British regional airline Flybe has announced that it will not fly jet aircraft out of four airports in Britain as part of a previously announced move to reduce its aircraft fleet and return all of its Embraer 195 planes to its lessors.
The airline will end flights of its jet aircraft from Cardiff, Doncaster, Exeter and Norwich, starting in the winter of 2019, the company said, adding that it will continue operating its 78-seat Bombardier Q-400 turboprop plane.
On Wednesday April 3, Flybe separately cancelled about 5% of its flights (or 30 individual flights), blaming the cancellations on a host of issues, including pilots' leaves and Easter holidays.
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Belfast Airport
As a result of the above news, there is now also uncertainty surrounding the future of Flybe routes into and out of Belfast Airport.
While the decision to reduce its aircraft fleet and return all of its Embraer 195 planes to its lessors will not currently affect Flybe services out of Belfast, which already use the Bombardier turboprop aircraft, the airline was unable to say whether its ongoing review could result in changes in schedules or the frequency of flights in a way that could negatively impact its operations at Belfast, according to The Irish Times.
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