Air passengers in the north-east have been given a boost after newly-resurrected Flybe snapped up 36 weekly flights to London.
The airline has bought the slots from British Airways, along with 50 weekly journeys – 25 departures and 25 arrivals – from Edinburgh Airport to Heathrow.
Earlier this year administrators for Flybe completed the sale of its business and assets to a new firm.
The Exeter-headquartered Flybe Ltd collapsed in March 2020, but administrators at restructuring firm EY, have now completed a deal with will also allow an unspecified number of jobs transfer to a new company affiliated with investment adviser Cyrus Capital.
The new company, previously known as Thyme Opco Limited, will now be renamed Flybe Ltd, and will be restarting flights this summer.
According to the UK-based slot coordinator, Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), the slots at Heathrow came in the form of a trade with UK flag carrier airline, British Airways.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, Flybe accounted for 40% of regional fights in the UK.
According to the slot trade published by ACL, Flybe plans to operate the 86 flights until October 2021.
Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine Liam Kerr, said: “This is very welcome news for businesses and workers reliant on routes to and from the North East.
“I’ve been campaigning for a long time to support these routes and our excellent Aberdeen airport so I am delighted.
“The issues FlyBe faced last year came at a difficult time for the industry, and operators aren’t out of the woods yet.
“So it’s great to see the regional operator coming back to support a major Scottish transport hub.
“Aberdeen needs reliable connections to Heathrow and the rest of the world.”
A spokesperson for Aberdeen International Airport said: “We are in contact with many airlines on a weekly basis and welcome any new services to…