Loss of the island’s four-times daily airlink to Gatwick proves the government should act to protect existing carriers, according to the passenger watchdog TravelWatch.
Flybe confirmed in a statement to the London Stock Exchange on Thursday that it had sold off all its landing slots at Gatwick to easyJet for £20 million. It will stop all regional air services from the London terminal next spring.
The airline blamed the decision on a 102 per cent hike in five years in landing charges imposed by the airport operator.
But TravelWatch believe the introduction of competition by easyJet on the Ronaldsway to Gatwick route fatally damages the profitability of the service for Flybe.
In a statement it said it viewed Flybe’s decision to withdraw from Gatwick ‘with great concern, but with little surprise’.
It said: ‘We believe it is vital for the IOM Government to take immediate action to limit the possibility of any further move by off-island airlines, unable or unwilling to provide a reasonable frequency of service on this essential link, to move in and fatally damage our existing carriers.’
TravelWatch called on the government to enter into early talks with easyJet to obtain a commitment to at least a double daily service on weekdays from Gatwick.
It said there should also have been talks with BA City Flyer to persuade them to introduce one of its larger jet aircraft onto the London City service.
EasyJet said it would be looking at a range of options to provide more frequency on popular existing routes from Gatwick.
A spokesman said: ‘EasyJet is committed to providing the Isle of Man with easy and affordable links to London. EasyJet already provides daily flights to Gatwick airport.
‘The slots will transfer from summer 2014 and will allow easyJet to provide additional frequencies on popular existing routes from Gatwick as well as add new destinations across the UK and Europe.
‘EasyJet will look at a range of options including the routes currently served by Flybe. EasyJet’s summer 2014 timetable is announced in a few months’ time and further route information will be available at this time.’
Chief Minister Allan Bell described news that Flybe had sold its Gatwick slots as a ‘huge disappointment, although not unexpected.’
He said it had become clear for some time that the operators of Gatwick airport had been ‘determined to squeeze out the smaller regional airlines’.
Mr Bell said the Department of Infrastructure had moved quickly to contact easyJet to discuss the possibility of increasing frequency on the route but he said the key thing from the point of the view of the business community was to have an early morning flight to London and this would require the budget carrier to stable an aircraft at Ronaldsway overnight – which he admitted was unlikely.
Airport director Ann Reynolds said Flybe’s decision was ‘regrettable’.
But she added: ‘We mustn’t forget we have two other operators who fly to London. Firstly, BA CityFlyer who already has a very good frequent service to London City, and who may consider upping the frequency when load factors reach the levels needing more capacity.
‘Secondly, we are in the advantageous position of already having easyJet on our London Gatwick route.
‘It’s a much better position to be asking for additional rotations on the route rather than to ask to start a new route.
‘All that said, it is business as usual for Flybe and their passengers until the summer next year.’