Less than a year after taking to the skies for the second time, British regional carrier Flybe (BE) has entered into administration and cancelled all flights to and from the United Kingdom.
On Saturday the 28th of January, the regional carrier released a statement stating that it has ceased trading and told any passengers expecting to travel with them not to go to the airport. It further added that it would not be able to help passengers arrange alternative flights.
“We are sad to announce that Flybe has been placed into administration. Regretfully, Flybe has now ceased trading. All flights from and to the UK operated by Flybe have been canceled and will not be rescheduled.”
Flybe
Furthermore, the statement stated that David Pike and Mike Pink of Interpath have been appointed administrators. The administrators appointed to handle the collapse of UK regional airline Flybe has partly blamed its financial troubles on the late delivery of aircraft.
British Airways Offers Special Fares for Flybe Customers
Following news of the suspension of Flybe operations, British Airways has decided to support Flybe customers due to fly with the airline by offering discounted one-way fares of £50/€60 plus taxes, fees and charges on selected routes to get them where they need to be.
Background Guidance of British Airways offer:
- The one-way fares are £50 (€60 from Amsterdam) plus taxes, fees and charges and includes a checked-in bag of up to 23kgs.
- British Airways is supporting affected customers who are due to travel on journeys between London and Belfast, Newcastle or Amsterdam.
- Customers can make their booking by calling BA’s contact centre.
Furthermore, the British flag carrier is encouraging any Flybe staff to visit its careers page to check for the latest career opportunities.
This marks the second time the regional airline has gone into administration in recent years. Flybe first ceased trading and fell into administration in March 2020, citing Britain’s COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as a contributory factor, directly impacting 2,400 jobs.
In October 2020 it was sold to Thyme Opco Ltd, a firm controlled by Cyrus Capital in a move to restart operations, and in April 2022 it resumed normal operations, albeit on a smaller scale. The airline resumed operations with a plan to operate up to 530 flights per week across 23 routes. Until its most recent collapse, Flybe operated flights on 21 routes.
Before entering administration and ceasing operations, Flybe used to operate scheduled services from Belfast City, Birmingham, and Heathrow to airports across the United Kingdom and to Amsterdam and Geneva.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that it would provide advice and information to those affected by the demise of the regional carrier.
“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.”
Paul Smith, Consumer Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority
“We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Flybe flights are canceled,” Smith added.
While other low-cost airlines including Ryanair and EasyJet have reported record bookings for summer holidays, Flybe’s demise contrasts with a post-pandemic surge in demand for air travel.
Flybe customers who still need to travel will need to make their own alternative travel arrangements via other airlines, rail, or coach operators.
Feature Image via Belfast City Airport