Flybe announces first crew base and HQ location

Relaunched regional airline Flybe has revealed that its company headquarters and first crew base will be located at Birmingham Airport.

Amongst one of the first UK carriers to be certified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) since Brexit, the operator hopes to serve key regions across the country and EU with flights set to begin in early 2022.

Birmingham Airport’s Diamond House will be the location of the firm’s new HQ and Operations Centre, in a move that is expected to create around 200 direct new jobs over the next three years.

Flybe
Flybe is due to operate a fleet comprising exclusively of De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s. Aviation Image Network/Simon Gregory

Dave Pflieger, Flybe CEO, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Birmingham Airport (BHX), the City of Birmingham, and the Mayor of West Midlands to make BHX the location of our new headquarters and first crew base. It was an ideal choice for us due to its great people and highly skilled workforce, its central UK location, and the fact that Birmingham Airport is a global travel hub where local and connecting customers have access to over 150 worldwide destinations. Today’s announcement marks the culmination of over 12 months of dedicated hard work by all involved, and it would not have been possible without the support of the CAA and the UK Government.”

Flybe
Mark Firth (Flybe), Nick Barton (Birmingham Airport), David Pfilger (CEO of Flybe), Andy Street (Mayor of West Midlands) and Cindy Lewis (Flybe). Flybe

Nick Barton, chief executive, Birmingham Airport, added: “Flybe’s announcement that Birmingham has been chosen to become the headquarters for its launch next spring is fantastic news for our region’s connectivity needs, and it will bring with it some great new employment opportunities. Dave’s vast experience in managing start-up airlines and turnaround situations, coupled with the recovery of the Midlands’ economy post-Covid, means that Flybe’s return to the skies from Birmingham is a shot in the arm for our airport as well as West Midlands businesses and communities. We look forward to working with Dave and his team in preparation for next spring and to launch such a well-known brand here in Birmingham.”

Flybe
G-JECX (c/n 4155) - seen here in 2017 - was delivered to the newly launched carrier on November 5 after originally being handed over to its predecessor in 2007. Aviation Image Network/Simon Gregory

Like its predecessor, newly relaunched Flybe will operate a fleet of De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s.

On November 5, the airline took delivery of its first aircraft as a relaunched entity. The turboprop, G-JECX (c/n 4155) was originally handed over to its predecessor on June 13, 2007 but was repossessed by lessor Nordic Aviation Capital in May last year.

Today’s events follow news in September that the company had begun accepting applications for flight crew.

Once the UK’s third-largest airline, Flybe’s demise in early March came as many European airlines were beginning to feel the effects of operating in a COVID-19 era. Since then, the new owners, Thyme Opco (now renamed Flybe Limited), have been working to relaunch the failed carrier.