Nov 9 (Reuters) - British regional airline Flybe Group Plc cautioned that the country's vote to leave the EuropeanUnion could affect the aviation industry "operationally andcommercially" and posed short-term challenges because of thepound's sharp slide.
Flybe, which connects British regional airports to Londonand other European cities, said adjusted pretax profit fell 25percent to 15.9 million pounds ($19.8 million) in the six monthsended Sept. 30, weighed down by a deterioration in the Europeantravel environment.
"The aviation market is tough at the moment," ExecutiveChairman Simon Laffin said in a statement on Wednesday.
The surprise departure of industry veteran Saad Hammad asCEO last month has left Flybe to seek new leadership even asEuropean airlines face lower demand due to Brexit uncertainty, astring of attacks in Europe and depressed appetite for corporatetravel.
At the same time, carriers, particularly low cost ones, haveput more seats on to the market to try to take advantage of lowfuel prices and gain market share.
Flybe's warning on trading conditions on Wednesday followssimilar statements from larger European rivals, such as Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways-owner IAG andGermany's Lufthansa. ($1 = 0.8021 pounds) (Reporting by Esha Vaish in Bengaluru; Editing by Adrian Croft)
