May 16 (Reuters) - Flybe Group PLC FLYB.L :
* CONCLUDED THAT BOMBARDIER Q400 IS BEST CORE AIRCRAFT FOR ITS CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS.
* IT WILL THEREFORE REMAIN AS BACKBONE OF FLYBE FLEET FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
* WITH A FURTHER PLANNED HANDBACK OF ALL NINE EMBRAER 195 JETS, OVERALL FLEET IS WELL ON WAY TO REDUCING IN SIZE FROM 85 AT ITS PEAK IN MAY 2017, TO A TARGET OF AROUND 70 AIRCRAFT BY EARLY 2020
* STILL HAS A HERITAGE ORDER FOR FOUR EMBRAER E175S DUE IN 2019. THESE WILL BE DELIVERED WITH NEW 'WINGLET TECHNOLOGY' TO HELP REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION.
* APART FROM THESE, FLYBE IS NOT PLANNING ANY ADDITIONAL NEW AIRCRAFT ORDERS FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE.