Flybe in trouble ?
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BBC news on Flybe
Airline Flybe is set to collapse within hours, putting 2,000 jobs at risk after a bid for fresh financial support failed, the BBC has learned.
The struggling carrier narrowly avoided going bust in January.
Exeter-based Flybe said the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on demand for air travel was partly to blame.
Its final airborne flights are expected to touch down at airports across the UK late on Wednesday evening.
Flybe, which serves far flung parts of the UK including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and the UK regions had been hoping for a £100m lifeline and changes to Air Passenger Duty taxes.
The carrier ran into difficulties last year and was bought by a consortium which includes Virgin Atlantic.
In January, the new owners said they would pump £30m into the business to keep it afloat, but appealed to the government for additional support.
While its financial problems were already apparent, a company insider told the BBC the impact of the coronavirus on the travel industry had "made a bad situation much worse".
Virgin said this week its chief executive will take a 20% pay cut for four months, and the airline is freezing recruitment and offering employees unpaid leave as the coronavirus saps demand for air travel.
Bookings are 40% lower than a year ago, Virgin added.
The struggling carrier narrowly avoided going bust in January.
Exeter-based Flybe said the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on demand for air travel was partly to blame.
Its final airborne flights are expected to touch down at airports across the UK late on Wednesday evening.
Flybe, which serves far flung parts of the UK including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and the UK regions had been hoping for a £100m lifeline and changes to Air Passenger Duty taxes.
The carrier ran into difficulties last year and was bought by a consortium which includes Virgin Atlantic.
In January, the new owners said they would pump £30m into the business to keep it afloat, but appealed to the government for additional support.
While its financial problems were already apparent, a company insider told the BBC the impact of the coronavirus on the travel industry had "made a bad situation much worse".
Virgin said this week its chief executive will take a 20% pay cut for four months, and the airline is freezing recruitment and offering employees unpaid leave as the coronavirus saps demand for air travel.
Bookings are 40% lower than a year ago, Virgin added.
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Whilst it will be a horrible experience for all Flybe employees, my heart goes out to the BE2111 crew who would be nightstopping at LHR.
A night sleeping in the terminal and make your own way home? 😥
A night sleeping in the terminal and make your own way home? 😥
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Years of mismanagement by the board, past and present, dithering on fleet issues and under-recruitment of crew causing daily operational stress
Shame on them
Probably sleeping easy though
Shame on them
Probably sleeping easy though
Join Date: May 2005
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A very sad end and perhaps and end to large scale domestic flying. To all those taking a pop at Mr Branson at least they had a go ... arguably in different times.
British Airways decided there was nothing in this business years ago. Dr Beeching did the same for Rail decades ago to some extent. Perhaps the only way to make money out of regional connectivity is connecting the regions to London.
British Airways decided there was nothing in this business years ago. Dr Beeching did the same for Rail decades ago to some extent. Perhaps the only way to make money out of regional connectivity is connecting the regions to London.
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I heard a news report today saying that the money promised by the government to help Flybe out was not going to be paid now. The reason given was that this aid was to be in the form of relief on APD and someone has just realised that any adjustments, suspensions etc to APD is not allowed due to EU rules. Would that be the same EU that we are led to believe we no longer belong to?
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Good to see Blue Islands have made a statement on their website, stating that it will be business as usual for them and flights that would have been operated under the franchise, will still operate.
I suspect Eastern will do the same.
I guess there will be some financial impact to both airlines?
I suspect Eastern will do the same.
I guess there will be some financial impact to both airlines?
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It's going to be awkward for Eastern. They used to use Flybe to book, so it is no longer possible to book flights. How long will it take them to get their own booking system up?
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Blue Islands the same. Blue islands have said that there booking systems will be up by Monday, but until then people can rock up at the airport with an £50 charge for booking seats at the airport
As an ex-Flybe-er good luck to the great guys and ladies today. Management of this company has always been a joke but you could never fault the 'coal face' staff who were great to work with and kept the whole show on the road through some very difficult times. All the best.
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It’s bad enough at the best of times but dreadful timing with other airlines halting recruitment and I really hope news that their pensions might be at risk as their scheme is based on IOM is unfounded. The Pension Protection Fund is not as great as it sounds but is better than nothing. That really would be a galling prospect on top of that already inflicted.
Heart goes out to those at flybe.
Heart goes out to those at flybe.
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Utterly devastated, feels personal to me, like a solid punch to the gut. The airline that gave me a start in my aviation career and to boot it was a local one. Best wishes to those ex colleagues who were still there at the end it’s a horrible time at the moment, can’t imagine what they’re going through.