UK-based FlyBE has placed a $362 million order with Bombardier for 17 Q400 turboprops, increasing its Q400 fleet to 21. The order includes options on an addition 20 Q400s that could take the total contract to $818 million. Deliveries are scheduled to begin during this quarter.

FlyBE president Jim French said that the order follows an announcement made last year that the airline would operate a two-aircraft type fleet. Along with the current four Q400s, the airline operates 15 BAe 146 jets. French said that standardizing with the Q400 will "drive millions of dollars in operating cost savings and help consolidate our position as Europe's number one low fares provider." He noted that the Q400 "delivers fantastically low operating costs, which is critical to our regional low fares business model."

The new Q400s will replace four Bombardier CRJ200s, three Q200s and four Q300s. FlyBE also plans to remove the four BAe 146-100s, leaving it with 11 BAe 146-200s and -300s. Mike Rutter, marketing and communications director, told C/R News that 15 of the new aircraft are replacements for those being removed from the fleet, and the rest are for expansion, particularly into the Irish market.

The airline will also be looking for larger aircraft such as the Airbus A319, Boeing 737 or Embraer 195 as part of its expansion program. FlyBE will be fly 46 routes by this summer, 15 of which have been added in the past nine months. It is planning to add a new base, to be announced around mid-summer, Rutter said.

The Q400s will be maintained by British European Aviation Services, a sister company to FlyBE and the only Bombardier recognized Q Series/Dash 8 maintenance facility in Europe. FlyBE was formed 25 years ago as Jersey European Airways and later became British European before being redesignated FlyBE.