BRYMON Airways is taking over services operated by British Regional Airlines and Maersk Air when it takes delivery of the first of seven new regional jet aircraft next year.
Brymon has seven Embraer ERJ145s on order, for delivery from February 2000.
Managing director Gareth Kirkwood said one of the aircraft will upgrade the Bristol-Paris service from a turboprop operation. A further two will be based at Birmingham and take over four routes operated by British Regional Airlinesand Maersk Air under contract to British Airways Regional.
British Regional Airlines operates from Birmingham to Edinburgh for British Airways Regional, while Maersk Air flies to Frankfurt, Munich and Brussels as a BA franchisee.
Speaking at a European Regional Airline conference in London, Kirkwood said: “These contracts end next spring, when Brymon will take over the services.”
Brymon is a wholly owned franchisee of British Airways, while British Regional Airlines and Maersk are BAfranchisees.
Kirkwood said it had not been decided where the four other new aircraft would be used, but said they could be used to upgrade domestic services or open new routes to continental Europe.
The airline is domestic-based with overseas routes to Copenhagen, Oslo and Paris only.
“The aircraft are not due to be delivered until the end of 2000, so we have time to decide,” said Kirkwood.
He also warned the conference of a possible downturn in the regional airline market over the next two years. “Demand for point-to-point regional services and the development of regional networks by the large carriers have all proved drivers for growth, but there are threats, posed by European air-traffic control delays and slot constraints at the major airports,” he said.