Who Is Flybe
Brief history
- 27 years continuous operation based in Exeter since starting life in 1979 as Jersey European Airways, later British European
- Re-launched as a low-cost brand in 2002
- Low cost point-to-point air travel between Britain’s regions, with more than 70% of routes operating between domestic airports
- 72-strong aircraft fleet including 36 Bombardier Q400s (+24 on order) and 9 E195s (+ 5 on order)
- Use of regional airports = 50% less terminal check-in time and fewer delays and baggage handling issues
- Flybe is the largest operator of Q400s in the world and in 2006 was the first airline to take delivery of the E195
- Flybe’s £15-million state-of-the-art Aviation Service’s 9-bay regional aircraft maintenance facility at Exeter is the largest hangar of its kind in Europe
The Flybe strategy
- To build a bigger, stronger, defendable and profitable Flybe – Europe’s Largest Regional Airline
- To provide our customers with a safe, highly efficient and friendly service at a ticket price which they consider good value
- To acknowledge that we have a responsibility for meeting the concerns of the regional and international communities by taking necessary actions in order to mitigate the effects of our activities upon the environment
- To provide staff with clear future employment plans with exciting career progression prospects underwritten by major capital investments.
- To operate at a cost base which will generate a strong and profitable business for our shareholders and stakeholders
Flybe is Europe's largest regional airline with 162 routes, operating from a total of 53 departure points including 23 UK and 30 European airports.
- Flybe operates almost three times more UK domestic routes than any other airline (56 routes – v- next highest at 21)
- Flybe won Flight International’s ‘Best Management Team 2007’ in the Air Transport category at the annual global Flight Awards presented during last year’s Paris Air Show. Flybe was chosen ‘in recognition of its extraordinary achievement in executing the acquisition of the BA Connect operation in a remarkable timescale and an extraordinarily smooth manner.’
- Flybe also won ‘Best Airline Website in the UK’ at Wanderlust Magazine’s 2007 Travel Awards
- Flybe is the largest scheduled airline at Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester, Southampton, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Belfast City
- Flybe pioneered the aviation industry’s first ever eco labelling scheme in June 2007 as well as Rewards4all, the UK’s first low cost airline customer loyalty scheme open to all passengers
- Employing some 700 flight deck crew, Flybe is the third largest employer of commercial pilots in the UK aviation industry
- Flybe was the only airline amongst 150 UK companies to sign the Government’s Skills Pledge in June 2007. Flybe is now developing its own Training Academy in Exeter scheduled to open in 2009
- Flybe makes a significant investment into local football and the communities it serves, including that of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and is proud of the initiatives that it supports throughout the UK, Ireland and continental Europe
- With over 3000 employees, Flybe is one of the largest private sector employers in the South West of England
Flybe business model
Flybe is a regional low cost airline with frills focusing on domestic regional travel (70%), European capital cities and Regional France (25%) and Sun and Ski destinations (5%).
Flybe has developed a defendable niche within the domestic sector which is supported by its cost structure, choice of fleet and strong retail brand.
Differentiator from other low costs:
- Regional concentration avoiding capital cities
- Retained distribution via GDS (41% by value) and travel trade
- Use of primary airports
- High percentage of business traffic supported by Economy Plus product (single cabin but value add on-ground business services including 10 dedicated Flybe Executive Lounges)
- Pre assigned seating
- Rewards4all , the only low cost airline loyalty programme open to all passengers
- Aircraft eco labeling with carbon offset choice
- One of the most generous leg room in Euro low cost sector
- Celebrity chef Brian Turner Deli in the Sky sandwich range
- Flybe ‘Spend & Fly’ Credit Card
Flybe's online culture
- More than 1.5-million unique visitors every month
- Over 80% of all Flybe’s bookings are now made online
- Its user-friendly flybe.com website won the ‘Best Airline Website in the UK’ category at Wanderlust Magazine’s 2007 Travel Awards.
- Flybe’s introduction of its online passenger accounting system in March 2007 proved a hit from day one with two thirds of its passengers choosing to set up their own online account within a week of launch.
- Flybe passengers can pre-select their seats 24-hours before travel and receive discount for checked-in baggage if done in advance online.
- Flybe Q-Buster allows online check-in and check-in booths at airports reducing the need for queuing.
Flybe is fastest growing airline in Scotland
Leading low cost carrier a key player in boosting regional economy
FOLLOWING its acquisition in March 2007 of BA Connect - the regional airline business of British Airways – Flybe has become Europe’s largest regional airline and the fastest growing in Scotland. Last year, the airline flew 1.8-million passengers to and from Scotland with some 676 weekly flights on 23 domestic and European routes from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
The UK’s most innovative, leading non-London-centric airline operates 162 routes from 23 UK and 30 European airports including services to key European commercial centres such as Paris, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Milan. In 2007, with its unique balance of offering flight options for both business and leisure passengers, the airline flew more than 7-million passengers.
With a $3-billion investment to consolidate and increase its fleet to comprise 80 Bombardier Q400 and Embraer 195 aircraft, Flybe will - by Summer 2009 - have one of the youngest and most environmentally sensitive fleets in the world. In line with its environmental policy, Flybe will by then have reduced fuel consumption by over 50% per seat.
Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer of Flybe, says: “Flybe remains, above all, a regional airline and the routes that the BA Connect acquisition brought to our network – including several key routes serving Scotland - reinforces our commitment to serving the whole of the UK.
The acquisition of BA Connect gave us critical mass across our domestic and European city markets and, offering valuable slots at key European airports, brought our growth plans forward by two years. Flybe is now firmly established as one of the UK’s largest airlines.”
Flybe's Scottish routes 2007/8
3.2 million Scottish seats on sale
Flybe’s Top Four Routes out of Scotland:
- Edinburgh – Birmingham International
- Glasgow International – Birmingham International
- Edinburgh – Southampton
- Glasgow International – Southampton
Flybe route network from:
Aberdeen
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Edinburgh
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Glasgow International
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Inverness
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