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| Flybe sells Gatwick take-off and landing slots to Easyjet | Flybe sells Gatwick take-off and landing slots to Easyjet |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The airline Flybe has announced the sale of all its take-off and landing slots at London Gatwick airport to Easyjet for £20m. | The airline Flybe has announced the sale of all its take-off and landing slots at London Gatwick airport to Easyjet for £20m. |
| The sale is part of a cost-cutting programme for the airline - about 600 workers have been made redundant and pilots have agreed a 5% pay cut. | The sale is part of a cost-cutting programme for the airline - about 600 workers have been made redundant and pilots have agreed a 5% pay cut. |
| An MP has raised concerns about the future of links between Inverness Airport and Gatwick. | An MP has raised concerns about the future of links between Inverness Airport and Gatwick. |
| Danny Alexander said it was important to the Highland economy. | Danny Alexander said it was important to the Highland economy. |
| Flybe serves a number of destinations directly from its Gatwick hub including Belfast, Guernsey, Jersey, Newcastle and has a three times a day service connecting Inverness Airport with Gatwick. | Flybe serves a number of destinations directly from its Gatwick hub including Belfast, Guernsey, Jersey, Newcastle and has a three times a day service connecting Inverness Airport with Gatwick. |
| Mr Alexander is chief secretary to the Treasury and MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey. | Mr Alexander is chief secretary to the Treasury and MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey. |
| He said: "The direct air links between Inverness and Gatwick are of huge importance to the local economy. | He said: "The direct air links between Inverness and Gatwick are of huge importance to the local economy. |
| "They connect global investors to our local economy, enable local businesses to grow and support our tourism sector too." | "They connect global investors to our local economy, enable local businesses to grow and support our tourism sector too." |
| Mr Alexander said he had made Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin aware of the importance of maintaining the link. | Mr Alexander said he had made Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin aware of the importance of maintaining the link. |
| Easyjet flies between Inverness and Gatwick and also to Luton. | Easyjet flies between Inverness and Gatwick and also to Luton. |
| Flybe said the deal was subject to shareholder's approval and it would continue to operate all the slots until March 2014. | Flybe said the deal was subject to shareholder's approval and it would continue to operate all the slots until March 2014. |
| Fraser Grieve, the Highlands and Islands manager for the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), also expressed concern about the deal and called for urgent steps to safeguard the flights. | Fraser Grieve, the Highlands and Islands manager for the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), also expressed concern about the deal and called for urgent steps to safeguard the flights. |
| He said: "Flybe's decision highlights the vulnerability that regional routes into London face as a result of a lack of capacity at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports and the financial value of these slots. | He said: "Flybe's decision highlights the vulnerability that regional routes into London face as a result of a lack of capacity at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports and the financial value of these slots. |
| "The air connections to and from Inverness are vital economic links and the move to Easyjet will likely result in both a loss of service and a lack of competition on the route." | "The air connections to and from Inverness are vital economic links and the move to Easyjet will likely result in both a loss of service and a lack of competition on the route." |
| He added: "The UK's leading international gateways must be able to accommodate the economic needs of the whole of the UK. | He added: "The UK's leading international gateways must be able to accommodate the economic needs of the whole of the UK. |
| "Oil and gas services and food and drink in the north are two of the UK's leading exports and they must be able to reach overseas markets. Tourists and investors must also be able to get to the north of Scotland." | "Oil and gas services and food and drink in the north are two of the UK's leading exports and they must be able to reach overseas markets. Tourists and investors must also be able to get to the north of Scotland." |