Virgin Atlantic is in talks to buy budget airline FlyBe – and flights could get more expensive
Budget airline Fly Be revealed earlier this month that it was putting itself up for sale
VIRGIN Atlantic is in talks to buy Fly Be – which could mean changes in price for the low-cost airline’s customers.
While fares of European flights shouldn’t rise, domestic flights may become pricier if the sale goes ahead.
The news comes after Fly Be put itself up for sale earlier this month.
reports that Virgin is in talks with Fly Be, four years after Little Red shut, its regional airline.
Little Red ran services to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Manchester from Heathrow, but shut after a lack of passenger demand.
A source revealed that buying the airline would be a good move for Virgin as it would be able to link its transatlantic flights with destinations in the UK.
It would also look to gain more landing slots at Heathrow that are reserved for domestic flights.
However prices could change as a result – and domestic flights could become more expensive.
Rob Burgess, editor of frequent flyer website headforpoints.co.uk told Sun Online Travel: "I don't see a Virgin takeover leading to lower fares.
“Flybe is currently selling seats for £25 one-way (of which £13 is Air Passenger Duty PD) in its Black Friday sale so sale deals can't get much lower.
“Day to day, Flybe will continue to price its monopoly routes within the UK as high as it can.
“It will try to match easyJet and other low cost carriers on those routes where it has competition, such as in Europe."
Meanwhile Rory Boland, travel editor at Which? told us that the new owner of Flybe would be likely to “cut the least profitable routes which may lead to higher fares at regional airports because of decreased competition.”
Flybe offer the only connections in some regions, for example flights between London and Newquay.
Rory continued: “What's essential for passengers is that any new owner doesn't increase fares and price them out of air travel, as Flybe offers the only flight connections in some regions.”
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “Virgin Atlantic notes the recent media speculation related to Flybe."
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They continued: "Virgin Atlantic has a trading and codeshare relationship and confirms that it is reviewing its options in respect of Flybe, which range from enhanced commercial arrangements to a possible offer for Flybe.
“Virgin Atlantic emphasises that there can be no certainty that an offer will be made nor as to the terms of any offer.”
Sun Online Travel previously revealed that Primera Air collapsed - leaving thousands of passengers stranded abroad.