Flybe : reports FA Cup-related sales’ surge from Liverpool fans

Early boost for airline's convenient Manchester-Exeter flights as crucial Plymouth-Liverpool match looms

12th Janauary 2017

Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline, experienced an early surge in bookings for its convenient Manchester to Exeter flights as soon as Liverpool's upcoming FA Cup Third Round Replay match against Plymouth Argyle was announced. Even before tickets went on sale, Liverpool fans had decided to avoid the stress of road or rail travel and rather take the short hour-long flight down to the South West for the game on Wednesday 18th January: and there are still a few remaining seats available for booking at www.flybe.com

Football supporters are increasingly choosing Flybe flights to travel to fixtures throughout the UK, taking advantage of fast travel times compared with the alternate options of long rail or road journeys. Liverpool supporters are favouring Flybe's first flight of the day to Devon, staying in the county overnight to return on the first flight the next morning which arrives in Manchester at 0805.

Vincent Hodder, Flybe Chief Revenue Officer "We are looking forward to welcoming Liverpool fans back on-board again just a year after they made the same journey to play Exeter City.

"We know that football fans are passionate about supporting their team wherever they might be playing, and a 600-mile round trip such as this would need by road or rail can be both tiring and costly, particularly for a midweek evening game. By taking to the air with Flybe it means that supporters have more time to enjoy the whole away-game experience."
-ENDS-

Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline - 215 routes serving 10 countries from 77 departure points, 37 UK/40 European airports* (all routes on sale Nov'16 - Apr'17); Operates more UK domestic flights than any other airline (UK CAA May'15 - Apr'16); Rated best UK airline for punctuality and sixth in the world in the global airlines punctuality league table by OAG (Jan '17); named 'Best Short-Haul Airline' at the 2016 Business Travel Awards (Jan '16); The largest scheduled airline by air traffic movements at Belfast City, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Isle of Man, Jersey, Manchester, Newquay and Southampton airports (UK CAA Apr '16); Operates fleet of 76 aircraft - 52 Bombardier Q400, 9 Embraer 195, 11 E175 & 5 ATR 72s; Codeshares with BA, Air France, Etihad, Finnair, Aer Lingus, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Air India, Air Berlin and Singapore Airlines; 70% coverage of reporting airports (UK CAA Apr'16); Has its own globally recognised Training Academy in Exeter with flight deck and cabin crew simulator facilities, 26 classrooms and 150-seat conference facility.

*Flown under the Flybe brand