New flight routes are axed

Reborn airline Flybe has axed flights from Aberdeen and Inverness just a few months after launching them.

Flights from the Granite City to Belfast City Airport and Birmingham, announced in the spring, will not operate for the rest of the summer season.

And Flybe’s service connecting the Highland capital with Belfast City has been cancelled.

Other routes affected by the sudden cuts include Newcastle-Belfast City, which also will not operate at all this summer.

Meanwhile, Flybe has reduced its schedule of flights between Belfast City and Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Southampton.

Services connecting Birmingham with

Edinburgh and Glasgow have also been slashed.

The changes kick in at the end of this month.

Flybe blames a delay in the delivery of aircraft from two leasing companies.

A spokesperson for the airline said: “Due to a delay in our scheduled aircraft deliveries from our two aircraft leasing companies, we have had to make the difficult decision to reduce planned increases in our summer flying schedule during the period from July 28 to October 29, resulting in cancellations.

“Every attempt has been made to contact those affected, and we will do everything we can to reaccommodate our customers on the next available Flybe flight or, if this is not possible, provide a full refund.

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly and we

understand the disappointment and frustrations these cancellations will cause and sincerely apologise to those customers who have been affected.”

In an open letter to customers on Flybe’s website, chief executive

Dave Pflieger said: “Firstly, please accept my unreserved apologies for the rescheduling or cancellation of your flight.

“You’ll be wondering, I’m sure, why this has happened, so please let me try and explain.

“We were planning to

increase flights to existing cities and new destinations such as Aberdeen, Inverness, Newcastle and Southampton.

“However, the two aircraft leasing companies who were contracted to provide our additional airplanes have now told us they will be unable to fulfil their commitments until after the summer.

“We were able to find and rent aircraft from two separate airlines in Greece and Spain, but those planes are not enough, and the lack of additional aircraft needed for new flying means we need to adjust our future flight schedule.

“As a result, today we are reducing our planned increase in flying for the period of July 28 until October 29.”

Flybe – now headquartered in Birmingham – was resurrected last year when administrators of the old, failed business completed a sale of its brand and other assets to a new firm affiliated to investment adviser Cyrus Capital.

The previous Exeterbased airline collapsed in March 2020.

BACK TO EARTH: Flybe blames a shortage of aircraft for its decision to scrap flights.