Flybe finding Norwich expansion stifled by Stansted

Earlier this year, Flybe announced plans to step up its operations at Norwich Airport, and has been having trouble doing so because of the appeal that London Stansted has for area residents. In the words of Flybe’s chief operating officer, Mike Rutter, the “shadow of Stansted” has made it difficult for the carrier to entice more passengers in the general catchment area to Norwich.

In remarks to The Eastern Daily Press, Rutter went on to say that the budget airline is looking to capitalise on the bankruptcies in the industry that have been predicted.

At the end of the first quarter of its current financial year, Flybe posted a dramatic 14 per cent increase in profits, meaning that the carrier is well-placed to scoop up a weak rival that collapses, said Rutter.

“The present economic downturn and the rise in oil prices will put pressure on marginal business models,” he added. “That will provide more acquisition and organic growth opportunities for Flybe.”

When asked about the rivalry that exists between Norwich Airport and Stansted, he noted that it takes time to convince people to change their habits, even given the “joys of security check-ins and queues and car parking charges” at Stansted.

Rutter continued by saying: “The shadow of Stansted means that it has been a very difficult job to grow aggressively the Norwich market in the way we had hoped and originally envisaged.”

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