Flybe confirms £500m aircraft order
Flybe has confirmed a £523 million order for new aircraft.
The low cost regional carrier is to expand more aggressively in Europe by becoming the launch customer for a new 118-seat twinjet aircraft.
Flybe has made firm orders for 14 new Embraer 195s and taken options on a further 12.
They will be delivered from autumn 2006 to November 2007 and replace the airline’s fleet of BAe 146s.
Flybe previously ordered 20 Bombardier Q400 turboprops, meaning that its fleet will grown from 35 to 59 aircraft, rising to 91 by 2009.
The airline currently operates 91 routes across seven countries but wants the new aircraft to fuel further regional expansion into continental Europe.
Flybe managing director Jim French said: “The Embraer 195 is ideally suited to meet the needs of our domestic and regionally focussed business model.
“The airplane has seat costs on the sector lengths that we fly which are comparable with larger jets, while with 118 seats has the capacity level which suits the thinner UK regional markets we serve.
“In short, the Embraer 195 allows us to deliver our low fares to all the regions we serve, and allows us to do it profitably, while at the same time increasing the number of of regions we can serve with direct European services.”
Flybe expects to carry 5.5 million passengers in the 2005-06 financial year, bringing in revenues of 300 million euros. More than 80% of bookings come via the internet.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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