Pilots have approached administrators handling the collapse of Flybe to see which parts of the airline can be rescued.
The British Airline Pilots Association is seeking to save as many jobs as possible and preserve routes which it claimed are profitable.
Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton said: “I believe there is a good economic case for a strong regional UK airline. Flybe operated routes which were not only economically and regionally vital, but also profitable.
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“We will be exploring with the administrators which parts of Flybe can be rescued or sold as a going concern in the hope that as many jobs as possible can be saved.”
The plea came as joint administrators at EY confirmed that most of the regional carrier’s 2,400 staff had been made redundant while 15,000 passengers were left without flights.
GMB union’s Flybe warning
The failure of Flybe early on Thursday morning also threatens a further 1,800 workers in the supply chain and put the future of eight regional airports at risk, the GMB union warned.
The airports directly employ at least 1,000 people between them. Those support at least a further 794 jobs in the supply chain and wider economy.
But the true figure is likely much higher as reported figures only cover direct employment by airports’ owning companies, according to the GMB.
The airports are deemed at risk because more than half of their scheduled departures in 2019 were by Flybe.
They include Belfast City, Cardiff, Exeter, Jersey, Newquay, Southampton and Wick.
GMB, which represents baggage handlers, security staff and cleaners, called on government to implement a five-point regional airport rescue plan, including subsidies to enable them to survive throughout the coronavirus outbreak and support for lifeline routes.
GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “These hubs are vital parts of the UK economic infrastructure that communities and regional economies rely on. Without them economic disparities will widen, but now they face closure.
“Those workers directly affected by the collapse of Flybe and in the supply-chain need financial support to prevent hardship and protect livelihoods.
“We urgently need subsidies for socially necessary routes, funding for transport links and support for local authorities who want to develop airport plans.”
The Unite union called on ministers to help preserve the airline industry and protect regional airports and local economies.
The measures that should be introduced include:
- The extension and creation of loans to airlines to ensure they can retain staff and routes until bookings recover
- A delay in the payment of taxes and duties that airlines are obliged to pay
- Subsidising key routes by government to ensure routes previously operated by Flybe are rapidly filled by other carriers.
Unite national officer for civil aviation Oliver Richardson said: “The collapse of Flybe has been a gut punch to regional airports and their supply chains which are already struggling due to coronavirus fears and post Brexit concerns.
“The demise of Flybe means that thousands of jobs at regional airports and in supply chains are hanging by a thread.
“The government has it in its power to avoid a tsunami of job losses by taking immediate measures to ensure that there is not an immediate jobs cull in the regional airport sector.
“These measures include introducing subsidies for key routes and allowing for airlines and airports to delay paying taxes and duties.
“By taking these measures the government will have demonstrated that it is finally taking regional airports, regional connectivity and regional economies seriously.
“Inaction, cannot be an option as it will lead to thousands of job losses in a sector which is already under pressure.”
Transport secretary Grant Shapps responds to Flybe failure
Transport secretary Grant Shapps insisted that the government was “urgently working” with airlines and airports to identify opportunities to re-establish key routes.
He added: “Levelling up connectivity across our regions and nations is a top priority for this government, which is why we are undertaking a review of regional connectivity to ensure the UK has the domestic transport connections local communities rely on – including regional airports.
“The Treasury is also reviewing Air Passenger Duty to ensure regional connectivity is supported while meeting the UK’s climate change commitments to meet net zero by 2050.”
Shapps said: “These measures featured in conversations with Flybe back in January and, in turn, they agreed to continue operating.
“Since then, we explored multiple options with Flybe’s shareholders to find a solution, but the directors decided it was not viable to keep Flybe operating.
“Unfortunately, in a competitive market companies do fail, but it is not the role of government to prop them up.
“Globally, aviation is facing challenges due to the impact of coronavirus. The government is well prepared for this.
“As the wider economic picture becomes clearer, the Chancellor has said that he stands ready to announce further support where needed.
“I have written to Airport Co-ordination Limited, the independent UK slot co-ordinator, asking them to explicitly take in to account the implications of flying empty planes on the UK’s environmental commitments in reaching decisions on slot alleviation in relation to coronavirus.”
Flybe operated 52 domestic routes as a monopoly and 31 international services, according to travel data firm Cirium. The airline accounted for 36% of all internal flights with 60% of its network covering domestic routes.
The monopoly routes alone accounted for 10,543 flights a month – meaning that a total of 791,550 seats have been lost on routes solely operated by the collapsed carrier.
The airline’s busiest monopoly route was Manchester-Belfast City, with 348 flights and 27,036 available seats a month, followed by Birmingham-Belfast City with 316 flights and 25,588 seats a month, and Birmingham-Edinburgh, with 316 flights and 25,208 seats available each month.
The most popular international route operated exclusively by Flybe was Southampton-Amsterdam, which had a total of 276 flights and 21,528 available seats each month, followed by Birmingham-Paris Charles de Gaulle with 176 services and 15,648 seats a month.