Flybe Cuts Summer Schedule Blaming ‘Late Delivery of Aircraft

DALLAS - The recently resurrected UK regional carrier Flybe (BE) has joined numerous other airlines in cutting hundreds of flights from its summer schedule.

Seven hundred services will be affected, including routes from Belfast City (BHD) to Birmingham (BHX), Edinburgh (EDI), Glasgow (GLA), Manchester (MAN) and Southampton (SOU).

Just 12 weeks after the airlines relaunch, Flybe has slashed its summer schedule. Photo: Flybe.

BE will also reduce services from its Birmingham hub to EDI and GLA and from London Heathrow (LHR) to Leeds Bradford (LBA).

New Routes Scrapped

New routes from BHD to Aberdeen (ABZ), Inverness (INV) and Newcastle (NCL), and from BHX to ABZ have been temporarily scrapped.

CEO Dave Pflieger said that the decision had "not been taken lightly" and blamed "late aircraft deliveries" for the cancellations.

The airline currently operates a fleet of four de Havilland Dash 8-Q400s. Leasing companies that were due to provide additional aircraft have been unable to fulfil their commitments to the airline.

Insufficient Capacity

Two aircraft have been leased from other airlines, an Embraer E175 from Marathon Air and a Swift Air (WT) ATR-72. But even this extra capacity has been insufficient to meet its summer flying program.

The airlines has cut its route between LBA and LHR to just a daily rotation. Photo: Flybe.

Originally, BE was planning on ramping up its schedule from July 28 to October 29. These plans have now been scrapped.

"We are in daily conversations with all involved to see if anything might change that would allow us to resume our original plans at an earlier date," Mr Pflieger continued.

"That said, given the current facts, I believe it is essential that we take action now to ensure you have enough time to change your travel plans, be re-accommodated on a different flight or, if that is not desired, obtain a full refund."

Featured Image: The airline currently has a fleet of four 78-seat Dash 8-Q400s. Photo: Flybe.