Passenger watchdog TravelWatch has praised Flybe’s summer schedule for flights from Ronaldsway.

But there’s disappointment - and some surprise - that EasyJet’s Luton service is summer-only.

Flybe has announced it will continue to operate up to five flights a day to Manchester and up to four a day to Liverpool in its summer timetable beginning March 25. In addition there will be daily flights to Birmingham.

EasyJet, meanwhile, has confirmed its Luton service will end on October 27 and then resume in the spring.

A spokesman said: ’It was launched as a summer-only route, and is planned to return at the start of next summer’s schedule, which will be on sale late September/early October.’

But when EasyJet announced its new Luton route back in February, it said it ’expected to fly 19,000 passengers between the destinations annually, operating three flights a week from the Isle of Man next summer’.

TravelWatch’s air services spokesman Terry Liddiard said: ’EasyJet definitely gave the impression of a year-round limited service. They launched it with three services a week, which was encouraging, and then there was the disappointment that it went down two during the peak summer months.’

Turning to Flybe’s summer schedule, he said: ’We really couldn’t hope for more on both the Manchester and Liverpool schedules.

’Five a day to Manchester gives first class connections to the huge choice of connecting domestic, European, and inter-Continental flights from the UK’s busiest regional airport, as well as motorway and rail access across the country and very good day return possibilities in both directions.

’While Liverpool does not have such extensive air connections, four flights daily in each direction serves the needs of business and leisure traffic more than adequately, as well as the considerable bonus to those using the NHS patient transfer service of a choice of departures to meet differing appointment times.’

He added: ’If there’s one slight disappointment, we are always hopeful that, at some stage, the Birmingham service could be increased to twice daily, but , overall, it’s a very good service on offer, so no complaints!’

EasyJet’s Luton service was launched with three flights a week operating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from the end of March.

However, the Wednesday flights were dropped from the start of July, leaving a reduced frequency of two flights a week. There’s a mixed schedule in September, with two weeks only showing Wednesday flights. Then from September 25 and throughout October, the frequency returns to three-weekly flights.

Latest available figures show easyJet’s Luton service carried 2,759 passengers in June, 2,539 in May and 2,442 in April.

Flybe operated the Luton route as a summer-only services until 2013.

Last week we reported that only 50 per cent of EasyJet’s Gatwick to Ronaldsway flights are on time.

Airport director Ann Reynolds said: ’The easyJet service from London Luton to the Isle Of Man is a summer season only service ceasing at the end of October, brought in to boost inbound tourism and to offer not only Bristol and the surrounding southwest region as a new destination for island residents but another easyJet base from which island residents could fly to their holiday destination.

’The good news is that easyJet are looking to operate the London Luton service again for summer 2018 from the end of March.’