This was originally published on the Resilience First website. Read more about our partners.
The resilience of airlines is being severely tested with a competitive market, the cost of operating and now the hit on passenger numbers with the coronavirus outbreak. The latest casualty is Flybe. It follows the path of Monarch and Thomas Cook.
Flybe, which operated regional services from airports across the UK, entered administration on 5 March. All Flybe-operated flights are now cancelled and customers should not go to the airport as flights will not be operating. Flybe customers are urged to make their own alternative travel arrangements via other airlines, rail or coach operators.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will provide advice and information to consumers, so please check the CAA’s website and Twitter feed @UK_CAA for more information.
For the latest advice, Flybe customers should visit the CAA website or the CAA’s Twitter feed for more information. Further advice can be found here.
Commenting, Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “This is a sad day for UK aviation and we know that Flybe’s decision to stop trading will be very distressing for all of its employees and customers.”
The CAA believes that very few Flybe passengers are ATOL protected and those people should make arrangements through their travel agent who are responsible for providing alternative arrangements. The government has not commissioned the CAA to organise any repatriation flights as there is capacity in the market for people to travel via alternative airlines, rail and coach operations.
The Resilience First report on the agility of airports can be found here.
For further reading, please visit our Knowledge Hub.