Flybe-9

[virginblue]

Originally Posted by Albert Hall

I notice that there's no mention of one very important element in any of the announcement - slots. As the business is being sold but not the legal entity, the Operating Licence and AOC will need to be obtained from scratch, so logically the same would apply on slots - unless anyone has any insight to the contrary?

Where in Flybe's main markets would slots be an issue? You don't have to buy slots, you simply apply for them if an aiport is slot-regulated and get them allocated. There is only a handful of airports in Europe where, contrary to that general rule, slot-trading takes place. I assume that LHR and LCY will not return as these airports were never their core business. Few of the other airports they served were slot-regulated or even (seriously) slot-constrained (DUS and AMS) and thus subject to slot-trading (which, on the continent, other than in the UK, is illegal anyway as there slots are seen as a common good rather than the property of an airline), but I assume they will stick to flying around the British Isles in the beginning. Even if they were interested in serving slot-constrained airports, COVID19 has taken care of that problem as for the foreseeable future there will be spare capacity at once busy airports.

[SWBKCB]

I assume that LHR and LCY will not return as these airports were never their core business.

But if they hold slots for these airports they could be considered as an assett which could be sold - certainly once upon a time, not so sure now. As mentioned above, not sure what else is left, assett wise.

[virginblue]

Originally Posted by SWBKCB

But if they hold slots for these airports they could be considered as an assett which could be sold - certainly once upon a time, not so sure now. As mentioned above, not sure what else is left, assett wise.

IIRC, most of the slots BE held at LHR were remedy slots that can only be used for specific routes once served by british midland.Therefore, they would be of no commercial value. I don't think that sots at LCY were outright traded in the past. Even if, I doubt that in the current situation they would attract buyers willing to cough up serious dough for them.

[southside bobby]

Farrell/Cyrus & Sir Richard/Virgin have history as the hedge fund also helped Sir Richard set up Virgin America back in 2005.

[Bigt]

What is left to buy? No aircraft, no engineering hangar, no routes....

[Wickerbill]

..no AOC, no operating licence...

[AOGspanner]

The buyer is a former shareholder...
You don't buy routes, you create them. Aircraft are cheap to buy, heavy maintenance will outsourced to Dublin Aerospace. Former staff will accept lesser contracts than previous. It's strategic and probably a plan long in the making.
Customer base is there, once restrictions lift. Timing is the uncertainty... Unless your well connected

[Alex Whittingham]

I think the operating licence is still in place at least, and the slots, with the exception of the LHR slots about which there is a 'dispute' with IAG. There is another thread discussing this in 'Airlines, Airports & Routes'.

[OvertHawk]

It's still a recognisable brand.

I'm pretty sure that the gentleman in question will not have bought the rights without thinking about it.

You might find that a Phoenix company that is unencumbered by existing workforce costs but yet still has brand recognition with the travelling public might be well placed to set itself up, recruit cheaper staff, lease cheaper aircraft and get ready to take advantage of the recovery when it comes?

[fjencl]

Does anybody know who the administrators kept on from the flybe management team when the company went into administration.

[parkfell]

A Phoenix from the ashes.....but only when C-19 vaccine(s) are established, and consumer confidence is restored, and unemployment has diminished.
A very gentle start is best.

[Hot 'n' High]

Originally Posted by Andy D

Which is probably both a blessing and a curse given many knew them as FlyMaybe…

Or maybe FlyNotAtAll proved even more inconvenient to their customers than FlyMaybe...... were it not for this Covid stuff then derailing the whole global shooting match!!

Seriously, tho, knowing a few folk who flew for FlyBe and shared the airways with them, anything would be good news ..... eventually. However, I'd not rush to put a start date on this myself. Next year? Year after? Year after that? My betting money is staying firmly in my pocket!

From the BBC link "One source said the process was at a "very premature stage"". That's probably the most reliable and accurate bit of the article.

[Set 1013]

Originally Posted by fjencl

Does anybody know who the administrators kept on from the flybe management team when the company went into administration.

I understand it was the acting DFO and Head of crew training.

[Leg]

The Airline Licence has been settled with the CAA after EU legislation saved the day (brexit headbangers take note), the AOC is being discussed with the CAA,
reports it will start early next year are rather optimistic one would assume.

[Pistonprop]

I wish the project well and hope it succeeds. Unfortunately nagging at the back of my mind are the negative statistics of the number of airlines (not just UK btw) which attempted a comeback and never actually got off the ground, or did but not for long. I'm sure there must have been some successful comebacks in the past. Can anyone think of any?

[Jamie2009]

Absolutely great news today, these new owners know how to run an airline so will be a different beast if those confidential conditions are met - wonder if one is the retention of the LHR slots..... bet it is.

I wonder if they're bidding for the Aer Lingus contract? maybe an interesting tactic in the LHR / IAG slot saga

[davidjohnson6]

People who run hedge funds and venture capital companies are usually very interested in how much money they can make for themselves personally but not particularly interested in what happens to the average employee
I would strongly caution against anybody getting excited about a revival of Flybe right now

[Jamie2009]

The current pandemic is an unknown and defo an opportunity - the airlines flying near empty planes at the moment are all making a loss.

[True Blue]

Should they get close to a restart, how do they deal with the fact that most of the better routes have been taken over by other carriers?

[Jamie2009]

Originally Posted by True Blue

Should they get close to a restart, how do they deal with the fact that most of the better routes have been taken over by other carriers?

Put them out of business when they've accumulated loads of debt to keep going through the crisis or make them retreat to their heartlands and to concentrate on their core business.

It's harsh but thats the way it is. I would suggest a Logan Air / Flybe agreement may be the best option.