Flybe has flagged up its intention to take on EuroManx on the Liverpool run.

Today it announced that it will be operating three flights a day on the route, from March 30.

The fares are from ?19.99 one-way, all in, but at this stage it's not known how many of those fares will be available. It will also be interesting to see if EuroManx, which also flies to Liverpool, rises to the challenge of competition.

Liverpool and Manchester traffic has fallen recently and Flybe's announcement will please Isle of Man Airport Director Ann Reynolds, who will hope that passenger numbers, also helped by the reopened Luton route, will start climbing.

Flybe also plans to start flying charters to Newquay, which the company describes as 'the surfing capital of the United Kingdom'.

There will be twice daily Birmingham flights from the end of March and the same frequency to Luton.

All that is part of Flybe's summer schedules, announced today.

Chief Commercial Officer Mike Rutter (pictured) describes the schedule as 'a sustained commitment to the Isle of Man operation and a significant expansion of the services on offer'.