News: 170 Birmingham flights cancelled since Flybe takeover of BA Connect
Flights > News > # 1361 (16/07/2007)
The Birmingham Post has reported that Flybe has cancelled more than 170 flights from Birmingham International Airport since it took over most of BA Connect’s short-haul routes in March.
The number of flights cancelled by the no-frills airline is more than triple the number of BA cancellations when it operated the same routes in 2006.
The newspaper said that in some cases frustrated commuters have taken to driving to Heathrow or Stansted for flights because of Flybe’s unreliable service. Even when routes have not been cancelled, they have been subjected to lengthy delays.
An airport spokesman said: "Flybe took over BA Connect in March this year at relatively short notice and has thankfully managed to keep a number of BA's routes operating which are vital to the region's connectivity.
"Clearly, with a takeover of this enormity, there has been a transition period where changes or complications became apparent; however we're working with the airline to provide support and to ensure that the region's travellers are given a service they need."
A spokeswoman for Flybe said: "We very much regret any cancellations we make and strive to keep these to an absolute minimum. When cancellations do occur, we always offer passengers an alternative flight or re-routing."
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Comment:
The last few months have certainly been a testing time for Flybe and its customers. The letters pages of local newspapers in cities served by the no-frills regional airline have been bursting with complaints about cancelled flights, delays and hidden charges.
This latest story about Flybe’s Birmingham flights echoes the similar tales of woe at Belfast that we reported on last week. However, perhaps we should put these delays into context - it is just over three months since Flybe's takeover of BA Connect, so these cancellations work out at just under two per day. Whilst any cancellation is immensely frustrating for the passengers concerned, we should not underestimate the scale of expansion that Flybe have embarked upon.
On the other hand, Flybe has also axed several poorly performing routes from the former BA Connect network, forcing many passengers who had already made travel plans to think again. On many of the routes that are remaining, Flybe face intense competition, both from rival low-cost airlines, and also from traditional network carriers. At Birmingham in particular, BmiBaby have certainly upped the ante, especially on the popular Scottish routes, where the airlines now go head-to-head against each other on flights to Aberdeen and Glasgow, as well as Edinburgh. By using smaller aircraft (which should take less time to board), having most of Birmingham's terminal two (the former Eurohub) to themselves, and offering higher frequencies, Flybe should have a natural advantage over BmiBaby, but all of these small differences are completely irrelevant if the airline cannot stick to its schedule. BmiBaby currently wins hands down on punctuality at the moment, and its prices are generally more competitive too.
