Flybe Prepares for E175 Introduction

Posted 10/08/2011

UK low-fare airline Flybe is expected to take delivery of its first Embraer 175s before the end of August and it appears that the aircraft will initially be used on the carrier’s flights from London Gatwick and Manchester and not Guernsey as originally planned.  Shortly after the July 2010 order the airline revealed that it would “base an aircraft in Guernsey” so passengers on the island would “be the first to benefit” from the fleet investment.  However, the airline’s latest schedule shows that the aircraft is planned to operate on four routes over the remainder of the Northern Summer, none of them touching Guernsey.

According to its latest GDS inventory, Flybe will place the E175 into service on its weekday Manchester – Brussels route from September 1 and on weekend rotations to Hanover and Jersey.  Another aircraft will serve its domestic London Gatwick – Inverness route from September 4.  These plans are obviously subject to change.  According to sources at the airline the first E175 is due to arrive at its Exeter base at the end of next week, with two further aircraft due to follow before the end of the month.

Flybe placed a firm order for 35 175s at last year’s Farnborough Air Show to complement its Bombardier Dash 8Q-400 turboprops and larger E195s.  The aircraft will be configured in an 88-seat single-class configuration.  Speaking to The HUB at the time of the announcement Jim French, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Flybe said: “The E175 will give us significant added capacity and is particularly suited to the sector lengths prevalent in Europe that we are most interested in exploiting.  In short, it perfectly fits the Flybe business model and we are delighted to be extending our long-running partnership with Embraer.”

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