UNITED STATES: Flybe, a regional airline, has shut down and cancelled all flights, stranding passengers and laying off hundreds of staff.
After Flybe went out of business, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told Flybe customers to stay away from airports.
“All Flybe flights have now been cancelled. Please do not go to the airport as flights will not be operating,” the CAA said in a statement early on Saturday.
“Flybe customers who still need to travel will need to make their own alternative travel arrangements via other airlines, rail or coach operators,” it said.
The airline “ceased trading,” according to a statement on its website, and advised any passengers planning to fly with it not to go to the airport.
The airline said that all flights to and from the UK have been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled. It also said that David Pike and Mike Pink from Interpath Advisory have been named joint administrators.
The airline said that David Pike and Mike Pink from Interpath Advisory have been named joint administrators and that all flights to and from the UK have been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled.
Of the 321 employees of Flybe, 277 have been laid off, while the other 44 will remain in their positions, according to the administrators.
Flybe said that it was impossible to find passengers other flights, and those whose flights were booked through a third party were told to get in touch with the airline or booking agent.
From Belfast City, Birmingham, and Heathrow, the airline offered regular service on 21 routes to airports around the United Kingdom, Amsterdam, and Geneva.
On social media, the announcement quickly caused concern. Many passengers asked if they would get refunds, and some Flybe employees said they were now looking for jobs.
Ryanair, a low-cost airline, moved quickly to hire the affected employees. It set up a fast-track hiring process for Flybe staff and announced that it would hold a hiring event for them at Birmingham International Airport on Thursday, February 2.
Several angry passengers questioned how they could get refunds after learning they could book flights with the airline as late as Friday night, just hours before the announcement.
Flybe has stated that it will be able to assist travellers in finding substitute flights and has directed any impacted travellers to the CAA for guidance and information.
On January 28 and 29, Flybe clients with cancelled flights can use any London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service to go to their destination for free by presenting their airline ticket, according to travel service providers like LNER.
The CAA consumer director, Paul Smith, said: “It is always sad to see an airline enter administration. We know that Flybe’s decision to stop trading will be distressing for all its employees and customers.”
Before this announcement, Flybe said that it would stop running in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The company was saved when Thyme Opco, a company linked to the US hedge fund Cyrus Capital, bought it and changed its name to Flybe Limited.
When the airline started up again in April 2022, it had 530 flights per week across 23 routes planned. Joint administrators had been chosen by the high court to oversee Flybe Limited.
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