Airlines Flybmi eyes Austrian AOC

The East Midlands-based regional carrier Flybmi is, according to its CEO Jochen Schnadt, considering a new EU subsidiary to secure operations after the Brexit. The carrier could follow Europe’s low cost carrier Easyjet, which received an Austrian AOC in the last months.

According to Schnadt, over 50% of all Flybmi flights are operated outside of the UK in other EU countries.

Flybmi has signed codeshare agreements with Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomoti, Loganair and Air France. The carrier currently operates a fleet of four Embraer ERJ-135 and 15 ERJ-145 on European routes. Beside its UK hubs, Flybmi operates non-UK flights from bases like Munich and Brussels. From the Bavarian capital Munich Flybmi operates flights to Bergamo, Bristol Brno, Lublin, Rostock and Saarbrucken as codeshare flights for Lufthansa. Brussels is connected with Bristol, East Midlands, Nuremberg and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Several European airlines have developed own strategies to guarantee operations after a Brexit in 2019. Easyjet has opened its new European headquarter in July 2017 in Vienna. As another opportunity after the Brexit, Flybmi could focus on UK flights.