Flybe enters commercial agreement with Rigby Group

AIRLINE Flybe has announced a five year commercial arrangement has been signed with Rigby Group-owned Regional & City Airports (RCA).

The deal is for one E195 aircraft to be based in Exeter to serve Exeter and Norwich airports with eight routes to five destinations in mainland Europe starting in March 2016.

Flybe, Birmingham Airport’s largest carrier in passenger volume terms, is still dealing with a legacy issue of 14 E195s. It refers to its work on resolving the issue as Project Blackbird.

Five have been handed back to lessors while two have been based at Cardiff Airport under a long-term agreement signed in March 2015 with the airport operator. 

The agreement with RCA provides resolution for the eighth aircraft. 

Flybe says it is still in active discussions with other parties to redeploy the remaining six E195s.
 
Saad Hammad, Flybe’s chief executive officer, said: “Through today’s agreement with RCA, Flybe is able to operate routes that will provide much enhanced regional connectivity to the people of the South West and East Anglia, in much the same way as we have already offered to the communities of South Wales.”
 
Sir Peter Rigby, West Midlands-based entrepreneur and chairman and founder of Rigby Group, said: “Since taking ownership of Norwich Airport a year ago and Exeter in 2013 we have been firm on our commitment to invest in the future of both sites.

“Today, with a milestone agreement guaranteeing the continued operation of winter and summer holiday routes from both airports, we have underlined that determination with some very concrete results.”