Regional airline Flybe has revealed plans to take the company public in a bid to raise £60 million.
The privately-owned carrier, which claims to be one of only a few European airlines to report profits since the financial crisis, said it will put some of the cash raised towards a fleet of new aircraft.
The airline, which will use the rest of the proceeds to support growth plans, such as code-sharing and takeovers, would not comment on the expected value but a recent report suggested it could be in the region of £200 million.
The current shareholders, which include the founding Walker family, British Airways, and chief executive Jim French, are not expected to sell their interests in the airline.
The Exeter-based carrier, which employs more than 2,900 people and operates 215 routes across Europe, posted pre-tax profits of £6.8 million in the year to March 31, down from £12.8 million the previous year.
