Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > Other European Airlines
Reload this Page >

Flybe about to go bump... [in administration 5 March 2020]

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Flybe about to go bump... [in administration 5 March 2020]

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 15, 2020, 3:12 pm
  #16  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
IAG is unhappy for self-serving reasons, but I am not a fan of the government giving state aid to Flybe by letting it convert collected tax money into working capital .... whether or not the airline is at the borderline of insolvency.

Last edited by GUWonder; Jan 15, 2020 at 3:13 pm Reason: H
GUWonder is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2020, 11:35 pm
  #17  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Programs: Hilton Gold, Priority Club Blue, SPG Gold, Sofitel Gold, FB Ivory, BA Blue
Posts: 8,479
Originally Posted by DeeGee26.2
And, of course, IAG (and others) aren't happy:

https://www.theguardian.com/business...-flybe-bailout
Ahh, IAG. Owners of British London Airways who abandoned the regions, leaving them little more than feeders for LHR. Before we get into the right and wrongs of state help, I think it would be prudent to ask other questions:
  • How did it come to this?
  • Is a profitable domestic network feasible?
  • Is a profitable domestic needed?

Given the state of rail transport, in the UK, I'd say the answer to the last question is currently yes. Moreover, there are more complex questions of what happens when the flow of people in and out of a place changes.
Internaut is offline  
Old Jan 16, 2020, 1:15 am
  #18  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: Flying Blue, BAEC, VAFC, IHG Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 389
Originally Posted by Internaut
Ahh, IAG. Owners of British London Airways who abandoned the regions, leaving them little more than feeders for LHR. Before we get into the right and wrongs of state help, I think it would be prudent to ask other questions:
  • How did it come to this?
  • Is a profitable domestic network feasible?
  • Is a profitable domestic needed?

Given the state of rail transport, in the UK, I'd say the answer to the last question is currently yes. Moreover, there are more complex questions of what happens when the flow of people in and out of a place changes.
I think I'd agree with you. I don't think a profitable domestic UK network will ever be feasible, though. Domestic rail doesn't run without subsidy, local buses don't, so I can't see air ever turning a profit. I don't understand why it can't be subsidised like the trains, though.

The current policy in the UK is apparently to make more of domestic opportunities, and become less reliant on short-haul trade to the East. We need to be able to get expertise round the country quickly and efficiently. And it's a long way from Wick to Penzance on a train or by road.

International Airlines Group didn't want the domestic traffic, which is why Flybe ended up with it in the first place.
DeeGee26.2 is offline  
Old Jan 16, 2020, 12:39 pm
  #19  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,584
There’s no reason to listen to IAG. The Dirty Tricks of BA is taught even in overseas Unis (until all aircraft are finally grounded perhaps and the climate emergency is averted) because it was such a colossal betrayal of all that is right and proper. They have no morals.

But it’s good to see that BA took inspiration from BE with the ever so lauded and wonderful BOB with the contoured leather cabins.
Concerto and Internaut like this.
hugolover is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2020, 2:45 am
  #20  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,623
So how long is the adorable Flybe going to be safe for? When will the next round of panic start? It’s a shame they couldn’t have helped bmi Regional stay in the air.
Concerto is online now  
Old Jan 18, 2020, 3:38 am
  #21  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci.
Posts: 2,047
Anyone know why they have changed NQY to LGW from LHR

The GCI LHR are also not loaded from March

Anyone know their strategy at LHR with their grandfather slots?
allturnleft is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2020, 10:23 am
  #22  
PZE
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: London & Penzance (UK)
Programs: BA Bronze, KrisFlyer Silver
Posts: 347
Originally Posted by allturnleft
Anyone know why they have changed NQY to LGW from LHR

The GCI LHR are also not loaded from March

Anyone know their strategy at LHR with their grandfather slots?
Not yet clear - I thought that the LHR slots were tied until April 2022. Best guess is that the slots they are currently using for EDI and ABZ are free to sell from the end of the current season (ie 31 March, having been operated for 6 seasons) so they will sell those off and use the legacy NQY slots to retain those routes. Not sure where the LGW slots came from.

One confusing aspect is that I’d previously heard from management at NQY that they and other regional airports had been promised LHR slots as part of the third runway package, to be provided well ahead of the new runway being constructed. When BE subsequently launched the LHR route last year I had assumed it was a result of that promise. Now not sure whether this was in fact not the case, or there just wasn’t as much restriction on the use of the slots as there should be, meaning BE can shift them on after a year.
PZE is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2020, 1:25 am
  #23  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: NQY
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 500
New flight timings etc are now released:

https://www.flybe.com/media/news/january-2020/1601

On sales Tuesday 21.
LimitingFactor is offline  
Old Feb 9, 2020, 10:20 am
  #24  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,623
Flybe is definitely not out of the woods yet. Nor the clouds.
The following is behind a paywall, but you can read a good bit of it and see an interesting timeline on the history of Flybe, which I found interesting:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...ecision-looms/
Concerto is online now  
Old Feb 10, 2020, 3:28 pm
  #25  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
BBC reports

”The UK government may take an ownership stake in the troubled airline Flybe.

The government is in talks with the firm and the European Commission to ensure any rescue deal does not break state aid rules. Officials say support provided to Flybe so far, such as a pledge to cut tax on some domestic routes, are industry-wide measures.

However, the government is considering extending a loan of up to £100m to the loss-making airline. Government officials insist that any such loan will be on commercial terms but sources at competitors ask how the government can really mean that if the airline finds commercial lenders unavailable.”

Full article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51453196
Prospero is offline  
Old Feb 14, 2020, 1:07 pm
  #26  
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 134
Has there been any further information on what may be happening with Flybe as it seems that from previous news, the government will be taking a stake (how does this avoid state aid?) and would this impact the Virgin Atlantic, Cyrus Capital and Stobart Group partnership?

It baffles me that they buyout a struggling airline and then they let it almost collapse, I must be missing something unless that was the intent all along?
HeyUpDuck is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2020, 7:43 am
  #27  
PZE
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: London & Penzance (UK)
Programs: BA Bronze, KrisFlyer Silver
Posts: 347
So here we are again... Sky, ITV and FT reporting Flybe may collapse in a few days.

https://news.sky.com/story/regional-...lapse-11949393

it seems that the much heralded government rescue deal didn’t involve any actual rescuing, and the coronavirus bookings hit is accelerating their decline. It will be interesting to see whether this is real, or just maintaining pressure for APD changes ahead of the Budget.
PZE is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2020, 8:04 am
  #28  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,741
It probably won't be the last airline to be killed off by this particular virus....
Attached Images  
irishguy28 is online now  
Old Mar 4, 2020, 9:41 am
  #29  
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,184
WW was very vocal about this bail out:

oliver2002 is online now  
Old Mar 4, 2020, 9:45 am
  #30  
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,184
MOL shares the same opinion:

oliver2002 is online now  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.