Flight cancellations follow Flybe takeover of BA Connect – 5 Mar 2007

The completion of Flybe’s takeover of BA Connect will result in around 900 flight cancellations during the handover between the two companies.

A British Airways spokeswoman confirmed passengers will be offered alternative flights or a full refund following today’s announcement of a completion of the takeover deal.

Flybe’s acquisition of BA Connect, which excludes BA Connect’s Manchester-JFK route and flights from London City, will create a business with more than £500 million in revenues and fly nearly 10 million passengers once the fleet transition is complete. Flybe will then offer 152 routes from 22 UK and 34 European airports and become Europe’s largest regional airline.

However, during the handover between the two companies, 900 cancellations are planned involving routes and services which will be dropped post-acquisition, a BA spokeswoman said.

“All passengers will be offered alternative flights with Flybe or British Airways via Heathrow to minimise inconvenience,” she said. “Alternatively they will be offered the choice of a full refund. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

All affected flights were scheduled between March 4 and March 24. “Any [cancellations] beyond that would be under the auspices of Flybe’s new commercial venture,” the BA spokeswoman said.

Flybe plans to increase its current commitment to invest $1.2 billion in new aircraft to more than $2 billion by increasing the fleet to more than 80 Bombardier Q400 and Embraer 195 aircraft by 2010. It aims to retire the BA Connect fleet of 50 seat jets as soon as possible to maximise fleet efficiency.

Jim French, chief executive of Flybe, said: “The acquisition of BA Connect gives us critical mass across our domestic and European city markets and, with valuable slots at congest European airports, brings growth plans forward by two years.”