Airport bosses were confident of bouncing back

March 5, 2021 - The owners of Exeter Airport insisted it would recover from a challenging financial year.

The collapse of Devon-based airline Flybe cost many hundreds of people their jobs and threatened the airport's future.

Flybe flights made up the bulk of arrivals and departures at Exeter Airport.

And the aviation industry was still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite a challenging year, Andrew Bell - Chief Executive of the company operating the airport - said the situation was not hopeless:

"To get back to the level it was at will probably take a little time but there's no question that there is interest from other airlines as we sit here talking now, to restore some of the key routes that Exeter and people in the region have been used to having on their doorstep," he said at the time.

"Obviously those plans have been sitting on ice for 12 months but we are confident that the connectivity that Exeter Airport provided to the south west is going to be restored."