U.K. regional carrier Flybe is rebranding as Virgin Connect. Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital own Connect Airways and acquired Flybe in July. Virgin Atlantic intends to leverage Flybe to boost connectivity between U.K. regional airports and Virgin Atlantic's long-haul network. Connect Airways CEO Mark Anderson said the new brand will offer "travel that is simple and convenient with the personal touch" alongside "the same exceptional travel experience" as other Virgin-related brands. Current bookings on Flybe will not be affected by the change, according to Virgin.