Flybe excited by move to cruise at sea level (From Daily Echo)

Flybe excited by move to cruise at sea level

11:17am Thursday 11th January 2007 in Hampshire Business

FLYBE, Southampton's largest airline, is moving into the cruise business with the launch of "Flybe Cruise".

The deal with holidays company Voyana Ltd will see a new website that allows travellers to book flights and any cruise sailing out of Southampton online.

The platform is a first for a UK airline. Flybe already offers its customers hotels and car hire bookings.

It hopes to cash in on the cruise industry, which is the fastest growing sector within the travel industry, with 1.25 million passengers travelling in 2006.

Southampton is the UK's cruise capital offering trips to Western Europe, Canary Islands and the Caribbean on some of the world's largest ships, such as the iconic liner QM2 and cruise ship Navigator of the Seas.

Flybe's strong affiliation with the city, where it is the sponsor of Southampton Football Team, means the deal is a natural next step.

Simon Lilley from Flybe said: "We're very excited about this latest offering as it brings new and exciting opportunities for our customers.

"To enter the cruise sector was a natural fit with the high number of domestic and international flights into Southampton through Flybe.