BALPA welcomes return of Flybe

Saturday, 19 Oct, 2020 0

The British Airline Pilots Association says Flybe’s potential sale and return to the skies will give confidence to an industry ‘ravaged’ by coronavirus.

Pilots union BALPA said Flybe’s collapse last March was a ‘huge blow’, but at the time described the news that Flybe was put into administration as ‘sickening’, expressing fury and disappointment that the government allowed Flybe to fail. At the time, unions warned that in addition to Flybe’s 2,400 staff, the collapse threatened 1,400 jobs in the supply chain and put the future of regional airports at risk.

In a statement, BALPA said: "Flybe staff were the first and most badly affected by the coronavirus crisis which has gone on to ravage the entire industry. This news will give everyone a degree of confidence that recovery is coming soon, and that their skills and knowledge are still going to be vital."

BALPA said Flybe’s potential sale to Thyme Opco, an affiliate company of former Flybe shareholder Cyrus Capital, would ‘restore the vital air connections in the regions and nations of the UK and boost the economic recovery’.

Brian Strutton, BALPA General Secretary, said: "I hope this signals the start of a re-launch of Flybe and I’ve written to all the parties involved to discuss this with them."

By Louise Longman, Contributing Editor (UK)

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