FLYBE is to scale back its winter operation at Belfast City Airport due to a shortage of aircraft.
The recently relaunched regional carrier blamed “unexpected late aircraft deliveries" for cancelling flights to Southampton and Glasgow.
It’s understood the Southampton service will be out of operation from late November until early February, while flights to Glasgow will be temporarily suspended from December 15 to February 8.
The frequency of a number of other routes from Belfast are also to be downgraded to just one daily flight.
Flights to Manchester, East Midlands and Leeds Bradford airports, are all affected.
Flybe currently fly to ten destinations from Belfast City Airport.
The airline’s new owner Thyme Opco officially returned to Belfast in April 2022 with ambitious plans to launch 12 routes.
Prior to its collapse in 2020, Flybe had had been responsible for 80 per cent of the flights at the city airport.
In a statement, the airline said: “Due to further unexpected delays with previously scheduled aircraft deliveries, Flybe has been forced to make the difficult decision to reduce some of our planned winter schedule.
“Flybe deeply apologises to all of our customers who have been affected by this unplanned schedule change.
"We understand the disappointment and frustrations that these unexpected flight changes, rebookings, and cancellations will cause, and we would like to encourage anyone who has been notified about a schedule change to use the links provided in their notification email to quickly and easily contact us electronically – especially if they are seeking the fastest means possible to receive a full refund.
“We would like to apologise again for these unexpected schedule changes and thank everyone affected for their understanding and patience with our leased aircraft delivery delays.”
