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FLYBE SCOOPS TOP AWARD FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR AT PRESTIGIOUS BUSINESS TRAVEL AWARDS

Leading regional airline sees off major opposition to win Best Short-Haul Airline and in Top 5 for Best Airline Worldwide

Flybe, Europe's leading regional airline and the UK's Number One Domestic carrier was last night named Best Short-Haul Airline for the second consecutive year at the 2011 Business Travel Awards held in London. The awards are judged by top industry professionals and as such are not only regarded as the highest recognition given by the UK travel industry but also considered to be amongst the most valued recognition in the business travel sector worldwide.

In securing the Best Short-Haul Airline award, Flybe beat off tough competition from legacy carriers British Airways, Lufthansa and Finnair, clearly proving that the business model it adopted on formation in 2002 with value pricing and a strong commitment to customer service, continues to be favoured by business travellers for short haul flights.

For the first time, Flybe was also shortlisted in the Top 5 for the Best Airline Worldwide award in the company of British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Mike Rutter, Flybe's Chief Commercial Officer says: "We are delighted to receive such high profile recognition and, of course, to receive the Best Short-Haul Airline award for the second year in a row makes it particularly special for our staff and our passengers.

"We were also pleased to have been amongst the airline giants nominated for the Best Airline Worldwide. It is clear validation that we are now firmly positioned as an industry leader with a successful business model committed to connecting communities and providing an affordable high-quality regional service for our business travellers. Our challenge now is to make it a triple next year!"

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For further press information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Flybe press office:

T: 0845 675 0681
E: pressoffice@flybe.com

About Flybe

• Flybe Europe's largest and most successful regional airline with 215 routes serving 13 countries, operating from a total of 73 departure points, 39 UK and 34 European airports* (all routes on sale April-Sep '10)
• Flybe is the UK's Number One Domestic Airline - carrying more UK domestic passengers than any other airline; carrying more domestic passengers at London Gatwick than any other airline and operating over four times more domestic routes than any other airline* (CAA statistics - Dec ‘09-Nov‘10)
• Flybe was named Europe's number one regional airline and the World's Number One Independent Regional Operator in the 2009 Airline Business Regional Rankings and is the only UK carrier to feature in the prestigious US-published Forbes magazine Top 10 on time arrival list of Global Major Carriers 2009 Flybe won both Best Short-Haul Airline and Best Environmental accolades at the 2010 Business Travel Awards. Other recent awards include: Air Transport World's 2009 Regional Airline of the Year; Aviation Week's Overhaul & Maintenance (O&M) European Airline MRO of the Year (Flybe's aircraft maintenance division) and the ‘Most Environmentally and Socially Responsible Budget Airline' Award at The British Travel Awards 2009 for the second year running.
• Flybe's codeshare agreement with Air France gives Flybe passengers access to five additional routes between the UK and France, nine new domestic French routes and 12 international routes. Air France codeshare customers have gained access to 43 new routes from France to the UK and seamless connections through Birmingham, Manchester and Southampton to 17 UK domestic routes.
• Flybe placed a multi-billion dollar order with Embraer in July 2010 for up to 140 Embraer 175 and E-family aircraft, with the first delivery scheduled for 2011.
• Flybe is the largest scheduled airline, measured by air traffic movements, at Belfast City, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Inverness, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Manchester, Manston, Norwich and Southampton airports (CAA statistics - Nov ‘10)
• Flybe's Training Academy in Exeter, costing £11.9-million to construct, is scheduled for completion during Spring 2011.
• Flybe launched the aviation industry's first ever eco labelling scheme in 2007
• Flybe offers the UK's first low cost customer loyalty scheme open to all passengers Rewards4all
• Flybe signed a landmark franchise Agreement with Loganair, the Scottish regional airline, in January 2008- the first of its kind ever for a low cost carrier

* Flown under the Flybe brand, of which 26 routes, 10 airports and one country are exclusively served by Flybe's franchise partner, Loganair.