UK�S BIGGEST REGIONAL AIRLINE ISSUES CHALLENGE TO ALISTAIR DARLING

Flybe, Europe�s biggest and most successful regional airline, today issued a challenge to Alistair Darling ahead of Monday�s Pre-Budget Report not to treat British aviation as a cheap tax grab.

Responding to industry speculation that the Chancellor was preparing to impose a further increase to Air Passenger Duty (APD), Flybe reacted by calling upon Mr. Darling to think again.

Flybe�s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jim French said: �The government has spent billions of pounds of taxpayers� money on bailing out the bankers in London and surely now it�s the turn of hard-working families who save up for their annual holiday. Slapping a further tax on holiday flights and business travel will be the clearest message yet that the government will support the Square Mile while the UK regions are hung out to dry.�

Mr French added: �When the then-Chancellor Gordon Brown doubled APD in March 2007, there was an immediate drop in air travel by some 4%. It cannot be right that, at a time when even the government�s own statistics show that aviation is more than covering its climate change costs, the Chancellor piles further pressure on one of the country�s most successful industries and places further a burden on suffering UK businesses. Such a move will mean only one thing � fewer passengers and the inevitability of job losses. Remember, airlines have had to contend with record fuel prices, reducing demand and now the collapsing value of the pound which is even more of a problem than the high cost of fuel.�

He concluded by saying: �On behalf of Flybe�s 7 million passengers and 3,000 staff, I call upon Mr. Darling to support the aviation industry by freezing or lowering the amount of tax he takes from hard-pressed holidaymakers and business travellers.�

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

About Flybe � Flybe is Europe's largest and most successful regional airline with over 190 routes serving 13 countries, operating from a total of 64 departure points, 34 UK and 30 European airports � Flybe is the number one UK domestic regional point to point airline serving five times more domestic routes than any other airline � Flybe ranked number 1 in the Sunday Times 2008 Top Track 250; won the 2008 Regional Leadership Award at the Global Airline Strategy Awards; the �Special Merit for Commitment to the Environment� award at the 2008 Budgie Awards and Flight International�s �Best Management Team 2007� award � Flybe is the largest scheduled airline at Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester, Norwich, Southampton, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Belfast City � Flybe launched the aviation industry�s first ever eco labelling scheme in June 07 � Flybe�s franchise agreement signed in January 2008 with Loganair is a groundbreaking initiative � Flybe offers the UK�s first low cost customer loyalty scheme open to all passengers Rewards4all

For further press information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Flybe press office: T: 0845 675 0681 E: pressoffice@flybe.com