Still, prized slots at Heathrow could provide Flybe with an opportunity. Hammad wants to try where Virgin Atlantic's Little Red service failed and use some of the Heathrow slots British Airways has to vacate for free to domestic rivals –as part of the conditions imposed of BA's purchase of British Midlands in 2012 – to fly routes to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The plan would only work if Heathrow agrees to cut its sky-high charges, Hammad says. He is also eyeing Europe, which he hopes will be key to chapter four of Flybe's recovery. While the airline already flies between the UK and the continent, flights within Europe present an attractive opportunity. "There are 39m customers in mainland Europe that are under-served," Hammad argues. The business is already launching flights from Hanover to Lyon and Milan Malpensa this August and is considering opening a base in Europe.