FLYBE has announced a series of flight cancellations and timetable reductions amid aircraft supply difficulties.

The company said it is to operate summer routes at a reduced frequency between Belfast City and Edinburgh and Glasgow and Birmingham to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

It has axed summer routes from Belfast City to Aberdeen and Inverness and Birmingham to Aberdeen.

Dave Pflieger, Flybe chief executive, said in a message to travellers: “Due to late aircraft deliveries, we must reduce our planned flight schedule from July 28 to October 29 2022.

“This is not a decision we’ve have taken lightly, and as you would expect we are in daily conversations with all involved to see if anything might change that would allow us to resume our original plans at an earlier date. It is essential that we take action now to ensure you have enough time to change your travel plans, be reaccommodated on a different flight or, if that is not desired, obtain a full refund.

“Firstly, please accept my unreserved apologies for the rescheduling or cancellation of your flight. You’ll be wondering, I’m sure, why this has happened, so please let me try and explain.

“As you may know, it’s been 83 days since our first Flybe flight took to the skies from Birmingham and Belfast, and today we now fly customers to destinations from East Midlands, Leeds-Bradford, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London-Heathrow, and Amsterdam.

“We were planning to increase flights to existing cities and new destinations such as Aberdeen, Inverness, Newcastle, and Southampton. However, the two aircraft leasing companies who were contracted to provide our additional airplanes have now told us that they will be unable to fulfil their commitments until after the summer.”

In 2020 joint administrators of Flybe agreed to the sale of Flybe’s business and assets, including the brand, intellectual property, stock and equipment to Thyme Opco Limited, a company affiliated with investment adviser Cyrus Capital, and operates as Flybe Limited.