LHR challenge by flybe?

Flybe declined to comment yesterday on a story in The Sunday Times suggesting it was planning to move into Heathrow to operate domestic flights to major cities in the UK.

The move would be a direct challenge to British Airways, which has a monopoly on the trunk routes to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester

The last carrier to attempt to mount a challenge was Little Red, the airline founded by Sir Richard Branson, which stopped flying two years ago. Flybe is said to be planning to take over some of the routes flown by Little Red.

Although Flybe remained tight-lipped about any plan, chief executive Saad Hamaad is reported to believe smaller aircraft could help a Heathrow operation to succeed. The problem for Flybe is that it would probably have to use the Embraer 195, which has only 115 seats and would not be as cost-effective as larger equipment like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737.

Finding slots at Heathrow for new airlines is difficult but some openings exist for domestic operations as a result of an agreement between authorities and BA when the flag-carrier was allowed to takeover BMI British Midland four years ago.  www.flybe.com

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Laurie Price, Horsham

An interesting proposal by Flybe but one that is wholly unrealistic as you say in the piece. I am not sure they now have the 195s! That would be bad enough but if a Dash 8 how can an 80 seater turbo prop compete with a jet with150 seats; the economics are going to be challenging? There really are not enough ex Little Red slots to make a real difference With LHR slots changing hands at $30 million +++ a pair why will Fly be stay going? Once the restriction is lifted Flybe will try to sell them. Sounds like another attempt by Flybe to re capitalise itself as it has done twice by first selling its ex Air France LHR slots and then by selling its Gatwick slots. I fear this is part of the same process. Having Dash 8s mix it with 80 - 90 ATMS an hour could also reduce realisable movement rate due wake vortex. Also they would need peak slots to really make a difference HAL won’t want turboprops or anything under say 150 average seats per ATM. Remember LHR currently has the highest avenge seat size per ATM in Europe, driven by slot shortage. So an interesting story but not one that will run in the long term in my view. My money would still be on NHT for non-served UK regions access to LHR until R3 is hopefully built. But that commitment won't happen until post 23/6, but only if we stay in the EU and heaven help us if we don't! Cameron is really making a pigs breakfast at the moment.