Flying start at Norwich in 2012
14th December 2011
Flybe’s franchise carrier Loganair today (14 December) announced it will be basing an aircraft at Norwich International Airport from March 2012 to offer a wider range of domestic air services that will ultimately create 15 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineering staff in the city.
The 31-seat fast Dornier 328 turboprop aircraft will enable the airline to provide an increased schedule of Flybe flights to Manchester. From Monday 5 March, there will be three return flights on the route every weekday, with prices starting from £49.99 one-way including all taxes.
The new timetable will provide an enhanced choice of flight timings, starting and finishing the working day in Norwich, and will improve the range of connections available via Manchester to destinations throughout the UK and worldwide.
From Sunday 25 March, a new daily non-stop Flybe service between Norwich and Exeter will also be introduced. The flight takes just 75 minutes and offers huge time savings versus a five- or six-hour journey by road or rail. With one-way fares from just £49.99 including all taxes, the cost of air travel is highly competitive against surface options.
Loganair’s Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Hinkles said:
“We are delighted to be bringing our successful formula to Norwich of frequent flights, easy connections and a range of fares to suit both business and leisure travellers.
“The introduction of the 31-seat Dornier 328 aircraft will enable us to provide more Flybe flights to Manchester and to restore links between Norwich and the West Country.
“Both will save customers from arduous road or rail journeys and we believe will prove hugely popular throughout the year. Improved air links and creation of new jobs in the city is great news for Norwich.”
Loganair operates its scheduled services under a franchise agreement with Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline. Its Dundee-Birmingham route has held the accolade of the UK’s most punctual domestic air service for the last three years, with 92.5% of flights operating on time in 2010 according to statistics published by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The airline is confident of replicating these high standards of reliability and punctuality on its new Norwich services, which will be operated on Loganair’s behalf by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Cambridge-based Suckling Airways.
Notes:
1. The new timetable between Norwich and Manchester will be launched on Monday 5 March. Until that time, Flybe will maintain the present timetable of two flights each weekday and one on Sundays using its Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. The new timetable will offer departures from Norwich at 07:00, 15:05 and 18:15 with return flights leaving Manchester at 08:50, 16:45 and 19:45 each weekday. The evening flight in each direction will also operate on Sundays.
2. Norwich-Exeter services will be launched on Sunday 25 March. There will be a daily departure from Norwich at 10:15 (14:45 on Sundays) and a return flight from Exeter at 12:00 (16:30 on Sundays).
3. Links between Norwich and Exeter were offered by Flybe until 2010 when the route became uneconomic. The new arrival of the 31-seat Dornier aircraft in Norwich operating under the Flybe banner means that such links can now be restored on a financially sustainable footing. Similarly, passengers between Norwich and Manchester will now benefit from more frequent services thanks to the use of the 31-seat aircraft.
4. The new services are available to book from Wednesday 14 December via www.flybe.com or by calling 0871 700 2000. The lowest fares are available on-line and a surcharge will apply for bookings made via travel agents or the Flybe call centre.
5. From the 3rd January 2012, passengers aged 16 and over departing from Norwich International, are required to pay a separate £10 Airport Development Fee at the airport. This amount is not included in the fares quoted and has to be paid separately by passengers prior to departure from Norwich.
6. Loganair is independently owned and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012. Its route network is predominantly focused on the Scottish Highlands & Islands but it has expanded into other markets over the last three years, now carrying almost half a million passengers each year on 31 routes.
7. Flybe is Europe’s largest regional airline and is the largest operator of services at both Exeter (its headquarters) and Manchester. It also offers services from Norwich to Edinburgh, Guernsey and Jersey. There are no changes to its timetables or services on its routes as a result of today’s announcement.
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