UK airline Flybe has been grounded for the second time in three years after falling into administration on Saturday. It comes less than a year after the relaunched airline began flying again in April 2022.
It had been resurrected after going out of business in March 2020, with the loss of 2,400 jobs, as the Covid-19 pandemic destroyed large parts of the travel market. Before it went bust it flew the most UK domestic routes between airports outside London.
Its business and assets were purchased in April 2021 by Thyme Opco, which is linked to US hedge fund Cyrus Capital. Thyme Opco was renamed Flybe Limited. It had been based at Birmingham Airport.
It returned with a plan to operate up to 530 flights per week across 23 routes, serving airports such as Belfast City, Birmingham, East Midlands, Glasgow, Heathrow and Leeds Bradford. But now passengers find themselves stranded once again after Flybe announced it had gone into administration.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has now issued further advice to UK consumers impacted by Flybe entering administration.
Direct bookings
If you booked directly with Flybe and paid by credit card you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and should contact your card issuer for further information, the CAA said. Similarly, if you paid by debit or charge card you should contact your card issuer for advice, as you may be able to make a claim under their charge back rules.
Some card providers will ask for a 'negative response letter' confirming the position. Passengers may also be able to make a claim against their travel insurer. The negative response letter will be published shortly, the CAA said.
Booked through an Airline Ticket Agent
If you booked your ticket through an airline ticket agent you should speak to the agent in the first instance; they may have provided travel insurance that includes Scheduled Airline Failure cover.
Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI)
Some airlines and airline ticket agents will offer customers either a specific Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI) policy or include similar protection within a broader travel insurance product. The type of protection provided may vary depending on the type of policy taken out. A policy may simply cover the cost of the original tickets purchased or any unused portion, or the additional cost of purchasing new flights, such as new tickets for travel back to the UK.
