Heathrow boss demands 'lifeline routes' as Flybe row deepens

Heathrow Airport's CE has become the latest heavyweight corporate figure to intervene in the row over Flybe's future, demanding urgent govt action to preserve "lifeline routes" from Britain's busiest airport. Sky News has seen a letter sent by John Holland-Kaye to Paul Maynard, a transport minister, in which he calls for the ring-fencing of so-called Public Service Obligation routes for flights to and from Heathrow. Holland-Kaye's call came days after it emerged that Flybe had decided to reallocate its Heathrow-to-Newquay route to Gatwick Airport instead, freeing up the lucrative Heathrow slots to use for more commercially attractive flights. The intervention of Holland-Kaye underlines the fraught nature of the debate about govt support for Flybe. <br/>