Originally Posted by
Cozy F
Lots of arguments forming here around apparent political motivation to save Flybe, when so many other private companies have been exclusively left to fail under basic market principles. Even in the air transport sector Monarch and particularly Thomas Cook provided salaries for a vast number of citizens, but were allowed to sink beyond trace without public intervention.
Rank poor, fat cat ineptitude should never be bailed out by the public purse irrespective of cosmetic arguments. The market will always facilitate the void to be filled by a sustainable business.
Certainly if Government use some form of emergency argument to bankroll Flybe short term they would need to be very transparent around the fairness and equitability of the vehicle used. For example a holiday on or total removal of domestic air tax in the UK expressly to keep Flybe in the air would need to be applied fully and equally to all other UK domestic air services - easyJet, BA, Ryanair etc. Or the scheme will be rightfully - and very likely successfully - challenged in court!
Monarch and Thomas Cook had sufficient competition which would mean customers still had a means of travelling to those destinations albeit on another carrier after folding. Such as Jet2, TUI, EasyJet and BA. There are a larger number of routes Flybe serve that are not replicated by other carriers or indeed matched in terms of frequency enabling that regional connectivity.
If the UK wants to be the self sufficient independent state it claims by leaving the EU, we need to be able to get from the south of the country to the north without incurring half a day on a train or in a car.
Flybe now needs a very tough review. I also believe there needs to be an independent enquiry as to how it has got to its current state and what continues as I hear they are still allowing staff costs to be higher than needed with inconsistent control over staff expenses. If they were to go bust I have no doubt an enquiry would be called for so may as well do that now.
Trim down the routes, adjust its business model and get the rebrand done ASAP as the name Flybe now has even more negative connotation sadly.