UK’s flybe. secures Heathrow slots

flybe. (BE, Exeter) is edging towards its relaunch under new ownership and a certificate issued to shell company Thyme Opco, having secured slots for domestic services out of London Heathrow. According to a notice, flybe. obtained slots from British Airways for services to Aberdeen Dyce (up to 3x daily) and Edinburgh (up to 4x weekly), starting on April 28, 2021, through the end of the Summer 2021 season on October 30, 2021. In total, the carrier scooped 43 slot pairs at England’s largest airport. Once launched, flybe. (2021) would entirely replace British Airways on services from Heathrow to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. easyJet operates to the Scottish airports from other London airports: to Aberdeen from London Gatwick and to Edinburgh from Gatwick, London Luton, and London Stansted. British Airways also serves Edinburgh from London City with flights operated by BA CityFlyer. The airline’s only aircraft, DHC-8-Q400 G-CLXC (msn 4014), remains stored at Exeter airport. The ex-Austrian Airlines aircraft was registered in the United Kingdom on January 20 and ferried from Zagreb on February 17, 2021, but has not operated any test flights since March 7, 2021, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. Earlier in April, Thyme Opco, a Cyrus Capital-backed firm, confirmed the completion of the acquisition of flybe. after it was granted its Air Operator’s Certificate and Operating Licence. On April 14, Thyme Opco was formally renamed Flybe Limited.