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Flybe (1979–2020)

Flybe (pronounced /ˈflˌb/), styled as flybe, was a British airline based in Exeter, England. Until its sale to Connect Airways in 2019, it was the largest independent regional airline in Europe. Flybe once provided more than half of UK domestic flights outside London.[3]

Flybe
IATA ICAO Callsign
BE[1] BEE JERSEY
Founded1 November 1979; 44 years ago (1979-11-01) (as Jersey European Airways)
Ceased operations5 March 2020; 4 years ago (2020-03-05)
AOC #601
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer programnone (formerly Avios)
Fleet size63
Destinations56[2]
Parent companyConnect Airways
Employees1,931[citation needed]
Websitewww.flybe.com

The airline was launched in 1979 as Jersey European Airways following the merger of Intra Airways and Express Air Services. In 1983, the airline was sold to Walker Steel Group, which also owned Spacegrand Aviation, and the two airlines were merged under the Jersey European name during 1985. The airline experienced significant growth during the 1990s; it was in this period that Jersey European Airways served as the launch customer for the Embraer E-195 regional airliner. The firm was renamed British European in 2000 and Flybe in 2002. On 3 November 2006, it was announced that Flybe was in the process of purchasing BA Connect, which resulted in the airline becoming the largest regional airline in Europe. On 10 December 2010, the company was floated in an IPO on the London Stock Exchange.

In February 2019, the airline was sold to the Connect Airways consortium, backed by Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Aviation. Connect Airways intended Flybe and Stobart Air to subsequently rebrand as Virgin Connect, though they would have retained their own Air Operator Certificates.

On 5 March 2020, Flybe filed for administration and ceased all operations. The airline, which had been struggling for several months, claimed that its difficulties were compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bookings.

In October 2020, Thyme Opco, a company linked to former shareholder Cyrus Capital, reached an agreement with the administrators to purchase the Flybe brand and relaunch the airline in 2021, subject to regulatory approvals. In April 2021, the new company renamed itself Flybe Limited, obtained an operating licence, route licences and airport slots; the first flight took place on 13 April 2022. The relaunched airline ceased trading on 28 January 2023.

History edit

Early years edit

 
A Jersey European Vickers Viscount in 1980.
 
A Jersey European BAe 146 wearing the 1991–2000 livery.
 
A British European Bombardier CRJ200 wearing the 2000–2002 livery.
 
One of Jersey European's former logos, used from 1991 to 2000.

Flybe started operations on 1 November 1979 as Jersey European Airways as a result of a merger of the Jersey-based Intra Airways and the Bournemouth-based Express Air Services.[4][5] It was founded by John Habin, a resident of Jersey and the majority investor. After selling Aviation Beauport and other business interests, Habin invested in the firm so that it could establish several routes from Jersey Airport to major airports in the UK.[6] Initially equipped with an aging fleet of war-surplus Douglas DC-3 aircraft, Jersey European Airways gradually reequipped with more modern commuter airliners.[7]

In November 1983, Habin sold his stake in Jersey European Airways to Jack Walker's Walker Steel Group, which already owned the Blackpool-based charter airline Spacegrand Aviation. Initially, these two airlines were then run separately despite partially shared management; Exeter Airport served as a critical hub, forming a meeting point between the two companies' route networks.[7] In 1985, both airlines were amalgamated under the Jersey European name; the combined entity's headquarters was established at Exeter.[6][8] In 1985, Jersey European Airways carried 160,000 passengers and achieved an annual revenue of just under £9 million.[7]

During 1990, Jersey European Airways' passenger count rose to 460,000, being 40 percent greater than the previous year.[7] During 1991, the airline commenced its first route to London, flying between Guernsey and London Gatwick Airport.[8] In 1993, it received the first of its British Aerospace 146, a four-engined jet-powered regional aircraft.[7] That same year, the airline introduced a business class service aboard some aircraft.[8] Around this time, the Exeter hub was supplemented by connections at both London and Birmingham. By 1995, Jersey European Airways was again expanding after incurring minor losses during the prior year.[7]

In mid-1997, Jersey European Airways announced that it had achieved record results in its previous financial year amid a boom in Europe's regional airlines market; that year, the firm had secured a franchise arrangement with Air France covering routes from London Heathrow to Toulouse and Lyon, expanded its fleet to provide 32% more seat capacity, recorded a 27% increase in sales, while profits had risen by nearly a third to reach £3.4 million.[9][10] That same year, the airline, which operated a mixed fleet of 12 British Aerospace 146s, four Fokker F27s and two Short 360s, was in the process of leasing additional BAe 146s to cater for expansion; Jim French, Jersey European's deputy chief executive, announced that it was performing detailed studies with the aim of introducing larger airliners in the 150- to 170-seat class, such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families.[11][12]

2000–2010 edit

In June 2000, the airline announced that it had rebranded itself British European;[13] according to a company spokesperson, this was due to the Jersey European Airways name no longer being an accurate reflection of the scope of the routes being covered.[14] This name was soon shortened to simply Flybe on 18 July 2002, after which the airline repositioning itself as a full-service, low-fare airline. Various pricing and product changes were made in line with this position, such as discounted one-way tickets, the abolition of overbooking practices, a customer charter of the airline's service standards, as well as compensation for delays.[15]

In June 2005, it was announced that Flybe would procure a fleet of 26 Embraer E-195 regional airliners; it would claim that it had opted for the 118-seat E-195 over rival 150-seat aircraft due to economics and performance benefits.[16] Flybe would serve as the launch customer for the E-195, receiving the first example of the type during the later half of 2006. Initially, the E-195 fleet were assigned to the airline's high-volume trunk routes, but the firm later planned to use it on new routes to expand their network.[17][18] Further E-195s would be ordered by the airline over the following decade, the type making up a major proportion of Flybe's fleet.[19]

On 3 November 2006, it was announced that Flybe would buy BA Connect, except for that airline's services out of London City Airport.[20] During March 2007, this takeover was completed; as a consequence of the BA Connect takeover, the ownership of Flybe was divided between Rosedale Aviation Holdings (69%), Flybe staff (16%) and the International Airlines Group (15%).[21] The acquisition increased Flybe's route network in both the UK and continental Europe, making Flybe Europe's largest regional airline.[22][23]

On 14 January 2008, it was announced that Flybe had signed a franchise agreement with Scottish airline Loganair, to commence on 26 October 2008 following the termination of Loganair's franchise agreement with British Airways on 25 October 2008. The agreement would see Loganair aircraft flying in Flybe colours on 55 routes from Scotland.[24]

In 2008, in order to avoid losing a £280,000 rebate from Norwich Airport, Flybe advertised for "actors", as well as offering free return flights to Dublin on its website.[25] As a result, the environmental group Friends of the Earth called on the government to launch an investigation into the aviation industry.[26]

Chief Executive Officer Jim French was recognised in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List with a CBE for his services to the airline industry.[27]

On 10 December 2010, Flybe floated in an IPO on the London Stock Exchange, with trading in shares commencing on the same day. Full public release of shares followed on 15 December 2010. The share price was set at 295p, valuing the company at approximately £215 million, and raising £66 million for the company, half of which was to pay for fleet expansion.[28][29]

2011–2020 edit

On 23 May 2013, it was reported that Flybe had sold its slots at Gatwick Airport to EasyJet for £20 million, and that the slots would be handed over to EasyJet on 29 March 2014.[30] CEO and chairman Jim French retired in August 2013, leaving the post of CEO to Saad Hammad, formerly of EasyJet, while Simon Laffin became chairman.[31] By November 2013, Hammad had shaken up the operation, requesting the resignations of three top managers within six weeks of his arrival. Out of 158 routes flown at the time, over 60 did not cover their direct operating expenses and the costs of crew and aircraft.[31]

On 23 April 2014, Flybe announced that it would launch domestic and international flights from London City Airport from 27 October 2014 after signing a five-year deal with the airport. The airline was expecting to carry around 500,000 passengers a year, with all five allocated aircraft being based around the Flybe network overnight.[32] In March 2014, it was announced that Flybe would undergo a major brand refresh. This new scheme included a new purple aircraft livery, new interior features and new uniforms.[33][34] During June 2014, British Airways sold most of its remaining stake in the airline; it had already been reduced to 5% by share issues.

In early 2016, it was announced that Flybe had negotiated a six-year agreement with SAS Scandinavian Airlines to fly 4 ATR 72–9 aircraft on their behalf, starting in October 2016.[35] On 4 March 2015, Flybe announced new routes from Cardiff Airport bringing the number of routes to eleven. Flybe also stated their intention to create a new base at Cardiff Airport in summer 2015,[36] initially basing two Embraer 195 aircraft there, which subsequently increased to three. On 10 November 2015, Flybe announced that it would base two Embraer 195 aircraft at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, starting new routes to Amsterdam, Berlin Tegel, Paris CDG, Jersey, Alicante, Málaga, Faro and Newquay as of 27 March 2016.[37][38] This announcement came on the same day that Flybe announced that they would be pulling flights from Bournemouth Airport.[39] Dublin Airport was added in October 2016, taking over where Stobart Air pulled out.

On 26 October 2016, it was announced that Hammad would be standing down as CEO with immediate effect and that consequently, Flybe were beginning the process of finding a replacement. On 21 November 2016, Flybe announced it was to open its first European base at Düsseldorf Airport. In February 2017 this commenced with two aircraft alongside 60 pilots, cabin crew and engineers. On 22 December 2016, Flybe started selling flights for 12 further destinations from Southend Airport, in an extension to their existing franchise operation with Stobart Air.[40]

Flybe and Loganair separately announced that their franchise agreement would terminate in October 2017. Flybe then announced a partnership with Eastern Airways and would now operate routes in direct competition with Loganair – namely flights from the Scottish mainland to Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh. On 16 January 2017, former CityJet boss Christine Ourmieres-Widener, took over the role of CEO after Saad Hammad left in October 2016.[41] Later in the year, Flybe started flying from Heathrow to Aberdeen and Edinburgh taking over slots previously used by Virgin Atlantic Little Red.[42]

On 22 February 2018, franchise partner Stobart Air confirmed interest in a takeover bid of 100% of Flybe for an undisclosed fee.[43] However this bid was rejected by the carrier and Stobart scrapped its interest on 22 March 2018,[44] causing share prices in the airline, which had climbed by up to 25% following the bid, to drop back to their previous level.[45] In September 2018, a revised aircraft livery was launched, with purple and white being retained but lilac replacing the red and yellow. On 14 November 2018, after the airline's shares fell by 75%, Flybe announced that it was talking with various parties about a potential sale of the business, as part of a wide-ranging review of strategic options.[46][47] On 22 November, it emerged that Virgin Atlantic was one of the parties with which Flybe had been holding discussions; Flybe's slots at Heathrow were of particular interest to Virgin Atlantic, along with the potential to use Flybe to feed passengers into the Virgin Atlantic hubs at Manchester and London Heathrow.[48][49]

Connect Airways takeover edit

On 11 January 2019, a takeover bid worth £2.2 million by the Connect Airways consortium, which includes Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Aviation, was confirmed. The consortium would initially lend £20 million to enable Flybe to continue operations, and would also take over Stobart Air; after the acquisition is complete it will provide a further £80 million. This initial deal, which would have been conditional on shareholder and court approval,[50] was expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2019.[51] Flybe and Stobart Air would subsequently operate under the Virgin Atlantic brand[52] though they would retain their own Air Operator Certificates.[53] Optimisation of Flybe's routes is likely to result in a "limited reduction" in its fleet.[51]

On 15 January 2019, Connect Airways increased its offer by £600,000, and set out improved bridging loan conditions, with £10 million to be released immediately to support Flybe's business, and a further £10 million available. Subsequent funding of £80 million was also confirmed. In accepting the revised offer, Flybe's board stated that it provides the security that the business needs and preserves the interests of its stakeholders, customers, employees, partners, and pension members.[54] The deal, which covered Flybe Group's operating subsidiaries, i.e. the airline and the website,[55] is to be completed by 22 February 2019.[56]

Flybe Group's shareholders had decided in December 2018 to transfer its final shares to a standard listing,[57] meaning that shareholder approval for the sale of the assets was no longer required.[56] Notwithstanding this change, on 21 January 2019 one of the largest shareholders, Hosking Partners, threatened legal action to block the deal, which it believed undervalued the company.[58] On 4 February 2019, Flybe confirmed that it had received a valid request from Hosking Partners to convene a general meeting in order to appoint a new director, but noted that Flybe's articles of association did not give members the powers needed for the new director's proposed investigation of the sale.[59][60] It also confirmed that it had received, and rejected, a preliminary alternative bid from former Stobart CEO Andrew Tinkler.[61] On 7 February, Flybe Group warned its shareholders that, after the sale of the operating assets, the parent company would be wound up if they did not approve its sale.[55] On 20 February, Flybe said it had rejected an alternative "preliminary and highly conditional contingency proposal" from Mesa Air Group and supported by Andrew Tinkler, noting that it could not be executed quickly enough to enable the airline to continue trading.[62]

On 21 February 2019, Flybe announced that the sale of Flybe Limited and Flybe.com Limited to Connect Airways had been completed,[63] with Flybe flights continuing to operate as normal. The sale of the parent company, Flybe Group plc, now an empty shell, was confirmed by its shareholders at a meeting on 4 March[64] and became effective on 11 March.[65]

In October 2019, it was announced that Flybe was to be rebranded as Virgin Connect, reflecting its incorporation into the Virgin Group, with effect from early 2020.[66][67] The Virgin Group launched a landing page www.virginconnect.com to avoid confusion with the existing Virgin Connect brand used in Russia for internet & mobile services.[68]

In January 2020, it emerged that Flybe was again in difficulties, incurring mounting losses despite the financing provided by Connect Airways.[69] A deal was reached on 15 January, entailing a deferred payment plan for Flybe's tax debts and increased funding from Connect Airways. The UK government also agreed to conduct an urgent review of Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights.[70] As of January 2020, Flybe operated 36% of all UK domestic flights (ahead of the UK's two largest airlines, British Airways and EasyJet), carrying 26% of domestic passengers (behind British Airways and EasyJet, which operate larger aircraft types).[71]

In February 2020, the UK government envisaged granting Flybe a £100 million rescue loan, and held talks with the EU Commission to ensure that state aid rules were not broken.[72] In early March, the airline faced concern over the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bookings, casting doubt on whether the loan would be granted.[73]

End of operations edit

In the early morning of 5 March 2020, the airline filed for administration and ceased all operations with immediate effect after the UK government failed to grant a proposed £100 million ($129 million) loan.[74] Virgin Atlantic stated that Connect Airways could "no longer commit to continued financial support" despite its investment of over £135 million, and placed part of the blame on the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Flybe's trading.[75] All flights operated by Flybe and Stobart Air were cancelled, though those operated by franchisees Blue Islands and Eastern Airways continued.[76] The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said that Flybe had made "every possible attempt" to prevent the collapse but were "unable to overcome significant funding challenges".[77]

As of 1 May 2020, Flybe's administrators EY believed that a sale of the business as a going concern remained possible, having received around 20 non-binding offers including three for the entire business and assets, and expected to receive final offers for evaluation in early May. They appealed to the UK transport secretary to ensure that Flybe's operating licence is not revoked, as this would prevent the sale of the valuable airport slots.[78] The appeal was successful, and on 9 July the CAA withdrew its revocation decision. Further legal action remained, relating to Flybe's slots at Heathrow – which have been taken over by British Airways parent IAG – and to its Air Operator Certificate.[79]

Relaunch edit

On 19 October 2020, reports emerged that Lucien Farrell, in charge of former shareholder Cyrus Capital's European office, had formed a new company, Thyme Opco, to purchase the Flybe brand and relaunch the airline, subject to regulatory approvals.[80] The new owner planned to "start small and restore regional connectivity in the UK" from 2021.[81] On 1 December 2020, Thyme Opco applied for a UK operating licence.[82] Thyme Opco also registered a 21-year-old Q400, which was expected to be the first aircraft for the 'new Flybe',[83] but which has since departed to Canada where it operates for PAL Airlines.[citation needed]

In April 2021, the British CAA granted the new airline an operating licence as well as Type A and B route licences, enabling the carrier to operate both charter and scheduled services.[citation needed] The new company also obtained 86 slots at Heathrow for the summer 2021 season, to be used for flights to Edinburgh and Aberdeen,[84] but the airline was not relaunched in time to use these slots.

The 'original' Flybe company was renamed FBE Realisations 2021 Limited, with Thyme Opco Limited becoming Flybe Limited.[citation needed]

On 3 June 2021, the operating licence for the original company was revoked following an unsuccessful appeal to the Transport Secretary. Despite initial beliefs that its legacy slots at UK airports had returned to the slot coordinator, this was shown not to be the case by coordinator ACL.[85] The new operating company also leased Heathrow slots from British Airways for routes to Edinburgh and Aberdeen.[86]

On 26 October 2021, the new Flybe Limited confirmed that it had appointed David Pflieger as its chief executive.[87] This closely followed the appearance of an ex-Flybe Q400, registered as G-JECX, which had been painted with a new purple-and-white livery.[88] In November 2021, the airline announced that it had picked Birmingham Airport as its new base, with operations scheduled to begin in early 2022 to "key regions across the UK and EU".[89]

On 16 March 2022, Flybe announced that it would start ticket sales the following week, and that Belfast would be the airline's second operating base.[90] The company slogan was "Smile and go the extra mile."[citation needed] On 22 March the company's website opened for bookings;[91] the first flight took place on 13 April 2022.[92]

On 28 January 2023, Flybe entered administration and ceased all operations.[93]

On 18 March 2024, administration of the original Flybe (FBE Realisations 2021 Limited) ceased and the company was dissolved.[94]

Corporate affairs edit

Ownership and structure edit

 
Jack Walker House, Flybe's former head office (located at Exeter International Airport).

The former owner, Flybe Group plc, was a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FLYB).[95] Until November 2013, the main shareholder, with 48.1% of the shares, was Rosedale Aviation Holdings Limited,[96] the corporate representative of the trustee of the Jack Walker 1987 Settlement, which was established by the late Jack Walker, who was involved in Flybe's early development.

In the UK, Flybe's largest base was at Birmingham Airport;[97] the airline had other large bases at Belfast City, Manchester and Southampton airports, with a total of 14 crew and aircraft who were based across the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The airline held a Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.[98] The Flybe Group included Flybe Aviation Services (engineering and maintenance), Flybe Training Academy (engineering and flight crew training), Flybe UK (airline operations) and Flybe Europe, the holding company for all European operations, which previously consisted of Flybe Nordic.

Business trends edit

Trends for Flybe Group during the period 2007–2018 are shown below (as at year ending 31 March):

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Group turnover (total, less JV) (£M) 367.5 535.9 572.4 570.5 595.5 615.3 614.3 620.5 574.1 623.8 707.4 752.6
Profit before tax (EBITDA) (£M) −16.2 30.4 0.1 5.7 7.6 −7.1 −23.2 8.1 −35.6 2.7 −48.5 −9.4
Profit after tax (£M) −19.9 34.9 4.1 6.7 3.8 −6.4 −41.8 8.0 −35.7 6.8 −26.7
Number of employees (average/*year end) 1,931 3,197 2,860 2,798 2,949 2,781 2,667 2,650 2,069* 2,262* 2,388* 2,346*
Number of passengers (scheduled) (m) 5.2 7.0 7.3 7.2 7.2 7.6 7.2 7.7 7.7 8.2 8.8 9.5
Passenger load factor (schedule) (%) 65.4 63.5 61.7 61.9 62.6 69.5 75.2 72.6 69.6 75.6
Number of aircraft (average/*year end) 81* 80* 68 67 68 84 81 97 66* 74* 83* 80*
Notes/sources [99] [99] [96][100] [96][101] [96][102] [96] [96] [103] [104] [105] [105]

Joint ventures and franchises edit

 
A Flybe ATR 72-500 (operated by Stobart Air).

Loganair was the first franchise partner for Flybe and operated a number of flights in Scotland and Ireland under a franchise agreement from 2008. Loganair aircraft wore the full Flybe livery during the time of the franchise. In 2016, it was announced that the agreement was to end on 31 August 2017 at which time Loganair would become an independent carrier.[citation needed]

In 2014, Flybe signed their second franchise agreement with Stobart Air,[106] and initially started operating European routes from Southend Airport. In 2015, Stobart Air began operating more flights on behalf of Flybe from Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man using two ATR 72.[107] In 2017, Flybe and Stobart Air began operating additional services from Southend Airport using Flybe Embraer 195 jet aircraft.[citation needed]

On 11 January 2016, Flybe announced its third franchise deal with the Jersey based airline, Blue Islands. This would see all Blue Islands flights operated under the Flybe name, and the Blue Islands aircraft livery replaced with the current Flybe livery from May 2016.[108] This deal was, however, under investigation and was reported to be potentially breaking local competition laws.[109]

From 1 September 2017, Eastern Airways became a new franchise partner for Flybe taking over routes previously operated by Loganair from Aberdeen Airport, Glasgow Airport and Edinburgh Airport.[110] This now meant both Flybe and Loganair were now in direct competition with each other. In January 2018, services to Sumburgh were being withdrawn, owing to the competition with Loganair and the route being unable to sustain two carriers.[111] It was also announced that Loganair was withdrawing services from Glasgow to Manchester leaving Flybe as the sole operator on that route.

Flybe purchased Finncomm Airlines with Finnair in July 2011,[112] and on 30 October 2011 rebranded the airline as Flybe Nordic. The joint venture operated its own routes along with franchise routes under a codeshare agreement for Finnair, operating under Flybe's BE-code. Flybe agreed to sell its 60% stake in Flybe Nordic in November 2014 for €1, in an attempt to reduce group costs.[113] On 1 May 2015, Flybe Nordic began operating solely for Finnair as it was no longer a part of Flybe. Flybe Nordic is now known as Nordic Regional Airlines – Norra.[114]

Sponsorship edit

Flybe were the main sponsor of Exeter City Football Club and also sponsored Exeter Chiefs with their branding featuring on both teams' shirts. Flybe had also sponsored the ITV Weather forecasts on ITV Channel Television, ITV Cymru Wales, ITV Meridian, ITV West Country, STV, UTV, and the sport sections of the Manchester Evening News, the Express & Echo (Exeter), the South Wales Echo (Cardiff), the Isle of Man Courier and the Isle of Man Examiner.

Flybe had previously sponsored Birmingham City (2003–2007), Norwich City (2006–2008), Southampton (2006–2010) and Inverness Caledonian Thistle (2007–2010).

Services edit

Frequent-flyer programmes edit

Flybe used the Avios frequent-flyer programme until 30 April 2019, when Flybe and Avios ended their partnership and all accounts were closed.[115] The programme is operated by the IAG subsidiary Avios Group.

Cabin and service edit

Flybe's cabin interiors were configured with a single-class all-economy layout. Flybe operated an allocated seating policy on all flights. Passengers had the option to choose a specific seat of their choice online in advance for a fee or have one allocated free of charge during online check-in or at the airport check-in. The airline operated a buy on board programme, called "Café Flybe", offering food and drinks for purchase. On most flights to and from the Channel Islands a selection of duty free spirits and tobacco items were also available to purchase.

Passengers had the option of three ticket types. "Just Fly", "Get More" and "All In".

  • "Just Fly" was the most basic ticket type, with just the flight included and any extra options available to add for an additional fee.
  • "Get More" ticket holders were able to reserve a seat and take a 23 kg hold bag.[116]
  • "All In" ticket holders received a complimentary drink and snack, access to Flybe Executive Lounges, free pre-booked seating, priority check-in and two hold bags.[117]

Destinations edit

Flybe operated short haul services to destinations throughout the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and continental Europe.

Former partnerships and codeshare agreements edit

Flybe formerly had codeshares with the following airlines under the 'One Stop to the World' programme:[118][119]

The airline also had franchise agreements with the following airlines:

Interline agreements edit

Flybe had interline agreements with the following airlines:[120]

Fleet edit

 
Flybe DHC-8-400

Before ceasing operations the Flybe fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[121]

Flybe fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers Notes
de Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 54 78
Embraer 175 9 88
Total 63

Fleet strategy and developments edit

Flybe retired its final Embraer 195s in February 2020,[122] which were subsequently returned to lessors once retired. Flybe had stated the Q400 was to remain the backbone of its fleet going forward.[123]

Dash 8 Q400 edit

 
A Flybe DHC-8-400 wearing the 2002 livery.

Flybe became the world's largest operator of the Dash 8 Q400 after it added 24 leased from Republic Airways in 2014.[124] In May 2007, the airline signed a deal with Bombardier for a further 15 Q400 aircraft valued at US$394 million (£197 million), with options for a further 15, increasing its fleet of the type to 60.[125] In September 2014, Republic Airways agreed to lease 24 of their Q400 aircraft to Flybe with delivery over two years starting from March 2018.[126][124] In June 2017, Flybe announced that due to a loss of near to £20 million, it would retire six Q400 aircraft from 2017.[127]

When Flybe collapsed in March 2020 all of its 54 Dash 8 Q400s were placed into storage.

In January 2021, Canadian aerial firefighting specialist Conair Group announced that it had purchased 11 of Flybe's Q400 for conversion into water bombers and multi-role firefighting aircraft.[128]

Embraer 175 edit

 
A Flybe Embraer 175 painted in the 2002 livery.

On 20 July 2010, Flybe placed an order for 35 Embraer 175 aircraft worth US$1.3 billion (£850 million), with options for 65 more (value $2.3 billionn/£1.5 billion) and purchase rights for a further 40 (value $1.4 billion/£0.9 billion). The 88-seat aircraft was originally planned to be delivered between July 2011 and March 2017,[129] with the first two aircraft actually arriving in November 2011.[130] In September 2014, Flybe reached an agreement with Embraer to cancel 20 orders for the E-175 jets, and defer delivery of the other four until further notice.[citation needed]

In 2020 Flybe's nine E175 were transferred to various lessors when they collapsed. Six of the aircraft that had been acquired brand new fell into the hands of a Bermudan company by the name Flybe leasing, with one other going to CAW Finance Corp.

Embraer 195 edit

 
A former Flybe Embraer 195 in the "Welcome to Yorkshire" special livery.

The airline placed an order for 14 Embraer 195 aircraft in June 2005, plus options on an additional 12 aircraft, making it the type's worldwide launch customer. This was followed in the same month by the conversion of four existing Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 options into firm orders, bringing its fleet of Q400s to 45 when delivered.[131] Flybe received its first 118-seat Embraer 195 in September 2006, and the aircraft began to replace its existing BAe 146s, completing the fleet rationalisation started in 2003. The E-195s were fitted with a Head-up Guidance System (HGS) and configured to offer single-class service.[citation needed]

In 2018, Flybe completed a review of its future fleet, the Bombardier Q400 would remain its core aircraft; all nine of its E195 aircraft would be withdrawn by 2020 but a number of E175s would be retained for busier routes.[132] On 3 April 2019, Flybe confirmed its intention to withdraw six of its E195s in 2019 and the remainder in 2020; its bases at Cardiff and Doncaster would be closed and these destinations served by Q400s from other bases.[123]

The last Embraer 195 was retired and returned to its lessor on 24 February 2020.[133]

Historical fleet edit

Flybe previously operated the following aircraft:

Aircraft Fleet Introduced Retired Notes
ATR 42-500 1 2016 2018 Operated by Blue Islands
ATR 72-500 5 2014 2020 Three operated by Blue Islands and two by Stobart Air
ATR 72-600 6 2017 2020
BAe 146-100/Avro RJ70 3 2002 2007
BAe 146-200/Avro RJ85 9 2002 2008
BAe 146-300/Avro RJ100 11 2002 2008
BAe Jetstream 41 1 2017 2019 Operated by Eastern Airways
Boeing 737-300 4 2005 2006 Operated by Astraeus Airlines
Bombardier CRJ-200ER 4 2002 2003 Two operated on behalf of Air France
Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander N/A N/A N/A
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-200 3 2002 2004
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 10 2002 2008
de Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 81 2002 2020
Dornier 328-100 3 2013 2017
Douglas DC-3 2 1979 1980 Inherited from Intra Airways
Embraer 175 11 2011 2020
Embraer 195 14 2006 2020
Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante N/A N/A N/A
Fokker F27 Friendship N/A N/A N/A
Saab 2000 2 2014 2017
Saab 340B 14 2008 2017
Short 330 N/A N/A N/A
Short 360 N/A N/A N/A
Vickers Viscount N/A N/A N/A

Accidents and incidents edit

  • On 1 August 2008 an Embraer 190-200LR from Manchester to Belfast suffered a failure of the No. 1 Air Cycle Machine (ACM), releasing smoke and fumes into the aircraft. A Mayday was declared and an expeditious diversion was carried out. After donning oxygen masks the pilots of Flybe flight BE484 had great difficulty communicating with each other, ATC and cabin crew, because of technical problems with the masks. During the emergency evacuation the right overwing emergency exit door became jammed and unusable. Passengers who evacuated via the left overwing exit were unaware of how to get from the wing down to the ground. Several recommendations were made as a result of this incident.[citation needed]
  • On 21 July 2012 a Flybe aircraft with 47 passengers on board from Newquay to Edinburgh made an emergency landing and was evacuated at Edinburgh after a short circuit in a smoke detector triggered a fire alarm. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch noted pilots initiated a checklist inappropriately for the false alarm, causing depressurisation of the cabin, loss of displays on the copilot side and disconnection of the autopilot. Flybe retrained their pilots and took action to eradicate future false alarms from similar short circuits.[134]
  • On 10 November 2017 a Flybe De Havilland Canada Dash 8 suffered a nose gear failure after takeoff from Belfast City Airport to Inverness Airport, diverting to Belfast International Airport and landing on its nose. The underside of the nose, forward pressure bulkhead, and the nose gear and its doors were all damaged and there were two injuries. The accident was caused by a faulty sensor causing the doors to close onto the gear while it retracted. Flybe inspected their entire fleet. The Air Accident Investigation Branch noted the aircraft and landing gear manufacturers were already working on a revised design prior to the accident.[135]
  • On 11 January 2018 a Flybe Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 flying to Glasgow Airport made an unintentional descent due to an incorrect autopilot setting shortly after departing Belfast City Airport. The plane descended from 1,500 feet to 928 feet over eighteen seconds reaching a maximum rate of descent of 4,300 feet per minute. Flybe revised their simulator training and pre-takeoff checklists in response.[136]
  • On 28 February 2019 a Flybe Embraer 195 destined for Alicante aborted takeoff and evacuated on the runway at Exeter Airport after the copilot noticed smoke from an air conditioning vent before fumes began entering the aircraft. The evacuation left a passenger and a member of cabin crew injured. The rapid engine shutdown meant wing flaps were not correctly positioned for evacuation, leaving a large drop for those attempting to use overwing exits, some of whom reentered the cabin and evacuated via slides. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch made recommendations to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States proposing changes to the design and layout of emergency exits on commercial aircraft.[137]
  • On 14 November 2019[138] a Flybe DHC-8-400 destined for Heathrow Airport made a precautionary emergency landing at Exeter Airport when, shortly after departing from Cornwall Airport Newquay, the flight crew noticed their handwheels required significant offsets to maintain level flight. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch concluded that a broken left aileron cable was responsible, and also discovered that the right aileron on the aircraft and others in the fleet sometimes failed to respond to handwheel inputs. Although Flybe ceased operations before the probe concluded, airlines and the plane's manufacturer made changes to design and maintenance. The report also criticised the use of irreversible filters, banned in the United States, on the flight data recorder resulting in the loss of relevant data.[139]

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Bibliography edit

External links edit

  Media related to Flybe at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website

flybe, 1979, 2020, this, article, about, former, british, regional, airline, airline, with, same, trading, name, that, operated, between, 2022, 2023, flybe, british, european, redirects, here, airline, that, became, part, british, airways, 1974, british, europ. This article is about the former British regional airline For the airline with the same trading name that operated between 2022 and 2023 see Flybe British European redirects here For the airline that became a part of British Airways in 1974 see British European Airways Virgin Connect redirects here For Virgin telecommunication services in Russia see Virgin Mobile Virgin Mobile Russia Flybe pronounced ˈ f l aɪ ˌ b iː styled as flybe was a British airline based in Exeter England Until its sale to Connect Airways in 2019 it was the largest independent regional airline in Europe Flybe once provided more than half of UK domestic flights outside London 3 FlybeIATA ICAO Callsign BE 1 BEE JERSEYFounded1 November 1979 44 years ago 1979 11 01 as Jersey European Airways Ceased operations5 March 2020 4 years ago 2020 03 05 AOC 601HubsBirminghamManchesterExeterFocus citiesAberdeenBelfast CityEdinburghGlasgowNewquayInverness citation needed Isle of ManJerseySouthamptonFrequent flyer programnone formerly Avios Fleet size63Destinations56 2 Parent companyConnect AirwaysEmployees1 931 citation needed Websitewww wbr flybe wbr com The airline was launched in 1979 as Jersey European Airways following the merger of Intra Airways and Express Air Services In 1983 the airline was sold to Walker Steel Group which also owned Spacegrand Aviation and the two airlines were merged under the Jersey European name during 1985 The airline experienced significant growth during the 1990s it was in this period that Jersey European Airways served as the launch customer for the Embraer E 195 regional airliner The firm was renamed British European in 2000 and Flybe in 2002 On 3 November 2006 it was announced that Flybe was in the process of purchasing BA Connect which resulted in the airline becoming the largest regional airline in Europe On 10 December 2010 the company was floated in an IPO on the London Stock Exchange In February 2019 the airline was sold to the Connect Airways consortium backed by Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Aviation Connect Airways intended Flybe and Stobart Air to subsequently rebrand as Virgin Connect though they would have retained their own Air Operator Certificates On 5 March 2020 Flybe filed for administration and ceased all operations The airline which had been struggling for several months claimed that its difficulties were compounded by the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on bookings In October 2020 Thyme Opco a company linked to former shareholder Cyrus Capital reached an agreement with the administrators to purchase the Flybe brand and relaunch the airline in 2021 subject to regulatory approvals In April 2021 the new company renamed itself Flybe Limited obtained an operating licence route licences and airport slots the first flight took place on 13 April 2022 The relaunched airline ceased trading on 28 January 2023 Contents 1 History 1 1 Early years 1 2 2000 2010 1 3 2011 2020 1 3 1 Connect Airways takeover 1 3 2 End of operations 1 4 Relaunch 2 Corporate affairs 2 1 Ownership and structure 2 2 Business trends 2 3 Joint ventures and franchises 2 4 Sponsorship 2 5 Services 2 5 1 Frequent flyer programmes 2 5 2 Cabin and service 3 Destinations 3 1 Former partnerships and codeshare agreements 3 2 Interline agreements 4 Fleet 4 1 Fleet strategy and developments 4 1 1 Dash 8 Q400 4 1 2 Embraer 175 4 1 3 Embraer 195 4 2 Historical fleet 5 Accidents and incidents 6 References 6 1 Citations 6 2 Bibliography 7 External linksHistory editEarly years edit nbsp A Jersey European Vickers Viscount in 1980 nbsp A Jersey European BAe 146 wearing the 1991 2000 livery nbsp A British European Bombardier CRJ200 wearing the 2000 2002 livery nbsp One of Jersey European s former logos used from 1991 to 2000 Flybe started operations on 1 November 1979 as Jersey European Airways as a result of a merger of the Jersey based Intra Airways and the Bournemouth based Express Air Services 4 5 It was founded by John Habin a resident of Jersey and the majority investor After selling Aviation Beauport and other business interests Habin invested in the firm so that it could establish several routes from Jersey Airport to major airports in the UK 6 Initially equipped with an aging fleet of war surplus Douglas DC 3 aircraft Jersey European Airways gradually reequipped with more modern commuter airliners 7 In November 1983 Habin sold his stake in Jersey European Airways to Jack Walker s Walker Steel Group which already owned the Blackpool based charter airline Spacegrand Aviation Initially these two airlines were then run separately despite partially shared management Exeter Airport served as a critical hub forming a meeting point between the two companies route networks 7 In 1985 both airlines were amalgamated under the Jersey European name the combined entity s headquarters was established at Exeter 6 8 In 1985 Jersey European Airways carried 160 000 passengers and achieved an annual revenue of just under 9 million 7 During 1990 Jersey European Airways passenger count rose to 460 000 being 40 percent greater than the previous year 7 During 1991 the airline commenced its first route to London flying between Guernsey and London Gatwick Airport 8 In 1993 it received the first of its British Aerospace 146 a four engined jet powered regional aircraft 7 That same year the airline introduced a business class service aboard some aircraft 8 Around this time the Exeter hub was supplemented by connections at both London and Birmingham By 1995 Jersey European Airways was again expanding after incurring minor losses during the prior year 7 In mid 1997 Jersey European Airways announced that it had achieved record results in its previous financial year amid a boom in Europe s regional airlines market that year the firm had secured a franchise arrangement with Air France covering routes from London Heathrow to Toulouse and Lyon expanded its fleet to provide 32 more seat capacity recorded a 27 increase in sales while profits had risen by nearly a third to reach 3 4 million 9 10 That same year the airline which operated a mixed fleet of 12 British Aerospace 146s four Fokker F27s and two Short 360s was in the process of leasing additional BAe 146s to cater for expansion Jim French Jersey European s deputy chief executive announced that it was performing detailed studies with the aim of introducing larger airliners in the 150 to 170 seat class such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families 11 12 2000 2010 edit In June 2000 the airline announced that it had rebranded itself British European 13 according to a company spokesperson this was due to the Jersey European Airways name no longer being an accurate reflection of the scope of the routes being covered 14 This name was soon shortened to simply Flybe on 18 July 2002 after which the airline repositioning itself as a full service low fare airline Various pricing and product changes were made in line with this position such as discounted one way tickets the abolition of overbooking practices a customer charter of the airline s service standards as well as compensation for delays 15 In June 2005 it was announced that Flybe would procure a fleet of 26 Embraer E 195 regional airliners it would claim that it had opted for the 118 seat E 195 over rival 150 seat aircraft due to economics and performance benefits 16 Flybe would serve as the launch customer for the E 195 receiving the first example of the type during the later half of 2006 Initially the E 195 fleet were assigned to the airline s high volume trunk routes but the firm later planned to use it on new routes to expand their network 17 18 Further E 195s would be ordered by the airline over the following decade the type making up a major proportion of Flybe s fleet 19 On 3 November 2006 it was announced that Flybe would buy BA Connect except for that airline s services out of London City Airport 20 During March 2007 this takeover was completed as a consequence of the BA Connect takeover the ownership of Flybe was divided between Rosedale Aviation Holdings 69 Flybe staff 16 and the International Airlines Group 15 21 The acquisition increased Flybe s route network in both the UK and continental Europe making Flybe Europe s largest regional airline 22 23 On 14 January 2008 it was announced that Flybe had signed a franchise agreement with Scottish airline Loganair to commence on 26 October 2008 following the termination of Loganair s franchise agreement with British Airways on 25 October 2008 The agreement would see Loganair aircraft flying in Flybe colours on 55 routes from Scotland 24 In 2008 in order to avoid losing a 280 000 rebate from Norwich Airport Flybe advertised for actors as well as offering free return flights to Dublin on its website 25 As a result the environmental group Friends of the Earth called on the government to launch an investigation into the aviation industry 26 Chief Executive Officer Jim French was recognised in the 2009 Queen s Birthday Honours List with a CBE for his services to the airline industry 27 On 10 December 2010 Flybe floated in an IPO on the London Stock Exchange with trading in shares commencing on the same day Full public release of shares followed on 15 December 2010 The share price was set at 295p valuing the company at approximately 215 million and raising 66 million for the company half of which was to pay for fleet expansion 28 29 2011 2020 edit On 23 May 2013 it was reported that Flybe had sold its slots at Gatwick Airport to EasyJet for 20 million and that the slots would be handed over to EasyJet on 29 March 2014 30 CEO and chairman Jim French retired in August 2013 leaving the post of CEO to Saad Hammad formerly of EasyJet while Simon Laffin became chairman 31 By November 2013 Hammad had shaken up the operation requesting the resignations of three top managers within six weeks of his arrival Out of 158 routes flown at the time over 60 did not cover their direct operating expenses and the costs of crew and aircraft 31 On 23 April 2014 Flybe announced that it would launch domestic and international flights from London City Airport from 27 October 2014 after signing a five year deal with the airport The airline was expecting to carry around 500 000 passengers a year with all five allocated aircraft being based around the Flybe network overnight 32 In March 2014 it was announced that Flybe would undergo a major brand refresh This new scheme included a new purple aircraft livery new interior features and new uniforms 33 34 During June 2014 British Airways sold most of its remaining stake in the airline it had already been reduced to 5 by share issues In early 2016 it was announced that Flybe had negotiated a six year agreement with SAS Scandinavian Airlines to fly 4 ATR 72 9 aircraft on their behalf starting in October 2016 35 On 4 March 2015 Flybe announced new routes from Cardiff Airport bringing the number of routes to eleven Flybe also stated their intention to create a new base at Cardiff Airport in summer 2015 36 initially basing two Embraer 195 aircraft there which subsequently increased to three On 10 November 2015 Flybe announced that it would base two Embraer 195 aircraft at Doncaster Sheffield Airport starting new routes to Amsterdam Berlin Tegel Paris CDG Jersey Alicante Malaga Faro and Newquay as of 27 March 2016 update 37 38 This announcement came on the same day that Flybe announced that they would be pulling flights from Bournemouth Airport 39 Dublin Airport was added in October 2016 taking over where Stobart Air pulled out On 26 October 2016 it was announced that Hammad would be standing down as CEO with immediate effect and that consequently Flybe were beginning the process of finding a replacement On 21 November 2016 Flybe announced it was to open its first European base at Dusseldorf Airport In February 2017 this commenced with two aircraft alongside 60 pilots cabin crew and engineers On 22 December 2016 Flybe started selling flights for 12 further destinations from Southend Airport in an extension to their existing franchise operation with Stobart Air 40 Flybe and Loganair separately announced that their franchise agreement would terminate in October 2017 Flybe then announced a partnership with Eastern Airways and would now operate routes in direct competition with Loganair namely flights from the Scottish mainland to Stornoway Kirkwall and Sumburgh On 16 January 2017 former CityJet boss Christine Ourmieres Widener took over the role of CEO after Saad Hammad left in October 2016 41 Later in the year Flybe started flying from Heathrow to Aberdeen and Edinburgh taking over slots previously used by Virgin Atlantic Little Red 42 On 22 February 2018 franchise partner Stobart Air confirmed interest in a takeover bid of 100 of Flybe for an undisclosed fee 43 However this bid was rejected by the carrier and Stobart scrapped its interest on 22 March 2018 44 causing share prices in the airline which had climbed by up to 25 following the bid to drop back to their previous level 45 In September 2018 a revised aircraft livery was launched with purple and white being retained but lilac replacing the red and yellow On 14 November 2018 after the airline s shares fell by 75 Flybe announced that it was talking with various parties about a potential sale of the business as part of a wide ranging review of strategic options 46 47 On 22 November it emerged that Virgin Atlantic was one of the parties with which Flybe had been holding discussions Flybe s slots at Heathrow were of particular interest to Virgin Atlantic along with the potential to use Flybe to feed passengers into the Virgin Atlantic hubs at Manchester and London Heathrow 48 49 Connect Airways takeover edit On 11 January 2019 a takeover bid worth 2 2 million by the Connect Airways consortium which includes Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Aviation was confirmed The consortium would initially lend 20 million to enable Flybe to continue operations and would also take over Stobart Air after the acquisition is complete it will provide a further 80 million This initial deal which would have been conditional on shareholder and court approval 50 was expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2019 51 Flybe and Stobart Air would subsequently operate under the Virgin Atlantic brand 52 though they would retain their own Air Operator Certificates 53 Optimisation of Flybe s routes is likely to result in a limited reduction in its fleet 51 On 15 January 2019 Connect Airways increased its offer by 600 000 and set out improved bridging loan conditions with 10 million to be released immediately to support Flybe s business and a further 10 million available Subsequent funding of 80 million was also confirmed In accepting the revised offer Flybe s board stated that it provides the security that the business needs and preserves the interests of its stakeholders customers employees partners and pension members 54 The deal which covered Flybe Group s operating subsidiaries i e the airline and the website 55 is to be completed by 22 February 2019 56 Flybe Group s shareholders had decided in December 2018 to transfer its final shares to a standard listing 57 meaning that shareholder approval for the sale of the assets was no longer required 56 Notwithstanding this change on 21 January 2019 one of the largest shareholders Hosking Partners threatened legal action to block the deal which it believed undervalued the company 58 On 4 February 2019 Flybe confirmed that it had received a valid request from Hosking Partners to convene a general meeting in order to appoint a new director but noted that Flybe s articles of association did not give members the powers needed for the new director s proposed investigation of the sale 59 60 It also confirmed that it had received and rejected a preliminary alternative bid from former Stobart CEO Andrew Tinkler 61 On 7 February Flybe Group warned its shareholders that after the sale of the operating assets the parent company would be wound up if they did not approve its sale 55 On 20 February Flybe said it had rejected an alternative preliminary and highly conditional contingency proposal from Mesa Air Group and supported by Andrew Tinkler noting that it could not be executed quickly enough to enable the airline to continue trading 62 On 21 February 2019 Flybe announced that the sale of Flybe Limited and Flybe com Limited to Connect Airways had been completed 63 with Flybe flights continuing to operate as normal The sale of the parent company Flybe Group plc now an empty shell was confirmed by its shareholders at a meeting on 4 March 64 and became effective on 11 March 65 In October 2019 it was announced that Flybe was to be rebranded as Virgin Connect reflecting its incorporation into the Virgin Group with effect from early 2020 66 67 The Virgin Group launched a landing page www wbr virginconnect wbr com to avoid confusion with the existing Virgin Connect brand used in Russia for internet amp mobile services 68 In January 2020 it emerged that Flybe was again in difficulties incurring mounting losses despite the financing provided by Connect Airways 69 A deal was reached on 15 January entailing a deferred payment plan for Flybe s tax debts and increased funding from Connect Airways The UK government also agreed to conduct an urgent review of Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights 70 As of January 2020 Flybe operated 36 of all UK domestic flights ahead of the UK s two largest airlines British Airways and EasyJet carrying 26 of domestic passengers behind British Airways and EasyJet which operate larger aircraft types 71 In February 2020 the UK government envisaged granting Flybe a 100 million rescue loan and held talks with the EU Commission to ensure that state aid rules were not broken 72 In early March the airline faced concern over the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on bookings casting doubt on whether the loan would be granted 73 End of operations edit See also Impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on aviation In the early morning of 5 March 2020 the airline filed for administration and ceased all operations with immediate effect after the UK government failed to grant a proposed 100 million 129 million loan 74 Virgin Atlantic stated that Connect Airways could no longer commit to continued financial support despite its investment of over 135 million and placed part of the blame on the negative impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on Flybe s trading 75 All flights operated by Flybe and Stobart Air were cancelled though those operated by franchisees Blue Islands and Eastern Airways continued 76 The chief executive Mark Anderson said that Flybe had made every possible attempt to prevent the collapse but were unable to overcome significant funding challenges 77 As of 1 May 2020 Flybe s administrators EY believed that a sale of the business as a going concern remained possible having received around 20 non binding offers including three for the entire business and assets and expected to receive final offers for evaluation in early May They appealed to the UK transport secretary to ensure that Flybe s operating licence is not revoked as this would prevent the sale of the valuable airport slots 78 The appeal was successful and on 9 July the CAA withdrew its revocation decision Further legal action remained relating to Flybe s slots at Heathrow which have been taken over by British Airways parent IAG and to its Air Operator Certificate 79 Relaunch edit Main article Flybe On 19 October 2020 reports emerged that Lucien Farrell in charge of former shareholder Cyrus Capital s European office had formed a new company Thyme Opco to purchase the Flybe brand and relaunch the airline subject to regulatory approvals 80 The new owner planned to start small and restore regional connectivity in the UK from 2021 81 On 1 December 2020 Thyme Opco applied for a UK operating licence 82 Thyme Opco also registered a 21 year old Q400 which was expected to be the first aircraft for the new Flybe 83 but which has since departed to Canada where it operates for PAL Airlines citation needed In April 2021 the British CAA granted the new airline an operating licence as well as Type A and B route licences enabling the carrier to operate both charter and scheduled services citation needed The new company also obtained 86 slots at Heathrow for the summer 2021 season to be used for flights to Edinburgh and Aberdeen 84 but the airline was not relaunched in time to use these slots The original Flybe company was renamed FBE Realisations 2021 Limited with Thyme Opco Limited becoming Flybe Limited citation needed On 3 June 2021 the operating licence for the original company was revoked following an unsuccessful appeal to the Transport Secretary Despite initial beliefs that its legacy slots at UK airports had returned to the slot coordinator this was shown not to be the case by coordinator ACL 85 The new operating company also leased Heathrow slots from British Airways for routes to Edinburgh and Aberdeen 86 On 26 October 2021 the new Flybe Limited confirmed that it had appointed David Pflieger as its chief executive 87 This closely followed the appearance of an ex Flybe Q400 registered as G JECX which had been painted with a new purple and white livery 88 In November 2021 the airline announced that it had picked Birmingham Airport as its new base with operations scheduled to begin in early 2022 to key regions across the UK and EU 89 On 16 March 2022 Flybe announced that it would start ticket sales the following week and that Belfast would be the airline s second operating base 90 The company slogan was Smile and go the extra mile citation needed On 22 March the company s website opened for bookings 91 the first flight took place on 13 April 2022 92 On 28 January 2023 Flybe entered administration and ceased all operations 93 On 18 March 2024 administration of the original Flybe FBE Realisations 2021 Limited ceased and the company was dissolved 94 Corporate affairs editOwnership and structure edit nbsp Jack Walker House Flybe s former head office located at Exeter International Airport The former owner Flybe Group plc was a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange LSE FLYB 95 Until November 2013 the main shareholder with 48 1 of the shares was Rosedale Aviation Holdings Limited 96 the corporate representative of the trustee of the Jack Walker 1987 Settlement which was established by the late Jack Walker who was involved in Flybe s early development In the UK Flybe s largest base was at Birmingham Airport 97 the airline had other large bases at Belfast City Manchester and Southampton airports with a total of 14 crew and aircraft who were based across the United Kingdom the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man The airline held a Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats 98 The Flybe Group included Flybe Aviation Services engineering and maintenance Flybe Training Academy engineering and flight crew training Flybe UK airline operations and Flybe Europe the holding company for all European operations which previously consisted of Flybe Nordic Business trends edit Trends for Flybe Group during the period 2007 2018 are shown below as at year ending 31 March 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Group turnover total less JV M 367 5 535 9 572 4 570 5 595 5 615 3 614 3 620 5 574 1 623 8 707 4 752 6 Profit before tax EBITDA M 16 2 30 4 0 1 5 7 7 6 7 1 23 2 8 1 35 6 2 7 48 5 9 4 Profit after tax M 19 9 34 9 4 1 6 7 3 8 6 4 41 8 8 0 35 7 6 8 26 7 Number of employees average year end 1 931 3 197 2 860 2 798 2 949 2 781 2 667 2 650 2 069 2 262 2 388 2 346 Number of passengers scheduled m 5 2 7 0 7 3 7 2 7 2 7 6 7 2 7 7 7 7 8 2 8 8 9 5 Passenger load factor schedule 65 4 63 5 61 7 61 9 62 6 69 5 75 2 72 6 69 6 75 6 Number of aircraft average year end 81 80 68 67 68 84 81 97 66 74 83 80 Notes sources 99 99 96 100 96 101 96 102 96 96 103 104 105 105 Joint ventures and franchises edit nbsp A Flybe ATR 72 500 operated by Stobart Air Loganair was the first franchise partner for Flybe and operated a number of flights in Scotland and Ireland under a franchise agreement from 2008 Loganair aircraft wore the full Flybe livery during the time of the franchise In 2016 it was announced that the agreement was to end on 31 August 2017 at which time Loganair would become an independent carrier citation needed In 2014 Flybe signed their second franchise agreement with Stobart Air 106 and initially started operating European routes from Southend Airport In 2015 Stobart Air began operating more flights on behalf of Flybe from Ronaldsway Airport Isle of Man using two ATR 72 107 In 2017 Flybe and Stobart Air began operating additional services from Southend Airport using Flybe Embraer 195 jet aircraft citation needed On 11 January 2016 Flybe announced its third franchise deal with the Jersey based airline Blue Islands This would see all Blue Islands flights operated under the Flybe name and the Blue Islands aircraft livery replaced with the current Flybe livery from May 2016 108 This deal was however under investigation and was reported to be potentially breaking local competition laws 109 From 1 September 2017 Eastern Airways became a new franchise partner for Flybe taking over routes previously operated by Loganair from Aberdeen Airport Glasgow Airport and Edinburgh Airport 110 This now meant both Flybe and Loganair were now in direct competition with each other In January 2018 services to Sumburgh were being withdrawn owing to the competition with Loganair and the route being unable to sustain two carriers 111 It was also announced that Loganair was withdrawing services from Glasgow to Manchester leaving Flybe as the sole operator on that route Flybe purchased Finncomm Airlines with Finnair in July 2011 112 and on 30 October 2011 rebranded the airline as Flybe Nordic The joint venture operated its own routes along with franchise routes under a codeshare agreement for Finnair operating under Flybe s BE code Flybe agreed to sell its 60 stake in Flybe Nordic in November 2014 for 1 in an attempt to reduce group costs 113 On 1 May 2015 Flybe Nordic began operating solely for Finnair as it was no longer a part of Flybe Flybe Nordic is now known as Nordic Regional Airlines Norra 114 Sponsorship edit Flybe were the main sponsor of Exeter City Football Club and also sponsored Exeter Chiefs with their branding featuring on both teams shirts Flybe had also sponsored the ITV Weather forecasts on ITV Channel Television ITV Cymru Wales ITV Meridian ITV West Country STV UTV and the sport sections of the Manchester Evening News the Express amp Echo Exeter the South Wales Echo Cardiff the Isle of Man Courier and the Isle of Man Examiner Flybe had previously sponsored Birmingham City 2003 2007 Norwich City 2006 2008 Southampton 2006 2010 and Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2007 2010 Services edit Frequent flyer programmes edit Flybe used the Avios frequent flyer programme until 30 April 2019 when Flybe and Avios ended their partnership and all accounts were closed 115 The programme is operated by the IAG subsidiary Avios Group Cabin and service edit Flybe s cabin interiors were configured with a single class all economy layout Flybe operated an allocated seating policy on all flights Passengers had the option to choose a specific seat of their choice online in advance for a fee or have one allocated free of charge during online check in or at the airport check in The airline operated a buy on board programme called Cafe Flybe offering food and drinks for purchase On most flights to and from the Channel Islands a selection of duty free spirits and tobacco items were also available to purchase Passengers had the option of three ticket types Just Fly Get More and All In Just Fly was the most basic ticket type with just the flight included and any extra options available to add for an additional fee Get More ticket holders were able to reserve a seat and take a 23 kg hold bag 116 All In ticket holders received a complimentary drink and snack access to Flybe Executive Lounges free pre booked seating priority check in and two hold bags 117 Destinations editFlybe operated short haul services to destinations throughout the United Kingdom Republic of Ireland and continental Europe Former partnerships and codeshare agreements edit Flybe formerly had codeshares with the following airlines under the One Stop to the World programme 118 119 Aer Lingus Air France Air India Alitalia British Airways Cathay Pacific Emirates Etihad Airways Finnair Loganair Singapore Airlines United Airlines Virgin Atlantic The airline also had franchise agreements with the following airlines Blue Islands Eastern Airways Loganair agreement ended 2017 Stobart Air Interline agreements edit Flybe had interline agreements with the following airlines 120 Pakistan International AirlinesFleet edit nbsp Flybe DHC 8 400 Before ceasing operations the Flybe fleet consisted of the following aircraft 121 Flybe fleet Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes de Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 54 78 Embraer 175 9 88 Total 63 Fleet strategy and developments edit Flybe retired its final Embraer 195s in February 2020 122 which were subsequently returned to lessors once retired Flybe had stated the Q400 was to remain the backbone of its fleet going forward 123 Dash 8 Q400 edit nbsp A Flybe DHC 8 400 wearing the 2002 livery Flybe became the world s largest operator of the Dash 8 Q400 after it added 24 leased from Republic Airways in 2014 124 In May 2007 the airline signed a deal with Bombardier for a further 15 Q400 aircraft valued at US 394 million 197 million with options for a further 15 increasing its fleet of the type to 60 125 In September 2014 Republic Airways agreed to lease 24 of their Q400 aircraft to Flybe with delivery over two years starting from March 2018 126 124 In June 2017 Flybe announced that due to a loss of near to 20 million it would retire six Q400 aircraft from 2017 127 When Flybe collapsed in March 2020 all of its 54 Dash 8 Q400s were placed into storage In January 2021 Canadian aerial firefighting specialist Conair Group announced that it had purchased 11 of Flybe s Q400 for conversion into water bombers and multi role firefighting aircraft 128 Embraer 175 edit nbsp A Flybe Embraer 175 painted in the 2002 livery On 20 July 2010 Flybe placed an order for 35 Embraer 175 aircraft worth US 1 3 billion 850 million with options for 65 more value 2 3 billionn 1 5 billion and purchase rights for a further 40 value 1 4 billion 0 9 billion The 88 seat aircraft was originally planned to be delivered between July 2011 and March 2017 129 with the first two aircraft actually arriving in November 2011 130 In September 2014 Flybe reached an agreement with Embraer to cancel 20 orders for the E 175 jets and defer delivery of the other four until further notice citation needed In 2020 Flybe s nine E175 were transferred to various lessors when they collapsed Six of the aircraft that had been acquired brand new fell into the hands of a Bermudan company by the name Flybe leasing with one other going to CAW Finance Corp Embraer 195 edit nbsp A former Flybe Embraer 195 in the Welcome to Yorkshire special livery The airline placed an order for 14 Embraer 195 aircraft in June 2005 plus options on an additional 12 aircraft making it the type s worldwide launch customer This was followed in the same month by the conversion of four existing Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 options into firm orders bringing its fleet of Q400s to 45 when delivered 131 Flybe received its first 118 seat Embraer 195 in September 2006 and the aircraft began to replace its existing BAe 146s completing the fleet rationalisation started in 2003 The E 195s were fitted with a Head up Guidance System HGS and configured to offer single class service citation needed In 2018 Flybe completed a review of its future fleet the Bombardier Q400 would remain its core aircraft all nine of its E195 aircraft would be withdrawn by 2020 but a number of E175s would be retained for busier routes 132 On 3 April 2019 Flybe confirmed its intention to withdraw six of its E195s in 2019 and the remainder in 2020 its bases at Cardiff and Doncaster would be closed and these destinations served by Q400s from other bases 123 The last Embraer 195 was retired and returned to its lessor on 24 February 2020 133 Historical fleet edit Flybe previously operated the following aircraft Aircraft Fleet Introduced Retired Notes ATR 42 500 1 2016 2018 Operated by Blue Islands ATR 72 500 5 2014 2020 Three operated by Blue Islands and two by Stobart Air ATR 72 600 6 2017 2020 BAe 146 100 Avro RJ70 3 2002 2007 BAe 146 200 Avro RJ85 9 2002 2008 BAe 146 300 Avro RJ100 11 2002 2008 BAe Jetstream 41 1 2017 2019 Operated by Eastern Airways Boeing 737 300 4 2005 2006 Operated by Astraeus Airlines Bombardier CRJ 200ER 4 2002 2003 Two operated on behalf of Air France Britten Norman BN 2 Islander N A N A N A de Havilland Canada Dash 8 200 3 2002 2004 de Havilland Canada Dash 8 300 10 2002 2008 de Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 81 2002 2020 Dornier 328 100 3 2013 2017 Douglas DC 3 2 1979 1980 Inherited from Intra Airways Embraer 175 11 2011 2020 Embraer 195 14 2006 2020 Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante N A N A N A Fokker F27 Friendship N A N A N A Saab 2000 2 2014 2017 Saab 340B 14 2008 2017 Short 330 N A N A N A Short 360 N A N A N A Vickers Viscount N A N A N AAccidents and incidents editOn 1 August 2008 an Embraer 190 200LR from Manchester to Belfast suffered a failure of the No 1 Air Cycle Machine ACM releasing smoke and fumes into the aircraft A Mayday was declared and an expeditious diversion was carried out After donning oxygen masks the pilots of Flybe flight BE484 had great difficulty communicating with each other ATC and cabin crew because of technical problems with the masks During the emergency evacuation the right overwing emergency exit door became jammed and unusable Passengers who evacuated via the left overwing exit were unaware of how to get from the wing down to the ground Several recommendations were made as a result of this incident citation needed On 21 July 2012 a Flybe aircraft with 47 passengers on board from Newquay to Edinburgh made an emergency landing and was evacuated at Edinburgh after a short circuit in a smoke detector triggered a fire alarm The Air Accidents Investigation Branch noted pilots initiated a checklist inappropriately for the false alarm causing depressurisation of the cabin loss of displays on the copilot side and disconnection of the autopilot Flybe retrained their pilots and took action to eradicate future false alarms from similar short circuits 134 On 10 November 2017 a Flybe De Havilland Canada Dash 8 suffered a nose gear failure after takeoff from Belfast City Airport to Inverness Airport diverting to Belfast International Airport and landing on its nose The underside of the nose forward pressure bulkhead and the nose gear and its doors were all damaged and there were two injuries The accident was caused by a faulty sensor causing the doors to close onto the gear while it retracted Flybe inspected their entire fleet The Air Accident Investigation Branch noted the aircraft and landing gear manufacturers were already working on a revised design prior to the accident 135 On 11 January 2018 a Flybe Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 flying to Glasgow Airport made an unintentional descent due to an incorrect autopilot setting shortly after departing Belfast City Airport The plane descended from 1 500 feet to 928 feet over eighteen seconds reaching a maximum rate of descent of 4 300 feet per minute Flybe revised their simulator training and pre takeoff checklists in response 136 On 28 February 2019 a Flybe Embraer 195 destined for Alicante aborted takeoff and evacuated on the runway at Exeter Airport after the copilot noticed smoke from an air conditioning vent before fumes began entering the aircraft The evacuation left a passenger and a member of cabin crew injured The rapid engine shutdown meant wing flaps were not correctly positioned for evacuation leaving a large drop for those attempting to use overwing exits some of whom reentered the cabin and evacuated via slides The Air Accidents Investigation Branch made recommendations to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States proposing changes to the design and layout of emergency exits on commercial aircraft 137 On 14 November 2019 138 a Flybe DHC 8 400 destined for Heathrow Airport made a precautionary emergency landing at Exeter Airport when shortly after departing from Cornwall Airport Newquay the flight crew noticed their handwheels required significant offsets to maintain level flight The Air Accidents Investigation Branch concluded that a broken left aileron cable was responsible and also discovered that the right aileron on the aircraft and others in the fleet sometimes failed to respond to handwheel inputs Although Flybe ceased operations before the probe concluded airlines and the plane s manufacturer made changes to design and maintenance The report also criticised the use of irreversible filters banned in the United States on the flight data recorder resulting in the loss of relevant data 139 References editCitations edit IATA Airline and Airport Code Search iata org Retrieved 13 April 2015 Cheap flights to and from the UK and Europe flybe com Flybe Retrieved 28 February 2020 Young Sarah Smout Alistair 14 January 2020 Britain reached a deal to rescue regional airline Flybe Reuters Retrieved 17 January 2020 World airline directory Jersey European Airways Flight International 26 July 1980 p 323 Wright 2001 p 48 a b Wright 2001 p 49 a b c d e f Jersey European Airways UK Ltd History Funding Universe Retrieved 16 December 2019 a b c Flybe history from Jersey to regional dominance The Telegraph 10 December 2010 Jersey European ends record year and promises more to come Flight International 20 August 1997 Flying franchises Flight International 1 November 1996 Jersey European may add larger aircraft to cope with expansion Flight International 16 April 1997 JEA moves focus to 100 seat study Flight International 24 March 1999 Wright 2001 p 52 Jersey European Airways changes its name to British European Aviation Week 23 May 2000 Flybe counting on new approach to fly into black Flight International 22 July 2002 Flybe rejects 150 seaters in favour of E 195 deal Flight International 14 June 2005 Shannon Darren 4 September 2006 Picture Embraer delivers first E 195 to launch customer Flybe Flight International Shifrin Carole 26 September 2006 Flybe s new low cost expansion tool Flight International Kaminski Morrow David 28 May 2013 Flybe deferral opens path to re engined Embraers Flight International Pilling Mark 21 November 2006 Flybe feasts on BA s regional arm Flight International Directory World Airlines Flight International 3 April 2007 p 83 announced Archived 25 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine that they had completed the acquisition of BA Connect Flybe now Europe s largest regional Flight International 19 March 2007 Flybe signs historic franchise deal with Loganair Flybe Press Office Archived from the original on 17 January 2008 Retrieved 14 January 2008 Airline sought actors for flights BBC News 30 March 2008 Retrieved 2 April 2010 Archived press release Government must urgently investigate aviation industry Friends of the Earth 1 April 2008 Retrieved 14 December 2010 HM The Queen s 2009 Birthday Honours List PDF Archived from the original PDF on 1 November 2013 Retrieved 7 January 2014 Milmo Dan Regional airline Flybe raised 66m from stock market flotation The Guardian Retrieved 7 January 2014 Press Association Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Press Association 14 November 2010 Retrieved 14 December 2010 Flybe ends Channel Islands Gatwick routes BBC News 14 May 2013 Retrieved 23 May 2013 a b telegraph co uk Flybe cuts another 500 jobs to secure future The Telegraph 11 November 2013 BBC News Flybe in London City Airport deal BBC News 23 April 2014 Retrieved 23 April 2014 Flybe goes purple travelmole com New purple makeover for Flybe planes and staff 1 April 2014 Archived from the original on 3 April 2014 Flybe Airliner World 5 February 2015 Flybe confirms new 11 route network and base at Cardiff Airport Flybe 5 March 2015 Retrieved 14 March 2015 VIDEO Flybe announces eight new European destinations from Doncaster Airport derbyshiretimes co uk Archived from the original on 14 October 2019 Retrieved 10 November 2015 Cheap flights from Doncaster Sheffield Airport Book with Flybe today flybe com FlyBe ends Bournemouth Airport flights BBC News 10 November 2015 Stobart Group RNS 22 December 2016 Further update on new routes Airport Retrieved 22 December 2016 Former CityJet boss Ourmieres Widener appointed as the new CEO at Flybe The Belfast Telegraph Flybe s Scottish flights take off from Heathrow The Scotsman Britain s Stobart considering bid for airline Flybe Reuters 22 February 2018 Javed Ayesha 22 March 2018 Stobart scraps bid for regional airline Flybe The Telegraph FLYB FLYBE GROUP PLC ORD 1P London Stock Exchange Archived from the original on 18 September 2018 Retrieved 18 September 2018 Flybe up for sale weeks after profit warning BBC News 14 November 2018 Retrieved 14 November 2018 UK regional operator Flybe in talks to sell company Flightglobal 14 November 2018 Retrieved 14 November 2018 Kleinman Mark 22 November 2018 Virgin Atlantic in surprise bid to take off with Flybe Sky News Retrieved 23 November 2018 Virgin Atlantic in talks to rescue Flybe BBC News 23 November 2018 Retrieved 23 November 2018 Kaminski Morrow David 11 January 2019 Virgin Atlantic and Stobart link up to take over Flybe Flightglobal a b Kaminski Morrow David 11 January 2019 Cuts likely as Virgin shapes Flybe Stobart combination Flightglobal Flybe rescued by Virgin and Stobart BBC News 11 January 2019 Dyson Molly 11 January 2019 Virgin Atlantic and Stobart agree Flybe take over buyingbusinesstravel com Archived from the original on 11 January 2019 Retrieved 11 January 2019 Gallagher Rosemary 15 January 2019 Flybe Connect Airways agreement reached on 2 8m deal Business Insider a b Flybe will wind up company if sale fails 7 February 2019 a b Reals Kerry Connect Airways raises takeover offer for Flybe atwonline com Results of General Meeting PDF Flybe Major Flybe shareholder looking to stop 2 2mln Virgin Stobart takeover Proactiveinvestors UK 21 January 2019 Davies Phil 4 February 2019 Flybe rejects alternative financial approach Travel Weekly Flybe gives shareholders vote on ousting chairman Raidio Teilifis Eireann 4 February 2019 Ribbeck Michael 4 February 2019 Struggling airline confirms approach from former Stobart boss The Business Desk Reals Kerry 20 February 2019 Flybe Rejects Rival Takeover Bid From Mesa Air Group Aviation Week Warrington James 21 February 2019 Flybe completes sale to Virgin led consortium cityam com Shareholders Approve Connect Airways Acquisition otp investis com Flybe Group plc permanent dead link Scheme effective amp intended adjournment of Meeting otp investis com Flybe Group plc permanent dead link Our Journey to Virgin Connect Press release Virgin Connect 15 October 2019 Archived from the original on 15 October 2019 Retrieved 15 October 2019 Harper Lewis 15 October 2019 Flybe to be rebranded as Virgin Connect Flightglobal Virgin Connect Virgin 24 October 2019 Retrieved 13 November 2019 Looking for internet fixed line and mobile services in Russia Visit virginconnect ru In 2020 Flybe will become Virgin Connect your new go to name in regional flying Visit virginconnect co uk Regional airline Flybe in frantic bid to stave off collapse Sky News 12 January 2020 Government strikes a deal to rescue Flybe BBC News 15 January 2020 Why Flybe s market role created a UK political quandary Flightglobal Jack Simon 10 February 2020 Government considers ownership stake in Flybe BBC News Retrieved 11 February 2020 Jack Simon 4 March 2020 Flybe Coronavirus pushes airline to brink of collapse BBC News Retrieved 4 March 2020 Alfred Chua 5 March 2020 Beleaguered Flybe ceases operations Flightglobal Kaminski Morrow David 5 March 2020 Coronavirus dealt fatal blow to embattled Flybe shareholder Flight Global Everything you need to know about the Flybe collapse The Independent 5 March 2020 Topham Gwyn 5 March 2020 Flybe airline collapses two months after government announces rescue The Guardian Retrieved 5 March 2020 Kaminski Morrow David 1 May 2020 Flybe administrators fight to retain carrier s operating licence Flight Global Kaminski Morrow David 17 October 2020 Prospects for Flybe sale lift as administrators retain licence and slots Flight Global Flybe set to fly again after brand is rescued BBC News 19 October 2020 Dunn Graham 20 October 2020 Interest in revived Flybe shows continued faith in regional opportunity Flight Global Coffey Helen 3 December 2020 Flybe could soon take to the skies again The Independent Bailey Joanna 22 January 2021 Flybe 2 0 Becoming A Reality With First Aircraft Registration Simple Flying Bailey Joanna 28 April 2021 Flybe 2 0 Set To Launch With 86 Coveted Heathrow Slots Simple Flying Telford William 13 October 2021 Administrators look to claim cash from new Flybe company Business Live Retrieved 27 October 2021 Completed Slot Trades Airport Coordination Limited ACL Airport Coordination Limited Ltd 16 May 2017 Archived from the original on 28 June 2021 Retrieved 28 June 2021 Ltd Jacobs Media Group Reborn Flybe appoints chief executive Travel Weekly Retrieved 27 October 2021 Perry Dominic 26 October 2021 Flybe appoints ex Ravn Air chief to spearhead relaunch as crew recruitment push continues Flight Global Retrieved 27 October 2021 Perry Dominic 17 November 2021 Flybe picks Birmingham as first UK base and HQ Flight Global Bodell Luke 17 March 2022 The New Flybe Will Launch Ticket Sales Next Week Simple Flying Collis Emily 22 March 2022 Full list of new Flybe routes from Brum with flights from 19 99 BirminghamLive Orban Andre 13 April 2022 Flybe s first flight takes to the skies from Birmingham Airport Aviation24 be Archived from the original on 13 April 2022 Retrieved 13 April 2022 Flybe Regional carrier ceases trading and cancels all flights BBC News 28 January 2023 Retrieved 28 January 2023 UK s flybe dissolved leaves creditors 684mn short ch aviation The London Stock Exchange welcomes Flybe to the Main Market Londonstockexchange com Archived from the original on 21 January 2014 Retrieved 7 January 2014 a b c d e f Annual Report 2013 PDF Flybe Group plc 20 June 2013 Archived from the original PDF on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 21 June 2013 Major Flybe Expansion at Birmingham Airports International January 2014 Operating Licence Caa co uk Archived from the original on 11 March 2007 Retrieved 7 January 2014 a b Annual Report 2008 PDF Flybe Group plc 3 September 2008 Retrieved 23 June 2013 Annual Report 2009 PDF Flybe Group plc 29 January 2010 Retrieved 23 June 2013 Annual Report 2010 PDF Flybe Group plc 8 July 2010 Retrieved 23 June 2013 Annual Report 2011 PDF Flybe Group plc 29 June 2011 Retrieved 23 June 2013 Annual Report 2013 4 PDF Flybe Group plc 11 June 2014 Archived from the original PDF on 7 July 2014 Retrieved 11 June 2014 Annual Report 2014 15 PDF Flybe Group plc 9 June 2015 Retrieved 20 December 2017 a b Annual Report 2016 17 PDF Flybe Group plc 7 June 2017 Archived from the original PDF on 17 November 2018 Retrieved 20 December 2017 Stobart Air in franchise deal with Flybe buyingbusinesstravel com Archived from the original on 16 October 2019 Retrieved 14 January 2018 Flybe sources ATR72s from Stobart Air for Isle of Man ops ch aviation Blue Islands flights to be run through Flybe ITV News 11 January 2016 Airlines investigated for potential competition law breach Bailiwick Express Dalton Alastair More competition to islands as Flybe teams with Eastern Airways The Scotsman 1 September 2017 Cope Chris Jobs go at Sumburgh following Flybe exit Archived 21 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Shetland News 11 January 2018 Flybe Nordic A challenge to the Skyways Cimber venture AirlineHunter Retrieved 4 July 2011 White Anna 12 November 2014 Flybe sells its Finnish business for 1 The Telegraph Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 Retrieved 18 November 2014 Flybe Finland changes name to Nordic Regional eTurboNews eTN 28 April 2015 Archived from the original on 11 October 2015 Retrieved 6 May 2015 Avios partnership with Flybe has now ended choose co uk 2 May 2019 Get More Ticket Types Flybe UK flybe com All In Ticket Types Flybe UK flybe com Profile on Flybe CAPA Centre for Aviation Archived from the original on 30 October 2016 Retrieved 30 October 2016 Flybe One Stop to the World onestop flybe com Archived from the original on 22 April 2017 Retrieved 6 May 2017 Interline and Codeshare Travel Pakistan International Airlines GINFO Search Results Summary Civil Aviation Authority Retrieved 16 January 2020 UK s flybe ends E195 operations ch aviation Retrieved 10 April 2022 a b Travel Advice Flybe Announces Base Changes Press release Flybe 3 April 2019 Archived from the original on 3 April 2019 a b Marowits Ross 17 September 2014 U K based Flybe to become world s largest Bombardier Q400 operator CTV News Retrieved 13 January 2020 Air Transport World Archived 21 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine 9 May 2007 Wild Jane 17 September 2014 Flybe reconfigures its fleet by leasing smaller aircraft Financial Times Archived from the original on 10 December 2022 Retrieved 6 March 2016 Flybe promises overhaul after 20m loss BBC News 8 June 2017 Retrieved 8 June 2017 Kaminski Morrow David 16 January 2021 Flybe Q400s to be converted into firefighters for Conair Flight Global Flybe announces a deal for up to 140 Embraer E Series Aircraft Flybe Press Office Archived from the original on 22 July 2010 Retrieved 20 July 2010 Flybe celebrates arrival of new jets with a soaking Flybe 28 November 2011 Retrieved 7 January 2014 Air International July 2005 Flybe To Reduce Jet Fleet And Concentrate Only on Profitable Routes Interactive Investor Archived from the original on 16 May 2018 Retrieved 16 May 2018 austrianaviation net German 27 February 2020 Flybe criticised over Newquay Edinburgh false alarm BBC 12 April 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2021 Mullan Kevin 15 June 2012 Two injuries after Flybe plane had to land on its nose due to faulty sensor AAIB The Derry Journal Retrieved 13 May 2021 Flybe flight plummeted 500ft in 18 seconds due to autopilot error report Press Association via The Belfast Telegraph 7 November 2018 Retrieved 13 May 2021 Smith Colleen 17 September 2020 Newquay flight was diverted to Exeter after cable failed Devon Live Retrieved 13 May 2021 AAIB investigation to DHC 8 402 G FLBE Air Accidents Investigation Branch 15 October 2020 Retrieved 13 May 2021 Channon Max 16 October 2020 Newquay flight was diverted to Exeter after cable failed Cornwall Live Retrieved 13 May 2021 Bibliography edit Richardson Nigel 2023 Flybe Airlines Series Vol 12 Stamford Lincs UK Key Publishing ISBN 9781802823578 Wright Alan J July 2001 Independent Survivor Air International 61 1 48 52 Wickstead Maurice J 2014 Airlines of the British Isles since 1919 Air Britain ISBN 978 0 85130 456 4 External links edit nbsp Media related to Flybe at Wikimedia Commons Official website Portals nbsp Devon nbsp Companies nbsp Aviation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Flybe 1979 2020 amp oldid 1219820823, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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