Island communities in particular will, from today, enjoy the added benefits of extra choice, lower fares and a wealth of onward connections as Flybe’s new joint venture flights with alliance partner, Eastern Airways, take to the skies for the first time in Scotland.
To further mark its longstanding commitment to serving the residents of Orkney, Shetland and Stornoway, Flybe’s CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener will this morning announce details of a new local communities’ initiative.
Europe’s largest regional airline will provide a continuation of six branded Flybe routes now operated by Eastern Airways’ aircraft from: Sumburgh to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Aberdeen to Kirkwall and from Glasgow to Stornoway and Manchester, with frequency as follows.
The airlines’ partnership will also see the Embraer 170 jet service operating on Shetland routes for the first time, shaving some 30 minutes off the recognised flight times.
Today’s inaugural routes mark the start of Flybe’s expanding partnership with Eastern Airways that, with effect from 29th October 2017 under a five-year franchise partnership, will see Eastern Airways operate its scheduled route network under the Flybe brand.
In a sign that relations between Flybe and Loganair are on the mend, Luchtzak, the Belgian aviation source, reports a three-year contract between the two. The deal is for the supply of high-level ground handling services at Kirkwall and Stornoway in the Highlands & Islands.
The contract is a continuation of previously established ties between Flybe and Loganair through a long standing franchise agreement which finishes today and which seemed to be ending in acrimony.
Luke Farajallah, Flybe’s Chief Operations Officer comments: “Flybe is pleased to extend its relationship with Loganair through this new ground handling agreement. We look forward to working with them in delivering a high quality service for our passengers that supports our fast turnaround provision on the key lifeline routes we are continuing to operate from the islands to Aberdeen and Glasgow.”
Flybe and Eastern Airways both operate from Cardiff Airport to destinations including Faro, Berlin, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.