Flybe

[GerScot]

Reports in UK press today indicate Flybe may be on the brink of going into Administration. They are the biggest UK regional carrier and main airline at Southampton. Worth keeping an eye on if you are cruising and need to fly to Southampton..

[barneyboy]

Thanks for that. I saw a good deal on a Fjords cruise and was pricing flights yesterday from Edinburgh to Southampton. Maybe we will take the train!

[Gordoncruickshank]

I don't fancy getting to Southampton without a direct flight.

[GerScot]

2 hours ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

I don't fancy getting to Southampton without a direct flight.

 

Same here! Would add considerably to cost going via Heathrow or Gatwick. Cheaper to pick up cruise in Europe! Unfortunately we are booked on Apex in April and already booked with Flybe, hopefully it turns out ok.

[Gordoncruickshank]

Friends of ours are booked on them as the first part of their journey to Miami next month (arranged by Celebrity).

[GerScot]

All flights still going ahead today, so maybe they will survive, if not will create a huge gap in UK regional flights.

[Gordoncruickshank]

At least they would be able to get to LHR with BA if not Flybe.

[Bob++]

I don't see why my tax money should go to the fat cats [badly] running this airline. 

[John Bull]

Most flights out of Southampton are FlyBe, good little airline, and this warning came as a big surprise to me.

It's always a joy to fly from Southampton (or Bournemouth) airport, rather than driving a long distance to one of the over-busy over-crowded zoos like LHR or LGW.

 

FlyBe have had profitability problems for some time, but a year or so ago they were bought out by a consortium led by Virgin Atlantic at a cost of just one penny per share, with promises to maintain and increase flights.

At the time I wondered whether this was an asset-stripping exercise, in part for FlyBe's valuable slots at LHR, but the passage of time gave me confidence in the consortium.

Mis-placed confidence?

 

The uncertainty must surely be very damaging to bookings.

Yes, fare money is safeguarded in a number of ways like paying by credit card - but having to book alternative arrangements last-minute is expensive, troublesome and time-consuming. For the time being, I'd not want to commit to hotels etc based on booking flights with FlyBe. 

 

JB  

[John Bull]

FlyBe's investors and the UK govt have today struck a deal to keep FlyBe flying.

This from the BBC business news website

 

Troubled regional airline Flybe has struck a rescue deal with its investors and the government.

The firm's shareholders, which include Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Group, have agreed to put more money into the loss-making airline.

Meanwhile, the government has agreed to review air passenger duty, which had added to the firm's losses.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom said the deal would keep the company operating.

"Delighted that we have reached agreement with Flybe's shareholders to keep the company operating, ensuring that UK regions remain connected," she tweeted.

"This will be welcome news for Flybe's staff, customers and creditors and we will continue the hard work to ensure a sustainable future."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government had worked closely with Flybe to ensure its planes were able to continue flying.

He said on Twitter that the Department for Transport would conduct an urgent review that will seek to assess how it can improve regional connectivity.

The government has promised to review the amount of air passenger duty levied on domestic UK airline routes.

The prospect of cutting taxes on flying has angered climate activists who argue that flying is the most carbon intensive mode of transport.

However, the government has said the review of the tax will be consistent with its zero carbon targets.

The Treasury also said it would work with Flybe to figure out a repayment plan for the significant air passenger duty debt.

--------------------------------

The Govt "will review" (code for "will be reducing") the £13 air passenger tax on domestic flights in the run-up to the next budget.

They also said that the repayment plan for overdue passenger tax will be within the guidelines offered to all businesses for tax repayment.

 

Sorry, but I'm still not confident in the long run.

 

JB 

[Cotswold Eagle]

11 hours ago, John Bull said:

At the time I wondered whether this was an asset-stripping exercise, in part for FlyBe's valuable slots at LHR, but the passage of time gave me confidence in the consortium.

Mis-placed confidence?

FlyBe needs to keep using those slots for another year or so before they become their asset - they would  revert otherwise (a common provision to avoid exactly what you suggest 🙂)

[Cotswold Eagle]

FlyBe has finally gone under. It was placed into administration in the early hours this morning, once all its planes were on the ground in the UK. 

 

Terrible news for all their staff and worrying times for those with bookings. It must also place the viability of some regional airports in doubt, such as Southampton and Belfast, where FlyBe operated most of the flights. 

[John Bull]

8 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

FlyBe has finally gone under. It was placed into administration in the early hours this morning, once all its planes were on the ground in the UK. 

 

Terrible news for all their staff and worrying times for those with bookings. It must also place the viability of some regional airports in doubt, such as Southampton and Belfast, where FlyBe operated most of the flights. 

 

 

Yes, sad news.

And altho' it's "in administration" rather than "in liquidation" all flights have been cancelled - even flights that folk turned up for this-morning, so it looks very much like the death-knell..

The plummeting bookings experienced by all airlines due to coronavirus was the last straw for an airline that's been having financial difficulties for some time.

Not helped by over-buying of new aircraft as the airline tried to get bigger than its boots.

 

Yes, particularly bad news for Southampton airport which relies (relied ) on FlyBe for the vast bulk of its business.

And for those of us who found it so very easy to fly from our local airport.

 

Fingers-crossed that another airline will take over some of its routes. 

But this isn't a good time for optimism.

 

JB 

[Sekhmet]

35 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Yes, particularly bad news for Southampton airport which relies (relied ) on FlyBe for the vast bulk of its business.

 

Fingers-crossed that another airline will take over some of its routes. 

 

JB 

The BBC lunchtime news locally (Midlands, as Flybe are (were) a significant player at Birmingham), said that Loganair were expecting to take over routes with a Scottish element from next week, so hope for some maybe.

[Cotswold Eagle]

That’s some pretty nifty work by Loganair (been planning for this day for a while, I expect!). Full list here, includes Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow to Southampton, with various dates up to June for services to start:

 

https://www.loganair.co.uk/our-story/latest-news/2020/loganair-steps-in-to-safeguard-uk-air-routes-after-flybe-collapse