Flybe planes sets flight path for London Heathrow Airport

Flybe planes will use Heathrow for the first time from March, with the airline’s chairman today hailing London’s dominance at the “heart of the business community” and hiring a new chief executive.

The regional carrier is taking over the slots relinquished by Virgin Atlantic’s now-defunct Little Red airline, and will operate more than 40 flights a week from Edinburgh and Aberdeen to Heathrow’s Terminal 2.

Chairman Simon Laffin said: “A lot of people in London don’t know Flybe very well. We’re not present predominantly anywhere but City Airport — that’s going to change.”

Flybe has appointed aviation-industry veteran Christine Ourmieres-Widener as chief executive, joining on January 16.

The former boss of CityJet replaces Saad Hammad, who quit in October. She will be paid up to £800,000 a year — half of it as salary. She will also receive £120,000 to pay for her family’s relocation from New York.