A Manchester return to Madrid and Lyon for Flybe

LOW-cost carrier Flybe is looking to reintroduce flights to Madrid and Lyon from Manchester a year after axing the services.

The regional carrier, which employs 360 staff at Manchester Aiport, stopped flights to the cities after taking over BA Connect – British Airway’s loss-making regional division last year.

Mike Rutter, Flybe’s chief commercial officer, said that he was was confident the routes could now be operated profitably.

“Manchester remains a key hub for us and we are aiming to increase passenger numbers from a million last year to around 1.5 million over the next 12 months,” he said.

New flights to Amsterdam, Hamburg and Stuttgart, as well as increased services to Milan and Hannover have also been confirmed. The company said that it also expects continued growth of its services to Frankfurt and Dusseldorf.

To date, Flybe has invested around £2.5m on improvements at Manchester Airport.

Its confidence and optimism buck a trend in a troubled aviation sector reflected by a 14% increase in first quarter profits to £12.2m.

Last month saw Servisair – Manchester Airport’s baggage-handling firm, announcing the loss of around 180 jobs as a result of cuts to winter flight schedules and the collapse of budget airline Zoom.

Flybe is one of Europe’s largest low-cost carriers offering 170 routes to 55 destinations in 12 European countries.