Flybe collapses and goes into administration

PA

Regional carrier Flybe has ceased trading and all scheduled flights have been cancelled, authorities have said.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made the announcement the company had gone into administration and urged those with booked Flybe flights not to travel to airports.

Three early Flybe flights from Belfast, two from Birmingham and two from Amsterdam were all showing as 'scheduled on time' on Flybe's online flight status live tracker at 5am.

But the CAA urged ticket-holders to instead check its website for the latest information.

CAA consumer director Paul Smith said: "It is always sad to see an airline enter administration and we know that Flybe's decision to stop trading will be distressing for all of its employees and customers.

"We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Flybe flights are cancelled. For the latest advice, Flybe customers should visit the Civil Aviation Authority's website or our Twitter feed for more information."

The airline also confirmed the "sad" move, noting that administrators had been brought in.

"We are sad to announce that Flybe has been placed into administration," Flybe tweeted.

"David Pike and Mike Pink of Interpath have been appointed administrators. Flybe has now ceased trading. All Flybe flights from and to the UK are cancelled and will not be rescheduled."

It comes after Flybe returned to the skies in April following an earlier collapse.

It returned with a plan to operate up to 530 flights per week across 23 routes, serving airports such as Southampton, Belfast City, Birmingham, East Midlands, Glasgow, Heathrow and Leeds Bradford.

A spokesperson for AGS Airports which owns and manages Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports, said: “We have been informed of the sad news that Flybe has entered administration meaning all of the airline’s flights have now been cancelled.  

“The advice to passengers who were scheduled to travel with Flybe from Southampton is to visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) website for further advice. Information can be found at caa.co.uk/news and on the CAA’s Twitter feed @UK_CAA.”

Flybe was pushed into administration in March 2020 with the loss of 2,400 jobs as the Covid-19 pandemic destroyed large parts of the travel market.

Before it went bust it flew the most UK domestic routes between airports outside London.

Its business and assets were purchased in April 2021 by Thyme Opco, which is linked to US hedge fund Cyrus Capital.

Thyme Opco was renamed Flybe Limited.

It had been based at Birmingham Airport.

A Government spokesperson said: "This remains a challenging environment for airlines, both old and new, as they recover from the pandemic, and we understand the impact this will have on Flybe's passengers and staff.

"Our immediate priority is to support people travelling home and employees who have lost their jobs.

"The Civil Aviation Authority is providing advice to passengers to help them make their journeys as smoothly and affordably as possible. The majority of destinations served by Flybe are within the UK with alternative transport arrangements available.

"We recognise that this is an uncertain time for affected employees and their families. Jobcentre Plus, through its Rapid Response Service, stands ready to support any employee affected."

Which? travel editor Rory Boland said: "This will be terrible news to Flybe passengers, many of whom used the airline regularly where it provided essential services from regional airports.

"Very few passengers flying Flybe will be on Atol-protected packages so the Government is unlikely to step in and repatriate those abroad or provide refunds.

"Instead passengers with travel insurance should check if their policy includes scheduled operator failure cover.

"Alternately, those who booked tickets costing more than £100 with a credit card will be able to claim from their credit card provider. If the tickets were under £100 or booked with a debit card, passengers can try to use chargeback from their bank or card provider."

Unite national officer for civil aviation Oliver Richardson, responding to the collapse of Flybe, said: "The Government has not learned the lessons from the original collapse of Flybe.

"It has failed to introduce the Airline Insolvency Bill, which would have allowed Flybe to continue to operate, avoided passengers being stranded and staff losing their jobs in the middle of the night.

"In recent years the UK has seen the collapse of Monarch, Thomas Cook and Flybe twice, how many more airlines will be allowed to plunge into administration before the Government introduces the measures needed to protect the UK's aviation industry and its passengers?"

A passenger whose Flybe flight was cancelled with just three hours' notice after the airline went into administration has branded the company "outrageous".

Freddy McBride, 61, from Balham in south London, was due to fly with his wife from Heathrow to Belfast on Saturday morning but had to rebook with Aer Lingus.

He told the PA news agency: "I got up at the crack of dawn, packed and we couldn't check in online last night so I thought we'd do it this morning.

"I left my wife to do it while I got the train. I got up at six and left the house before seven. I got to Hatton Central and I checked my email and it says they've gone into administration. It's just outrageous.

"I had to phone my wife to tell her and she booked from home while I was running about to terminal three and five to British Airways because I thought we could fly with them. So I've just spent the last hour running around the terminals trying to sort things out.

"When I get on the plane I'll be relieved. They allowed us to book about a day or two ago. It's not good, it's not good."