Flybe has been forced to pause plans to increase flights “to existing cities” and new destinations during summer 2022 because of delays to aircraft deliveries, the airline’s CEO Dave Pflieger said in a letter addressed to customers.
“The two aircraft leasing companies who were contracted to provide our additional airplanes have now told us that they will be unable to fulfil their commitments until after the summer,” Pflieger said.
“We were able to find and rent aircraft from two separate airlines in Greece and Spain, but those planes are not enough, and the lack of additional aircraft needed for new flying means we need to adjust our future flight schedule,” the letter continued.
Pflieger confirmed that the reduction will go into effect from July 28, 2022 to October 29, 2022.
Following its collapse in March 2020, after the airline’s restructuring efforts fell through, the British regional carrier relaunched its operations on April 13, 2022, with its first flight from Birmingham (BHX) to Belfast City Airport (BHD).
Flybe also announced that it will reduce flights and slash schedules on routes it operates from its hubs in Birmingham and Belfast City.
From Belfast City, the airline will reduce frequencies to Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Southampton, and from Birmingham the airline will cut frequencies to Edinburgh and Glasgow, said the airline in a statement.
The airline also notified its customers that it would stop operating flights to Aberdeen, Inverness and Newcastle from its base in Belfast City, and that it would be ceasing services from Birmingham to Aberdeen.