Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline and the UK’s Number One Domestic airline, has moved quickly to meet the exceptional passenger demand between Southampton and Dublin ahead of the much-anticipated Six Nations match next month between England and Ireland at the new Aviva Stadium at which the English team will play for the first time.

The airline will operate a total of 26 flights to and from Southampton to the Irish capital over the March 19th weekend. Flybe has substituted 118-seat Embraer 195 jets for the usual 78-seater Q400 aircraft that normally fly the route on several of the outbound Friday and Saturday flights and for those on Sunday 20th.  An extra return flight has also been added to the existing schedule on Sunday 20th March (departing Dublin 1550, arriving Southampton 1710).

Flybe is used to raising the bar to accommodate the extra capacity on routes serving destinations hosting big sporting events such as the Six Nations. There is always high demand from supporters looking for the most convenient and affordable way to reach the various destinations where their respective teams are playing.

Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mike Rutter, says: “One of the secrets of Flybe’s successful business model is our ability to react quickly to our customers’ needs and the travel demand over this crucial Six Nations’ rugby weekend is no exception. By having the ability to add an extra flight and substituting larger aircraft on others, we have been able to increase our capacity by up to 85%. This ensures that no fans are disappointed by not being able to make it to the match in person to cheer whichever of the two teams they support.”