Flights from Manchester Airport to Exeter are set to resume in August, Channel Islands based carrier Blue Islands has revealed.
Blue Islands had announced in March that it would take over the service from Manchester to Exeter in Devon following the collapse of Flybe. The airline had intended to resume flights in April, but this was delayed by the travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Flights to the South-West city will now resume on 31st August.
In 2019, the Manchester to Exeter route was used by over 120,000 passengers but there have been no services since Flybe’s collapse earlier this year.
Blue Islands had previously operated as a franchisee of Flybe before the airline fell into administration earlier this year, and continued to operate on routes to the Channel Islands throughout the pandemic. The airline has recently rebranded to coincide with new routes offerings.
In addition to the Manchester to Exeter service, Blue Islands will also launch a further service to Southampton from August 31st, adding further regional connectivity. This route had also previously been operated by Flybe, and Humberside-based Eastern Airways has recently relaunched flights on the route.
Commenting on Blue Islands’ March announcement that they would take over Manchester to Exeter flights from Flybe, Julian Carr, Aviation Director at Manchester Airport, said:
We are delighted to be welcoming Blue Islands to Manchester Airport, the UK’s global gateway in the North.
“The new Exeter service will help maintain the crucial connections between the North of England and the South West, whilst giving Exeter and the surrounding area access to our global network of 210 destinations.
“We are sure this news will be well-received by business communities in both regions, as well as those who relied on Flybe’s Exeter service for visiting family and friends.”