Flybe has sold its landing slots at London Gatwick airport to easyJet for £20 million.
But the airline says it will continue to operate as normal all of its seven domestic routes to Gatwick including its 26 flights a week from the Isle of Man until Saturday, March 29, next year.
It also said there will be no impact on the remaining six routes Flybe currently operates from Ronaldsway to Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester and Southampton.
Flybe blamed the decision to pull out of Gatwick on a 102 per cent increase in landing fees on the operators of smaller aircraft.
Chief executive Jim French said: ‘No business can swallow such a massive increase in such a short period and it is with real regret and some anger we have made this decision.
‘Flybe fully appreciates the implications this will on Isle of Man passengers [and] the island’s economy which has come to rely on the convenient lifeline connections we provide to Gatwick.’
