I really hope they don't get Flybe. Might as well shut them down now if IAG get hold of them.

No mention of Stobart in this - surely they remain the front runner?
IAG would surely be the worst possible outcome- asset strip and closedown a la Dan Air.
VS is hardly cash rich, although Delta as the major shareholder are not adverse to regional feeders.

I've said it from the beginning, IAG are who may likely acquire Flybe. Lot's of shared synergies can be achieved and ultimately turn Flybe around to give the crews and cabin staff employment security. Walsh plays to win, can't see Branson pulling it off.

Except IAG have shown very little interest in the UK regions. Wheras with virgin i could see them keeping the regional ops going with IAG I could see them shutting them down.

So if we cant see vakue from an IAG or VS then Stobart?

A Stobart takeover would be the worst of all outcomes. You would then have 2 clueless management teams trying to run what should be a profitable airline.
They need competent management, clear out the dead wood at the top (including COW and the Chairman) and get some people in who know how to run an airline!

I don't really get you lot on here, no airline will ever fit them if you listen to yourselves. Clearly if there's interest then the said airlines must know what they're doing, you lot sound like you'll make the perfect airline CEO by the way you're carrying on.
​​​​​​With regards to IAG, what's so difficult to comprehend about it? The only thing missing from their armoury is a regional airline. Remember it's IAG we're talking about, not BA, IAG as a group may well want a regional airline and why not? They have the finances and power to do what is necessary to turn Flybe into a profitable airline. They could of course start by grounding the Embraer 195s, IAG will have the money to do this and it will instantly put Flybe back in the black. Flybe have a strong business, it just needs the correct guidance and restructuring.

Very well said

Flybe contains large elements of BA Connect that was sold by BA. So what's changed that IAG now need a regional airline again?
Everywhere else, the major airlines are geting out of regional flying and outsourcing it - why would IAG be any different?

I don't know what's so difficult to understand, BA owned BA Connect, not IAG. IAG is not BA, BA is part of IAG, IAG is not an airline so which major airline is getting out of regional flying? IAG wasn't even formed when BA offloaded BA Connect. It's funny that Air France and KLM are still empowering their regional arms, oh and there's Aer Lingus with Stobart too. Sorry but your theories hold no water whatsoever.

IAG outsources it's rgional flying - Aer Lingus don't own Stobart, Iberia don't own Air Nostrum, if IAG need a regional airline why Flybe?

Who said they "need" one? They may "want" one and why not? Considering they are apparently the front runners I'd suggest they know far more about what they're doing than you ever will.

Want/need, it's the same question, why now and why Flybe? I'm sure they do know more, just curious as to where they see the value

IAG as a holding company could buy any airline they like whose shares are available for purchase. If they want to buy some obscure charter carrier, they can do so, but "can do" does not meant "want to"

IAG bought bmi as a way of increasing their Heathrow slots knowing they would have to lend a few out to competitors (Virgin and now Flybe)

IAG bought Aer Lingus because it was complimentary to BA. People who from the UK regions could then fly via Dublin to North America instead of Heathrow and IAG would increase their msrket power in the market between UK/Ireland and North America, their core market.

IAG are interested in Finnair because BA and Iberia are very weak on routes to Asia

I fully understand IAG can buy Flybe. BA Connect was substantially sold, IAG/Iberia do not own Air Nostrum, and the general outsourcing of regional flying in North America, how would Flybe complement the existing businesses owned by IAG ? Flybe is a UK-centric airline - how would it boost profitability of existing IAG-owned operations in the UK, namely BA, and thus why would IAG want to buy Flybe ?

Well it's not the same question is it, I want a bar of chocolate because I fancy one, I need to eat food to survive.
With Flybe being so cheap to buy and the legacy issues that's keeping them in the red easyish to sort out for anyone with cash then considering they have a strong business (high revenue) then it should be a good purchase for almost anyone. Now you could argue that the purchaser might not be good for Flybe as we know it, but fundamentally if strong leadership prevails with strong restructuring then there's no reason why it wouldn't be a good acquisition. As for why now, well it's cheap enough isn't it? There will never be a better opportunity. Why Flybe? Why not? One of my friends is a BA skipper and he took Willie Walsh back to Spain 18 months ago. He visited the flightdeck for a chat and effectively said the only thing missing for IAG now is a regional airline acquisition so they've clearly been thinking about it for quite a while.

Complimenting is largely irrelevant. How does alot of IAGs airlines compliment the other? It doesn't matter and is just semantics. If IAG can turn Flybe into profit then there's the answer; profit, it's as simple as that. You lot do over complicate things sometimes.