Stobart Air signs FlyBe deal

The newly rebranded Aer Arann business, Stobart Air, has signed a five-year deal to operate six new routes from London for European regional airline FlyBe.

The new routes — due to commence in early June — will go via FlyBe branded aircraft from the Stobart Group-owned London Southend Airport to European destinations yet to be formally named, and will create 50 jobs at the airport, boosting the group’s workforce to 420.

Currently, Stobart Air/ Aer Arann operates Aer Lingus’s regional service from Irish airports to smaller UK destinations, a deal extended last year to 2022.

Last week, international transport business Stobart — Aer Arann’s majority shareholder — announced the airline’s name-change and said it was targeting more franchise partnerships with major European airlines as part of a reinvention of the Irish airline.

Stobart Air’s interim CEO, Seán Brogan, said that the FlyBe tie-in will “resonate” with business and leisure passengers and would offer competitive fares.

Regarding the airline’s expansion strategy, he said: “We have moved to the next level as an airline. Our aim is to become a specialist in franchise flying and broaden our reach into new markets.

“Deals with Aer Lingus and now Flybe represent real progress in a short period of time. Airlines and passengers are responding to our product. We have set a target of 2m passengers by 2016 and believe this is achievable.”

Stobart/Aer Arann’s passenger numbers are set to reach 1.4m this year, which would represent a 55% increase in the four years since it commenced franchised operations. The six new FlyBe routes are expected to carry 100,000 passengers this year, with that doubling next year.

As part of its rebranding announcement, Aer Arann said plans to agree similar deals that it has in place with Aer Lingus and now, FlyBe, form “a priority” of its expansion programme.