Flybe to be renamed Virgin Connect

UK regional carrier Flybe will be rebranded as Virgin Connect, reflecting its new ownership. The carrier was bought earlier this year by Connect Airways, an acquisition vehicle made up of Cyrus Capital (40%), fellow UK regional airline Stobart Group (30%) and Virgin Atlantic (30%). Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, has a fleet of 70-plus aircraft largely based around 54 De Havilland Dash 8-400 plus 5 ATR 72 turboprops, together with 6 Embraer E195 and 11 E175 regional jets. Virgin Connect says it aims to improve the passenger experience; this will likely draw on Virgin Atlantic’s on-board service standards. Details of the rebranding were not revealed, although it is known the company’s aircraft will switch from their current distinctive purple colour schemes to the red of Virgin Group companies. <br/>