British regional airline Flybe is coming back. Operations are scheduled to begin in early 2022, while its headquarters and first crew base will be in Birmingham (BHX), the airline announced.
Flybe ceased operations in March 2020, following financial difficulties. It had plans to rebrand as Virgin Connect but a delay to its restructuring plans and the onset of COVID-19 pandemic forced it into administration. It was headquartered in Exeter, in south-west England.
Its business and assets were sold by administrators in April 2021 to a new company which then renamed itself Flybe Ltd.
The airline plans to operate a fleet of De Havilland DHC-8-400 turboprop aircraft and said it will serve “key regions across the UK and European Union”. It had previously planned to restart operations in summer 2021.
“(Birmingham) was an ideal choice for us due to its great people and highly skilled workforce, its central UK location, and the fact that Birmingham Airport is a global travel hub where local and connecting customers have access to over 150 worldwide destinations,” chief executive Dave Pflieger said in a statement on November 17, 2021.
Flybe said it would provide more information in the coming weeks and months on routes, destinations and ticket prices.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for us, and we look forward to sharing more updates in the future,” Pflieger added.
Flybe added it was one of the first airlines to be certified by the UK Civil Aviation Authority since Brexit, Britain’s exit from the European Union which was officially completed on December 31, 2020.