U-turn by Flybe as it cancels summer route from Norwich
A Flybe aircraft. The airline has cancelled its route between Norwich Airport and Jersey. Photo: Flybe - Credit: Flybe
Flybe has made a U-turn to cancel a route between Norwich and the Channel Islands.
The regional airline's summer 2019 schedule, announced last week, indicated that the weekly connection to Jersey from Norwich Airport would continue.
But after a Norfolk customer had their flights on the route – booked for May 2019 – cancelled, Flybe revealed that it had back-tracked on the decision, claiming that demand had fallen below expectations.
A Flybe spokesman said: 'Flybe regrets to confirm the withdrawal of the Norwich to Jersey route from its 2019 summer schedule as it had become apparent that passenger demand for the weekly flights would not be sufficient to justify their continued operation.
'Those passengers who had made bookings have been offered the option of being re-booked with another airline at no additional cost or receiving a full refund.
'Flybe would like to apologise for any inconvenience experienced as a result of this decision.'
The customer, who has been flying from Norwich to Jersey for 25 years, told this newspaper that they had booked the flights in July but was advised by Flybe last week that their flight had been cancelled. They said they have since received a refund and re-booked with another airline.
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Loganair still operates a route to Jersey, while Channel Islands airline Aurigny runs seasonal flights between Norwich and Guernsey.
Flybe left East Anglian customers on tenterhooks last week after flights between Norwich Airport and popular Spanish destinations Malaga and Alicante did not appear on the first phase of its summer 2019 schedule.
But it announced on Friday (August 10) that twice-weekly services to the coastal resorts will operate from Norwich next year.
Steve Cox, sales manager at Premier Travel, did not believe the Jersey route cancellation would have any great effect on Norwich Airport.
He said: 'It's very much business as usual for the airport. People can still travel from Norwich to Jersey with Loganair, which has launched two new aircraft and is operating two flights a day to the Channel Islands.
'We're very positive that sales to Jersey from Norwich will remain steady and people will still look to book this route.'
