Flybe

[rmac]

Sounds good however-- how many from Aberdeen would choose a flight that stops off at Leeds on the way to Heathrow? Would they not prefer a direct flight with BA. It is bound to be shorter in time. Even trying to match the existing arrival times would mean an earlier start if going by LBA , even using jet equipment. Also how many would use the ABZ to LBA sector? Not many -so how many seats need to be reserved for the LBA to LHR sector, thus how many empty seats on the first leg to LBA?

 

[KARFA]

-- how many from Aberdeen would choose a flight that stops off at Leeds on the way to Heathrow? Would they not prefer a direct flight with BA...

Yes this is the key point. They are not going to cripple the ABZ-LHR service for the sake of stopping at LBA to pick up a few extra - not that they need them since the ABZ-LHR route is doing very well anyway. If a new VS/BE airline wants to have feed in to LHR from the north they will have flights to MAN.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Looking at the .e.u. rules on flying after a no deal brexit from 1st Jan issued yesterday, a mirror image of our u.k. rules already published, cant see the logic of the ownership passing to a company presently 31% european owned, 49% american owed and 20% Branson.
On the 30th March it it must decide to either maintain its european ownership or more likley move to Delta being its majority owner. allowing transatlantic flights u.k. to the states, after 1st Jan 2020 to be maintained.
Therefore cant see this deal going through, unless Mrs Mays's withdrawel deal passes through parliament.
As a Ryanair shareholder this is something the company sitting on the fence with as well, they want us u.k. shareholders to have no vote after 30th march to enable them to still be european owned, american and e.u. shareholders will force it the other way i feel.

 

[Finger66]

Yes there seems to be a lot of truth in this as reported in several media channels. We shall then have to wait and see the direction the New airline set up takes. Hopefully not too much to the detriment of existing employees and LBA

 

[Bigman]

I can't see them being interested in this place. They will only be bothered about Manchester given that they already operate big stuff out of there, so FlyBe would provide useful feeders for their long-hauls.

 

[AirBingley]

One or two articles specifically mention Doncaster as 'non core' and bizarrely LBA - DUS.

 

[lbaspotter]

Just woken up to see the news. I suppose its good news that Virgin and Stobart a doing a 3 way deal to rescue Flybe. Looks like London Heathrow, London Southend & Manchester will become hubs connecting in with Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airlines, then KLM & Air France from a later date.

But it begs the question as to what nows happens with the Eastern Airways & Blue Islands Franchises?

Virgin Atlantic have just issued the following press release.
ttps://www.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/media-centre/press-releases/enhanced-connectivity-to-uk-regions.html

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Its not good news for those who bought shares recently, the offer is 1p a share, price was in the region of 15p before this sale agreement.
Hopefully the £100m of new share capital wont be burned as fast as the last rights issue, large job losses at Exeter the first sign of big changes afoot. The local authority could see their £16m investment worthless a pointer for LBA.

 

[a300boy]

Hope we don’t see a loss of flight and routes as a result of this merger.

 

[Finger66]

So we had an official trade press release from Flybe today. This stated that whilst there may be some selective route adjustments, there would be no major route alterations to the end of October 2019. Let's hope this means good news for LBA but could equally be company spin........depending on your point of view!

 

[LBA8098]

Think I'll go ahead and book LBA BHD tickets in June then. Thanks for the update WH

 

[White Heather]

Think I'll go ahead and book LBA BHD tickets in June then. Thanks for the update WH

Who me? Never said a word . I can't see the Belfast City route going anywhere any time soon. It must surely be one of their most profitable routes? They have operated up to 5 flights a day each way on the route and they wouldn't do that if it wasn't a busy route with good loads across the board. I would think that Newquay is doing well too. If anything is under threat I would have thought Dusseldorf although I understand its loads are fine. I hope they keep it going though as we have far too little to Germany.

 

[Starflyer]

BHD will be fine. I would be worried about the future of DUS and NQY though, together with SOU (but for different reasons relating to franchises). NQY is mostly being flown on a BHX aircraft on W patterns in S19 and they are seriously short of pilots at a number of bases, BHX amongst them.

 

[paully]

So we had an official trade press release from Flybe today. This stated that whilst there may be some selective route adjustments, there would be no major route alterations to the end of October 2019. Let's hope this means good news for LBA but could equally be company spin........depending on your point of view!

The reality for any new owner is that Flybe, as an entity, is bleeding money.The cost base is way too high..Two things that need to be done asap are better management and cut slash and burn whatever is keeping that cost base so high. Good management will retain and try to expand the profitable parts for that is how the company and its jobs can be sustained.

Sooner or later the routes and network that are survivable will become clear.

 

[mullion]

I think some of the aircraft leases are costing them dear, The EMB-190 are all due to go by 2020 but need to be made
to work hard this year to help with costs and some Dash 8s are due to go this year. I`m sure that some of HQ staff will go this year
but I would guess people will be bought in to go through everything to look at what is and isn`t making money which will
probably start to show by the winter timetable

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Think I'll go ahead and book LBA BHD tickets in June then. Thanks for the update WH

I not sure we should be so confident. Flybe had to announce to the city on Monday that it had failed to meet the conditions of the £20m bridge loan as banks etc worried about its financial situation. Landing slots at Gatwick have been sold to Vueling for £4.5m (reported Gatwick-Newquay) for short term capital and the consortium has put in £10m as a loan.
The new deal should take place on the 22nd February, shareholders will still get the 1p per share, but from the 17th Jan will have no voting rights on the financial aspects of the deal. Shares dropped to 2.2p each as the market assumes the deal will go through, but no increase in terms..
Its always sensible to buy airline tickets on a credit card as if the cost above £100 its the liability of the credit card company not the airline company. I bought Monarch flight tickets 9 months before they actually failed, even at this time I was worried, so not only bought on my credit card but paid for them to be ATOL protected, not sure FLYBE or the new company in this scheme

 

[paully]

It seems not all the shareholders are prepared to roll over...Well Hosking Partners for a start..Have a read

https://news.sky.com/story/top-flybe-shareholder-threatens-legal-challenge-over-2m-bid-11611470

 

[mullion]

For an ATOL licence you must purchase a package not flight only so what you book won`t be just flight only it must
include ground arrangements as well and for Flybe to have to have an ATOL licence they must have put the package together
themsleves i:e TUI, Jet2 Holidays

 

[Tarn Spotter]

For an ATOL licence you must purchase a package not flight only so what you book won`t be just flight only it must
include ground arrangements as well and for Flybe to have to have an ATOL licence they must have put the package together
themsleves i:e TUI, Jet2 Holidays

Not true, I got ATOL cover for my Monarch flights even though it was a flight only deal, I have never bought a package holiday in my life.
Companies can be registered with ATOL, and is compulsory for those offering a package deal and requires a deposit, which was the downfall of Monarch.
I rang my credit card company immediately Monarch went down to register a claim, they advised that Monarch was a ATOL protected company and would have been able to buy ATOL to cover a flight only deal, advised I had paid to protect, but just covering myself.

It seems not all the shareholders are prepared to roll over...Well Hosking Partners for a start..Have a read

https://news.sky.com/story/top-flybe-shareholder-threatens-legal-challenge-over-2m-bid-11611470

Yet more problems, Andrew Tinkler whilst he awaits the decision on his legal dispute with Stobart , has bought 12.2% of Flybe, you can bet its not to support the company line.
SEcondly now read the legal agreement between Flybe abd Connect and it contains a Brexit clause on ownership, as I have mentioned many times before, were your shareholders reside is key for ownership in the future, Virgin shareholding has to be an issue. This clause has the power to scrub the deal

 

[mullion]

You shouldn`t have done as it is a tour licence not for seat only hence the name Air Tour Operators Licence