Flybe axes Gatwick domestic flights

Published: 25 May 2013
By Chris Haycock

The airline announced to the London Stock Exchange that it will no longer operate flights to and from the London airport, having sold all its departure and arrival slots to easyJet for £20m. It brings an end to the airline's Gatwick operations, which have spanned 22 years at the airport. The company will be ceasing all operations at Gatwick Airport at the end of March 2014, and will lose flights to Belfast City, Isle of Man, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newquay, Inverness and Guernsey. EasyJet will use the 25 additional pairs of slots that it bought from Flybe to provide extra routes from Gatwick, and also provide extra flights on its popular routes. Flybe blamed their decision to cease Gatwick operations on Air Passenger Duty as well as the airport's prices, which it claims have risen 102% in the last five years. The cash raised from the sale of the slots will help Flybe to reinvest in the 159 remaing routes that it provides, and will work with other UK airports to 'develop its regional services'.