Airline carrier Flybe is returning to the skies after a two year hiatus.
Founded over 40 years ago, Flybe will be shuttling passengers from Leeds Bradford Airport to London Heathrow and Belfast, amongst other UK routes.
Prices are generally around £34.99 - £39.99 each way, including throughout the summer season, so this is likely to become a popular value-for-money flight route for Yorkshire locals wanting to travel to the capital throughout the year.
Other exciting flight routes include East Midlands to Amsterdam and seven different UK and France locations taking off from Birmingham.
The small airline carrier has historically been known for its cheap flights and small aircrafts and it appears that the same tactics will be used as part of their relaunch, which will see the company taking off for the first time in two years.
In its heyday, Flybe was one of the UK's best known budget airlines and Europe's largest regional airline, but after months of struggling, the company made the decision to cease all operations: cancelled all of their outbound flights and filed for administration in March 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic.
Image: Flybe
As a result, the company was thought to have left around 15,000 passengers stranded and some 2,400 staff were made redundant. Unfortunately do to the precarious state of the airline industry throughout the pandemic, this was not an uncommon headline in March 2020 and many other travel and tourism operators including industry giants Thomas Cook, Virgin Atlantic and travel agents STA Travel also closed their stores as a result of worldwide uncertainty.
Since the closure of Flybe two years ago, the company has been bought out by Thyme Opco, a company linked to former shareholder Cyrus Capital, who have changed the official company name to Flybe Limited, obtained airport slots, new operating license and route licenses ahead of their relaunch.
Flights are now live for booking, with the first set to take off on Friday 13 April, in just under a month's time. In total, there are 23 routes and over 500 flights available to book on the airline's website.
Regional leaders have confirmed a rail project in the North of England with first improvements taking place in Yorkshire.
The long-awaited Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project will see a whopping £45 billion worth of upgrades.
The first phase will see the construction of a new station in Bradford followed by upgrades in Leeds, York and Sheffield.
The electrification of lines between Sheffield and Leeds, Leeds and York and Leeds and Bradford will be the first priority and is expected to be completed in the 2030s.
The scheme has been described as "a once in a generation commitment to improving transport across the North".
Announcing the scheme, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "I spent three happy years in Leeds as a university student, a vibrant city I was proud to call home, but I've seen first-hand what underinvestment and empty pledges do to cities across the North.
"This government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services."
"This cycle has to end. No more paying lip service to the potential of the North, but backing it to the hilt. That's why this government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through Northern Powerhouse Rail: a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services."
Stage two of the plan will include upgrades around Manchester, with the final stage delivering a new railway between Bradford and Huddersfield that wouldn't be delivered until the 2040s.
In a combined statement, the regional mayors of West, South and North Yorkshire said: "The long-term commitment will transform Yorkshire's transport network and deliver improved links across our region and on to Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle.
"It'll mean we can deliver quicker, more reliable journeys, opening up more choice around work, skills and opportunity for everyone across Yorkshire."
SKYMAGIC, the company behind the display, has worked on previous projects for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee and the coronation of King Charles III no less.
Here's what the website says about the event: "As darkness falls over Bradford, you’ll see extraordinary drone recreations of artworks from across Hockney’s career – from his vibrant Californian pool paintings to his more recent Yorkshire landscapes created on iPads.
"All of these classic works will be portrayed in light, flying high over Saltaire in a dynamic tribute to one of our district’s favourite sons. Don’t miss it.
"Painting the Sky will take place in the open air, so please dress appropriately for the weather."
To find out more, take a look at the Bradford 2025 website.
Sophie Smith -
23rd March 2022 
