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UK regional airline Flybe said it has closed one of the operating bases of BA Connect, the loss-making former UK regional operation of British Airways PLC that it purchased last month, as it announced the appointment of a new chief financial officer.

Flybe said last month that it plans to cut about 200 jobs as part of the integration of BA Connect, which will lead to the closures of BA Connect’s head office in Manchester and an engineering centre on the Isle of Man.

The reductions are part of a plan to make cost savings and revenue gains of more than 40 mln stg a year to staunch similar annual losses accumulated by BA Connect in its last 12 months of operations, the FT said.

source: Forbes

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, today launches its first flights of the summer season, bringing a total of 13 brand new routes to travellers in the UK to key domestic and European destinations.

Following the recent acquisition of BA Connect, Flybe customers across the regions can also take advantage of a number of additional domestic and international destinations, and will see a significant price saving on these routes of £19 per passenger.

source: Easier

Flybe has celebrated the first anniversary of its very popular Belfast to Manchester route with news that further expansion is on the way.

Flybe, which is the largest airline operating out of George Best Belfast City Airport, serves 16 destinations including the first direct scheduled service to the French city of Rennes.

source: Easier

Flybe, one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines, has announced the introduction of a shuttle style service between both Birmingham and Edinburgh and Birmingham and Glasgow which is to be launched upon successful completion of the BA Connect acquisition.

source: Easier

UK airline Flybe bought British Airways’ struggling regional unit on Friday as part of plans to double the size of the airline and cut costs ahead of a stockmarket flotation in two years.

Flybe, a regional carrier based in southwest England, said it had agreed to buy BA Connect, a loss-making unit of British Airways, which it would use to expand its network in Europe.

The airline declined to give details of the deal but British Airways said it had taken a GBP106 million (USD$201.5 million) impairment charge on the sale and would take a 15 percent stake in Flybe under the deal.

source: Airwise

Low-cost airline Flybe is giving football fans the chance to win two return flights and meet their sporting heroes.

The airline is sponsoring three teams in the Coca Cola Championship â?? Southampton, Norwich and Birmingham â?? and is organising a mini “Flybe league” between them.

Fans correctly predicting the scores from three matches between the teams will be entered into a prize draw, with the winner being awarded tickets to a match of their choice, a chance to meet their team’s players and free Flybe flights.

source: cheapflights.co.uk

Flybe has announced that it will begin charging passengers for using traditional check-in desks within two years.

The low-cost airline wants to encourage the use of online check-in and self-service kiosks by introducing a charge for those wanting to check in the regular way.

source: cheapflight.co.uk

Despite acquiring a new fleet of Embraer 195 regional jets, Flybe’s marketing director, Mike Rutter, has said that he expects the majority of the airline’s future development to stay focused within the British Isles.

Flybe has just taken delivery of its first Embraer jet, which is scheduled to enter service on flights from Birmingham at the end of this month. The airline, which is the launch customer for the new aircraft, has a total of 26 on order. The plane is designed to give regional airlines the perfect balance between fuel economy and size, offering a similar cost per seat as larger jets such as the Airbus A320 series or the Boeing 737, whilst allowing airlines to open up routes where there wouldn’t be sufficient demand to justify using bigger aircraft.

source: flightmapping.com