flyBE

flyBE

Courtesy of eBookers

history of flyBE.

It all began back in 1979 when Jersey European was formed from the merger of Jersey-based Intra Airways and Bournemouth-based Express Air Services. In 1983 the company was taken over by the Walkersteel group, already the parent company of Blackpool-based charter airline, Spacegrand. The two companies were initially run separately until 1985 when they were amalgamated and Exeter became the airline's headquarters and base for Technical Services. The Jersey European livery was adopted to provide a uniform appearance.

Over the next few years the services provided were enhanced and new, larger aircraft were introduced into the fleet including three new Shorts SD360 aircraft in 1986 and three British Aerospace HS748s shortly afterwards. Success and growth continued into the 1990s with the acquisition of six Fokker F27s as passenger numbers continued to increase. A new appearance was launched in 1990, including a new livery and new uniforms.

Jersey European gained its first London route in 1991 from Guernsey to London Gatwick and shortly afterwards the route from Jersey to London Gatwick began operation.

The growth in the company continued and in 1993, three British Aerospace 146 Whisper Jets were introduced to operate routes from London to Belfast City and the Channel Islands. This proved such a success that a fourth jet was acquired later in the year to operate Belfast City to Birmingham. Our Business Class service was launched, making Jersey European the first domestic airline to offer two classes of service.

The industry began to recognise Jersey European as a major regional airline when it won the 'Best UK Regional Airline' award for 1993 and 1994 at the Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism awards. Jet maintenance was brought to Exeter in 1994 which expanded the scope for third-party customer services.

1995 saw more BAe 146 jets joining the fleet, bringing the total number of jets to seven. Three new Business lounges were opened at Belfast City, Jersey and Guernsey, as well as the launch of the innovative Ticket to Freedom frequent flyer scheme to reward the loyal business customer. The network expanded into Europe with a code-share agreement with Air Inter, offering flights between London Stansted and Marseilles.

In 1996 the first franchise routes in conjunction with Air France began from London Heathrow to Toulouse and Lyons.

Change to our appearance came about with the introduction of a new uniform which complemented Jersey European's new corporate business image. The new Business Class upgrade included leather seats on all BAe 146 aircraft, advance seat selection, dedicated check-in and priority baggage handling. These emphasise the Airline's continued commitment to business passengers.

The franchise partnership with Air France continued to expand in 1997 to include Birmingham International to Paris Charles de Gaulle and Glasgow. The acquisition of five BAe 146s allowed further route expansion. Jersey European's commitment to regional direct services continued in 1999 with the purchase of 11 Bombardier Dash 8s and four Canadair Regional Jets. A major new base at London City was established in the autumn, with the launch of services to Dublin and Edinburgh.

The new millenium has seen a period of evolution for the airline. Following a change of brand to British European, the next stage of the development came on 18th July 2002, with the launch of a the new airline name FlyBE. Along with the new image came a raft of fundamental changes to the business, with new deals for both the customer and the travel trade. FlyBE. has blended the innovative style of the new breed of airlines yet retained the service values customers have a right to expect.

Official flyBE website: www.flybe.com