Flybe secures Heathrow slots for Scottish services

Reborn UK regional carrier Flybe has secured 86 summer-season slots at London Heathrow airport that it plans to use for services to Edinburgh and Aberdeen in Scotland. Data published by airport slot co-ordinator ACL on 26 April shows the carrier received the slots from British Airways for the period of 28 April to 30 October. It lists the aircraft to be utilised as a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400. Cirium’s data shows that Flybe purchased a Dash 8-400 with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engines from Austrian Airlines on 22 January. BA was required to provide the slots because of an agreement with European Commission that obliges the IAG-owned carrier to supply slots to any competitor seeking to begin services on certain routes from Heathrow, as part of its takeover of BMI in 2012. The sale of Flybe to a company associated with Cyrus Capital completed on 13 April, allowing it to push ahead with plans to launch a new network and operations over the summer. Previously known as Thyme Opco, the new company has been renamed Flybe.<br/>