Other routes have certainly been reduced (the Scottish BAA airports have suffered) but due to high costs.

FR are fairly good at sticking with their decisions too, but have just announced some route closures (a small proportion of their total network). They also will reduce operations at high-cost airports, or as part of the negotiation process for future operations.

Compare that with (eg) Debonair, which pulled off Luton to Newcastle, Copenhagen and Perugia and MGL to Hanover - 4 routes out of the 15 or so they ever operated.

[737James]

Im off to Edinburgh in couple of weeks to see sisters new child im going with FlyBe from Bhx dep 06.35 BE278 returning dep 1750ish i was just wondering if anybody could tell what aircraft type its likely to be dash 8-400 or 146 :D

[MaxProp]

I think it should be a q400, but aircraft are mixed and matched on this route to suit scheduled servicing etc.

[Smokie]

Usually when the TecQ 400 goes Tango Uniform, they put the 146 on the route.

Nothing Strange or Startling there then!!:D

As for BFS, I feel a shake up not tooooo far down the line.

Should keep Flybe and Easy Jet amused, or not as the case may be.;)








Never did find that White Horse!!