THE direct Flybe service operating daily between the Isle of Man and Southampton will stop at the end of February, Isle of Man Airport director Ann Reynolds has revealed.
Last year was the first time for some years that the Southampton route, which continues on to Brussels, had operated year round.
Ms Reynolds said: ‘Obviously it is disappointing but it’s the right commercial decision for Flybe because it’s not proven to be successful, not over the winter period.’
She said since she was informed of the decision on Friday she had been talking to a couple of operators of smaller aircraft – about 35 seats – to see whether they would take up the route.
‘I’m trying hard but I’m not expecting much success for the summer,’ she said.
‘The difficulty is most operators will have set their schedule for the summer season, which starts when the clocks go forward in March.’
The Isle of Man Examiner contacted Flybe for confirmation the service was stopping, and to find out what it would mean for customers already booked to travel to Southampton. We had not received a response as we went to press.
According to its website, direct flights between the island and Southampton from February 29 are shown as being ‘full or not enough seats’. Flybe is still offering connecting flights to Southampton from Manchester.
Meanwhile, Manx2.com hopes passengers will use its services to Oxford and Gloucester to fill the gap left in the market.
Passengers booked on to the Southampton route are being offered the opportunity to re-book on to a Manx2.com flight to/from Gloucester or Oxford service for £1 less than they originally paid for the Southampton ticket.
Managing director David Buck said: ‘Protecting access to the Isle of Man and maintaining visitor numbers is crucial to the economy in these difficult times.’