Flybe Eyes Eastern Tie-up

Flybe is set to maintain its presence in Scotland after reaching a preliminary agreement with Eastern Airways.  The non-binding Head of Terms, announced on June 6, paves the way for a five-year franchise agreement between the two carriers under which Eastern will operate part of its network on behalf of Flybe.  This is in place of the existing arrangement with Scottish airline Loganair, which ends in August.

Under the terms of the provisional deal – expected to enter force on September 1 – Eastern will operate up to four aircraft on existing Flybe-branded routes from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester.

Christine Ourmieres-Widener, Flybe CEO said: “This alliance with Eastern Airways is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the Flybe network.  We already operate flights at a number of common airports and this will enable passengers to connect to a greater number of destinations, across the UK and into Europe, all booked through flybe.com.  Eastern will operate routes from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Manchester to offer an enhanced service to passengers based in Scotland and travelling to Scotland.  Combined with our flights to Heathrow from Edinburgh and Aberdeen, this demonstrates our strong commitment to serving Scotland.”

Eastern Airways CEO Richard Lake added: “This alliance will benefit both airlines as not only does it strengthen Flybe’s network, but broadens our distribution and enhances connection opportunities for our customers through its global airline association.  We have specialised in fixed-wing flying in the oil and gas market for many years and our expertise will provide a greater opportunity to further develop offshore connectivity to Flybe’s network.”