Devon County Council has appointed Regional and City Airports (RCA) as the preferred bidder for Exeter and Devon Airport Ltd (and Exeter International airport). RCA is the joint venture of Balfour Beatty Capital and London City Airport. It has tabled a ”60m ($ 112m) bid for the airport, and hopes to finalise the acquisition by the end of the year.
Flybe however, is not so happy about the news. Exeter airport is an important base for the airline, yet of the three major contenders for the airport RCA is the only one not to have promised them full protection on flights and staff.
In a statement released yesterday, October 18, Flybe commented: ”Balfour Beatty London City Consortium is the only serious bidder not to have reached an agreement with Flybe that protects the existing and future flights from the airport and the 1,800 jobs that Flybe supports directly and indirectly. Only when these issues are resolved will Flybe be able to welcome the announcement of a preferred bidder.”
When asked for its response to Flybe”s statement, Balfour Beatty told ABTN: ”Flybe is a very important part of the future of Exeter International Airport. We have had a number of exploratory discussions already with Flybe and further meetings are planned with a view to finding the right formula for all parties to ensure that the airport continues to benefit from its excellent services for the long term future.”