New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
Flybe ups Birmingham?Edinburgh frequency to fill bmibaby gap
Flybe has announced that it is to increase services between Birmingham and Edinburgh following the apparent planned withdrawal from the route on 27 March by bmibaby.
Flybe now has 20% more flights on the route than last year and offers up to nine daily flights, a significant rise from the seven it operated in last year’s summer schedule.
Flybe says that if the withdrawal of bmibaby’s services on this route become permanent – and not just a temporary cost-cutting move – then the increase in its own service would mirror the January introduction by Flybe of extra services between Birmingham and Glasgow after bmibaby dropped that route.
Mike Rutter, Flybe’s chief commercial officer, commented, “We make no apologies for being champions of the British regions and that’s why Flybe has stepped in so quickly to make sure that passengers wanting to travel between Birmingham and Edinburgh are not left high and dry. We understand that both Birmingham and Edinburgh are crucial cities that can play an important role as real engines of recovery for UK plc and Flybe aims to do everything possible to help them in whatever way we can.”
Flybe currently operates up to 100 flights a week between Birmingham and Edinburgh using a combination of Bombardier Q400s and Embraer 195s.
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