Flybe sees blue skies ahead
BUDGET airline Flybe, which last month announced the creation of a new hub at Manchester Airport, says it is confident about its long-term future despite tough trading conditions.
In a pre-close trading update ahead of the announcement of its annual results in June, the airline reported it has performed in line with management expectations through the final quarter of the year ended 31 March 2012.
Flybe, which is the largest airline in terms of traffic movement at both Birmingham Airport and Manchester Airport, says it is continuing to focus on a number of initiatives to increase revenue per seat, further reduce costs and ensure capacity is optimally matched to demand.
In March it announced a contract flying agreement with Brussels Airlines to provide two Bombardier Q400 aircraft.
And Flybe Finland, its joint venture with Finnair, is continuing the expansion of its scheduled services, including routes into Sweden and Denmark, as part of a plan to develop the business into the leading regional carrier in northern Europe.
Flybe says its aviation support division has seen increased demand for third party aircraft maintenance from European regional airlines and its training academy will benefit from the recently commissioned second flight simulator.
