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Flybe shows commitment to Wales by upping Belfast flights
Flybe, the UK's Number One Domestic Airline, is operating an additional four flights a week on its Cardiff to Belfast City route.
The announcement follows low cost carrier bmibaby's decision to terminate its service from Cardiff Airport to Belfast International Airport effective from 25 February 2010.
Flybe will now operate up to 16 flights a week on its winter service between Cardiff and Belfast City with one way fares from £25.99 including taxes and airport charges.
Mike Rutter, Flybe's Chief Commercial Officer, says: "While other airlines unfortunately continue to retrench and cut yet more services, we remain committed to filling as many of these abandoned routes as possible so that business and leisure travellers can still have a wide choice of affordable and convenient options to key destinations.
"Flybe's overriding priority is keeping Britain on the move. As our regional economies slowly climb out of recession, we understand how crucial travel is to thousands of businesses up and down the country. These two cities are playing an important role as real engines of recovery for UK plc and Flybe aims to do everything possible to help them in whatever way we can."
Spencer Birns, Head of Air Service Development at Cardiff Airport commented: "We are thrilled that Flybe has seen the opportunity which exists in connecting Wales and Northern Ireland. The increased frequency of their Belfast City service should be of great benefit to both business and leisure travellers both sides of the water."
Mr Rutter concludes: "Flybe looks forward to welcoming our new customers on this important route and again we reaffirm our determination to serving the people of Wales and to maintaining our proud position as Cardiff's number one airline."[/textarea]
http://www.tbicardiffairport.com/en/new ... uency.html
A bit of positve news for the airport but why do airlines have to come out with such bullsh*t?
Rutter spouts on about other airlines retrenching and cutting services yet fails to mention that Flybe did exactly this with CWL-BHD a year or so ago. The route used to be double daily until Flybe cut it back to 6 x weekly - no Saturdays.
The four extra flights he talks about are actually two additional rotations making Fridays and Sundays double daily with the rest of the week still single daily and no Saturdays as before.
That gives the 16 flights per week - 8 rotations.
I did a test booking on Sundays for early March and the return fare came to £168.
Fair does for spotting a gap following the bmibaby pull-out of CWL-BFS but Flybe haven't exactly gone in with all guns blazing.
Let's hope they put it back to double daily for the summer.