Flybe ceases trading, all flights cancelled

On 28 January, UK airline Flybe announced it had gone into administration.

A statement on the airline’s website read: “Flybe has now ceased trading and all flights from and to the UK operated by Flybe have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.”

Approximately 2,500 passengers were scheduled to fly with Flybe last Saturday, with about 75,000 people in total having flights cancelled.

The advice given to customers by the airline was to ‘not travel to the airport unless you have arranged an alternative flight with another airline’, with Flybe unable to arrange alternative flights for passengers.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised Flybe passengers to:

• Make a claim through their card provider for a refund on flights, if they booked directly with the airline
• Check with your card issuer if they paid by credit card, as they may be protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974
• Talk to an airline ticket agent, if this is how they initially booked travel
• Check if they were covered by Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI) or a similar protection in a broader insurance product.

Paul Smith, Consumer Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “It is always sad to see an airline enter administration and we know that Flybe's decision to stop trading will be distressing for all of its employees and customers.

“We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Flybe flights are cancelled. For the latest advice, Flybe customers should visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s website or our Twitter feed for more information.”

The second administration

Flybe ceased trading in March 2020, citing the pandemic as a major factor. The company relaunched in April last year, after being bought by Thyme Opco, a firm linked to US hedge fund Cyrus Capital and subsequently renamed Flybe Limited.

However, it is now in the hands of High Court-appointed joint administrators David Pike and Mike Pink.

Financial advisory firm Interpath also confirmed that 277 of Flybe’s 321 staff are being made redundant, while the rest with be retained.