Flybe cuts routes from Cardiff Airport in winter schedule

Flybe is ending its jet operations from Cardiff later this year

Regional airline Flybe has announced it will cut six routes from Cardiff Airport under its winter schedule plan.

From October, it will no longer fly to Faro, Venice, Verona, Rome, Munich or Berlin.

Extra flights on existing routes including Edinburgh, Belfast City, Cork and Paris have been added.

The Welsh Government-owned airport said this was a positive reflection of the airline's commitment to Wales.

At the beginning of April, the airline cancelled dozens of flights as it entered discussions over potential job losses.

It then announced it would be ending its jet operations from Cardiff this year, but would continue to offer turbo-prop flights.

The Exeter-based airline put itself up for sale last November, following a profit warning the previous month.

Connect Airways, a consortium led by Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, paid a total of £2.8m for Flybe's assets and operations.

Cardiff Airport was bought by the Welsh government in 2013 for £52m

"Core routes" have been boosted in the new schedule which runs between 27 October and 28 March.

There will be increased flights between Cardiff and Dublin, Edinburgh and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Flybe's franchise partner, Eastern Airways, will continue to operate flights to Anglesey, Newcastle and Aberdeen.

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Deb Barber, the airport's chief executive officer, said: "We have been working very closely with Flybe since the airline announced its plan to restructure and reduce its jet operations across several of its bases.

"The release of the Cardiff schedule for the 2019-20 winter season is a positive reflection of the airline's commitment to Wales, offering choice and providing good connectivity within the UK, Ireland and France."

On Wednesday, it was announced Christine Ourmieres-Widener will leave as chief executive of the airline on 15 July.