Flybe extends Brussels Airlines agreement

Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline, has extended its contract flying agreement with Brussels Airlines to provide a further two Bombardier Q400 aircraft, complete with pilots, cabin crew and engineering support.

The aircraft will join the two Q400s already provided to the airline in an identical contract flying agreement announced in March 2012, taking the number of Flybe aircraft operating on behalf of Brussels Airlines to four.

The aircraft will carry the livery of Brussels Airlines, but will operate under the Flybe Airline Operating Certificate (AOC), and will be crewed by Flybe pilots and cabin crew and maintained by Flybe engineers.

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The contract means that by the end of 2012 around 25% of Flybe's fleet under management will be deployed under contract flying arrangements.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jim French, said: "Brussels Airlines is 45% owned by Lufthansa Group, for whom Flybe already performs a significant amount of maintenance work on its regional fleet. Flybe's independence has enabled it to enter into a range of commercial relationships with major airline groups such as Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, IAG and Finnair."

The share price rose 0.35% to 2.25p by 12:10.

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