All flights from and to the UK operated by Flybe Limited have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled
Customers are advised to visit www.flybe.com or www.caa.co.uk for further information
0400hrs Saturday 28 January 2023
David Pike and Mike Pink from Interpath Advisory have been appointed joint administrators to Flybe Limited.
As a result of the insolvency proceedings, Flybe is no longer able to fly or accept bookings.
Consequently, all flights operated by Flybe both from and to the UK are cancelled with immediate effect.
Flybe will not be able to reschedule these flights. Passengers due to fly with Flybe today and in the future are advised not to travel to their airport, unless they have booked alternative arrangements.
Flybe was awarded its Air Operating Certificate and Licence to Operate in 2021, with operations commencing in April 2022. The Company’s ambition was to bring the airline back to full capacity, with a focus on establishing regional connectivity across the UK and partnering with operators with access to Europe and the US.
Stuart Irwin, Managing Director at Interpath Advisory in Belfast, said: “The ‘new’ Flybe was welcomed by business and leisure travellers in Northern Ireland when it launched last year as providing additional key connectivity to the mainland. This is devastating news for all those who have supported the Company since then, including employees, passengers, funders and the wider aviation industry.
“We understand this will have a significant impact on those employees based here in Belfast, and our priority is to try and support them as best we can through this difficult process. As a matter of priority, we will be speaking to all of the Company’s employees later this morning to explain what the administration means for them.
“Our focus in the coming days will be to support those employees and communicate with all customers of the business, in particular those passengers who have bookings and are due to fly in the coming days.
“We appreciate that this will cause significant disruption for those customers and, in that regard, we would politely ask that passengers do not travel to airports unless they have made alternative arrangements. Further information for customers can be found on both the Flybe and the CAA websites.”
Stuart Irwin continued: “Significant efforts have been made over recent months by the board and key stakeholders to try to safeguard the future of the business, including seeking new investors and exploring a sales process for the business. Unfortunately, these efforts did not reach a successful conclusion.
“The Administration process provides us with the ability to potentially preserve or dispose of some elements of the business after appointment and, in that regard, we plan to preserve scaled-back elements of the operating platform for a short period such that a rescue transaction remains a possibility. Should any interested party want to explore reviving the airline, I’d encourage them to come forward and make contact with the utmost urgency.”
Flybe operates passenger flights via 21 routes to 17 destinations across the UK and EU. It operates a fleet of eight leased Q400 aircraft.
Headquartered in Birmingham, the Company employs approximately 320 people, principally across four sites – Belfast Airport, Birmingham Airport, Exeter Airport and at its Birmingham head office.
Important information for customers:
Passengers due to fly with Flybe in the next 24-48 hours are advised not to travel to the airport, unless they have booked alternative arrangements.
This includes passengers who are currently overseas with a flight scheduled to return to the UK.
Flybe is unfortunately not able to arrange alternative flights for passengers.
Customers who are due to travel in the coming days and weeks may be able to claim a refund and potentially be able to claim any (reasonable) additional costs incurred as a consequence of the cancellation of Flybe’s flights from:
Further information and support for customers can be found at www.flybe.com or via the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) website at www.caa.co.uk/news
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
Flybe employee numbers by location:
| Belfast Airport (BHD) | 138 |
| Birmingham Airport (BHX) | 99 |
| Birmingham HQ (Diamond House) | 69 |
| Exeter Airport | 7 |
| Others | 8 |
Contact information:
For press enquiries only, please contact the following:
Katy Broomhead, Head of Communications
Tel: 0161 529 8861 / 07824 537963
Sarah Webber, Communications Manager
Tel: 0117 374 9895 / 07468 359547
Kathryn White, Head of Marketing
Tel: 0141 648 4315 / 07500 107484
Or email [email protected]. Please note, the team are unable to handle passenger queries.
About Interpath Advisory:
Interpath is a financial advisory business with a broad range of specialisms that helps organisations facing challenge or opportunity to navigate what’s next. The group advises companies, lenders, equity holders and a wide range of other stakeholders including Government, regulators and pension trustees to navigate the issues and opportunities associated with economic disruption and to overcome financial and operational challenges.
