Flybe Postpones Isle of Man Return

DALLAS - Flybe (BE) has scrapped plans for a return to the Isle of Man (IOM) this winter.

The airline was scheduled to relaunch flights today, October 30, to Belfast City (BHD) and London Heathrow (LHR). But delays in the delivery of new aircraft have again caused the operator to delay the restart until next year.

In a statement, the airline said, "Due to further delays with planned aircraft deliveries, Flybe has decided not to proceed with its inaugural services to the Isle of Man that were scheduled to begin on October 30, 2022. As a result, Flybe will be canceling all flights currently scheduled from the Isle of Man to London Heathrow and Belfast City this winter."

"Flybe deeply regrets the inconvenience that will be caused to passengers affected by this decision. The airline will provide full refunds, as well as applicable compensation, to all those impacted by these unexpected cancellations. Passengers can claim refunds by following the link provided in their cancellation email."

Continuing Issues

The Heathrow route is particularly important to Isle of Man residents as it offers the passengers global onward connections. Loganair (LM) currently operates both the LHR and BHD routes.

BE announced its return to IOM back in September. Speaking at the time, BE CEO Dave Pflieger said the new routes were part of an "enhanced winter schedule" that highlighted "the expansion of our fleet and network within Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but also into Europe."

This is the second time BE has been forced to slash its schedule due to the late delivery of aircraft. In July, we reported how the airline had cut 700 services and scrapped several planned new routes. Mr. Pflieger said that the decision had "not been taken lightly" and blamed "late aircraft deliveries" for the cancellations.

Featured image: Flybe currently has a fleet of seven Dash 8 Q400s with five more on order. Photo: Flybe